For over 1000 years Sinhalese kings, and sometimes the conquerors from the South of India, ruled Sri Lanka from the palaces of Anuradhapura. It was the largest and most influential of the Sri Lankan Royal capitals, but its size, history and the fact that she was a long time under the invaders from South India, made it more difficult to understand than, for example, Polonnaruwa. Today Anuradhapura is quite attractive and well-designed city. Spreading crowns of the trees cover the pleasant coolness of the guest house, located in a modern area of the city.

Anuradhapura was the first capital in 380 BC when Pandukabhaya, but of particular importance, the city acquired during Devanampiya Tissa (247-207 years BC), during whose reign Buddhism came to Sri Lanka. Soon Anuradhapura became a great and glittering city, only she was to survive the invasion from the South of India, subsequently repeated several times for 1000 years. But soon the Sinhalese hero Dutthagamani had led an army from the South in order to return to Anuradhapura. The first part of his name "Dutu", incidentally, means "rebellious" because his father, fearing for the life of his son, forbade him to even think about getting back to Anuradhapura. Dutthagamani disobeyed him, and later in mockery and sent dad a decoration for women, thereby showing that he is thinking about his courage.

After the liberation of Anuradhapura Dutthagamani (161-137 BC) began large-scale construction. Many impressive monuments that can be seen in Anuradhapura today and have been preserved since the reign of Dutthagamani. Mahasena (276-303 ad), the last "great" king of Anuradhapura, who built a huge temple Jetavanarama-Dagoba. He also built a record number of irrigation facilities, as well as the main channel. Anuradhapura was to exist as the capital for 500 years until, finally, she didn't come Polonnaruwa.

In the old city of Anuradhapura has preserved many monuments of those times, many of which are UNESCO world cultural heritage site by UNESCO — bell-shaped stupa III century BC, Ranveli II—I century BC with stone statues of Buddha V century BC; rock monastery Isurumuniya, palaces, artificial lakes. Also, a place of pilgrimage for Buddhists is the tree and the Mahabodhi temple.