Polonnaruwa
Another of the nation’s World Heritage Sites, this significant ancient city ruin is a popular tourist destination. After Anuradhapura, Pollonnaruwa served as Sri Lanka’s second capital city and was prosperous about a thousand years ago.
The majority of the buildings are in ruins, but the garden-city has been totally preserved. Although it’s very small, cycling is the greatest way to see the gardens, palaces, and temples that are present. A bonus is that a sizable troop of macaque monkeys, who have lived in the area since ancient times, call the ruins home. Fans of Duran Duran will be familiar with the location because Save a Prayer was filmed here in the 1980s.
A few kilometres from the ruins, there is a tiny, modern village with guesthouses, bike rentals, cafés, and other tourist amenities. The settlement is near Minneriya National Park, a fantastic location to see elephants.
The Vijayotpaya, a seven-story building, constructed at Polonnaruwa by King Parakramabahu the Great, is even thought to be the Royal Palace.
The Palace has three layers of brickwork with cavities in them when you enter. It is thought that it was constructed in the late 1100s. It is stated that they must have been applied on rotting wooden beams. The wooden foundations have to be supported by these wooden shafts.…