Situated in north-central Sri Lanka, Anuradhapura is the capital city of the North central provinces but holds an older distinction of being one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities of the World and today being one of the most well preserved ruins of ancient Sri Lankan civilization.
Definitively the capital of the Sinhalese from the 4th century BC through the 11th century AD, Anuradhapura remained one of the most stable centres of political power and urban life.
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The ancient city also developed as one of the most sacred centres to Buddhists and is hence today surrounded by monasteries covering an area of over 40 square kilometres.
Today a UNESCO World Heritage site, the Mahavamsa or historic poem describes Anuradhapura’s layout as consisting of four suburbs along side the Abhayana Tank, a common cemetery, a place of execution and a Chapel for the Queens of the West. In addition there was a hermitage for wandering ascetics, a palace for the King, with residences for the Brahmins beside the Gamini Tank, with more monasteries for mendicant monks and shelters for those recovering from sicknesses.
During the later rule of Anuradhapura, Buddhism and it’s following and art was actively patronized by the Royal families who frequently commissioned works of art,
