You’re treading on holy ground. Come to the site of one of the greatest civilizations of the ancient world. Anuradhapura was Sri Lanka’s first city, built in the 4th century AD, and is one of the world’s oldest continually inhabited towns. With its well-preserved remnants of this ancient civilisation, this UNESCO World Heritage site is a historical marvel. The many towering stupas (Dagobas), wonderful rock carvings, huge stone pillars, and ruins of royal palaces, monasteries, and bathing tanks, as well as some of the most complex irrigation systems in the world, are among the masterpieces of this golden era, demonstrating the architectural, engineering, hydrological, and irrigational skills of this golden era.