Anuradhapura is the cradle of Sinhalese civilisation and Theravada Buddhism, continuously inhabited and venerated for over two thousand years. The city’s sacred precinct shelters the Sri Maha Bodhi, a fig tree descended from the tree under which the Buddha attained enlightenment, making it the oldest living tree with a documented history. Colossal dagobas rise from the jungle canopy alongside royal pleasure gardens, bathing pools and palace ruins that attest to the ambition of Anuradhapura’s ancient kings.