On the dry plains of north-central Sri Lanka, the ruins of Polonnaruwa spread across a landscape of tanks, temples and serene stone Buddhas. For roughly two centuries this was the island’s royal capital, and at its height it was among the most sophisticated cities of medieval Asia—a place of palaces, monasteries and vast irrigation works that still shape the land today.
Compact enough to explore by bicycle and rich enough to fill a day, Polonnaruwa is one of the great archaeological sites of South Asia and a highlight of Sri Lanka’s Cultural Triangle.
