Polonnaruwa served as Sri Lanka’s medieval capital from the 11th to the 13th centuries, and the ruins that remain stand as one of the finest examples of ancient urban planning in Asia. The city’s royal enclosure, royal baths, giant Buddha statues and intricate irrigation network paint a vivid picture of a sophisticated and prosperous civilisation that mastered both architecture and hydraulic engineering. The Gal Vihara is among the most photographed and spiritually moving sights in all of Sri Lanka.