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Anuradhapura is a major city in Sri Lanka. It is the capital
city of North Central Province, Sri Lanka and the capital of
Anuradhapura District. Anuradhapura is one of the ancient
capitals of Sri Lanka, famous for its well-preserved ruins of an
ancient Sri Lankan civilization. It was the third capital of the
Kingdom of Rajarata, following the kingdoms of Tambapanni and
Upatissa Nuwara.
The city, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, was the centre of
Theravada Buddhism for many centuries. The city lies 205 km (127
mi) north of the current capital Colombo in the North Central
Province, on the banks of the historic Malvathu Oya. It is one
of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world and one
of the eight World Heritage Sites of Sri Lanka.
It is believed that from the fourth century BC until the
beginning of the 11th century AD it was the capital of the
Sinhalese. During this period it remained one of the most stable
and durable centres of political power and urban life in South
Asia. The ancient city, considered sacred to the Buddhist world,
is today surrounded by monasteries covering an area of over
sixteen square miles (40 km2).
Ref:
Wikipedia
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