Sri Lanka is one of the most photogenic destinations with epic Instagrammable spots spread throughout the island. It is home to many epic natural wonders, as well as thousands of years old epic cultural landmarks which are completely worthy to visit. Since Sri Lanka is a multi-cultural country, you’ll find ancient monuments belonging to different religions including Buddhism, Hindu, Muslim, and Catholic. These iconic landmarks help to harmonize the nations, while it continues to attract visitors who want to explore thousands of years-long Sri Lankan culture.
In a previous post, we have included epic photogenic natural wonders in Sri Lanka. Following it, here we’ve put together all the epic man-made cultural landmarks in the country. Make a visit to these places and you’ll experience the great cultural and historical value related to them. These historical marvels offer the best opportunity to capture wonderful shots of Sri Lankan culture. Remember to visit these iconic spots in Sri Lanka and get the best snaps to memorize your visit forever.
1. Ruwanweliseya in Anuradhapura
Undoubtedly, the majestic Ruwanweliseya, located in the sacred city of Anuradhapura is one of the most epic cultural landmarks of Sri Lanka. Painted in pure white, this colossal Stupa stays as the most attractive and impressive stupa in the country. It was built in 140 BC by the greatest King Dutugemunu. This 2000-year-old ancient monument is a world heritage site and it continues to amaze visitors with its eternal glorious view.
Ruwanweliseya is one of the world’s tallest ancient monuments, standing at a height of 103 m with a circumference of 290 m. It took 33 years to complete this gigantic structure, which made from Brick and clay. This great stupa considers as a marvel of ancient architectural skills and respect by Buddhists all over the world. The elephant sculptures lined at the outer wall make this stupa different from the many other sights.
Ruwanweliseya looks amazing under the illumination of lights at night. On full moon poya days, the Stupa illuminated by thousands of lights making awe-inspiring wonderful scenery. Especially, there are spectacular Vesak decorations during the Vesak period. You would see lots of Buddhists visiting this place with flowers to offer their respect. The surrounding of the Stupa becomes fascinating scenery at sunset offering the best view to capture the nice shots of this ancient historical monument.
2. Jetavanaramaya in Anuradhapura
Magnificent Jetavanaramaya is 71 m high, gigantic Stupa in the sacred city of Anuradhapura. It is a world heritage site and the largest existing Stupa in the world. It has a significant historical value as one of the tallest structures in the ancient world. When it was built by great King Mahasen 1700 years before, it was 122 m in height and the tallest in the world. At the time of its construction, it stayed behind only the Egyptian pyramids in Giza.
But it abandoned with the changes of the Anuradhapura kingdom and gradually the stupa covered by jungle. Later, the great King Parakramabahu renovated and rebuilt it to the current height of 71 m, a reduction from the original height. Although the structure is no longer the tallest, it is still remaining as the largest Stupa in the world with the biggest base-area.
It has estimated that the construction of the stupa took 15 years to complete its splendid massive dome structure. Still, Jetavanaramaya has the original ancient appearance with the natural brick surface and it isn’t painted in white color. It is one of the best epic historical landmarks in the country, fill with ancient grandeur and spiritual power.
3. Rankoth Vehera in Polonnaruwa
The ancient city of Polonnaruwa is a calm and serene place to admire the historic architecture and the great history of Sri Lanka. This is the second ancient capital of Sri Lanka and one of the best planned archaeological relic cities in the country. Rankoth Vehera is the largest Dagaba in Polonnaruwa, which is 54 meters tall. It is the fourth largest in Sri Lanka and dates back to great King Nissanka Malla. Its name literally means “golden pinnacled stupa”.
Rankoth Vehera bears a close resemblance to the majestic Ruwanweliseya in Anuradhapura. The Stupa is made from entirely brick and still remains with a natural brick surface. Boasting impressive ancient craftsmanship, Rankoth Vehera is an epic cultural monument in Sri Lankan history.
4. Vatadage in Polonnaruwa
Polonnaruwa Vatadage can describe as the ultimate development of ancient Sri Lankan architecture. It built by great king Parakramabahu, to hold the tooth relic of Lord Buddha during his reign. The purpose of Vatadage is to protect the small stupa that the tooth relic is enshrined in. It has two stone platforms decorated with elaborate stone carvings.
There is a single entrance to enter the circular lower platform. The upper platform, surrounded by the circular brick wall can access through four doorways. Four solid rock Buddha statues seat around it, each facing one of the entrances. The entire structure decorated with stone carvings including moonstones and guard stones. Certainly, Polonnaruwa Vatadage is one of the magnificent historical creations, completely worthy of admiring the ancient Sri Lankan architectural skills.
5. Dambulla Golden Temple
Dambulla golden temple is a world heritage site and the best-preserved ancient cave temple in Sri Lanka. Although this temple is thousands of years old, it has a dazzling appearance with a huge 30m high seated statue of Lord Buddha at the entrance. The statue is real gold painted and gives a spectacular view both day and night.
The cave temple is located under the 160 m in high giant Dambulla rock. There are more than 5 large caves, which contain beautiful statues and paintings of Lord Buddha. The individual caves created by building partition walls into space beneath a single overhanging huge rock.
If you love to capture artistic photographs, Dambulla rock temple gives the best opportunity to capture wonderful shots. Inside of the caves are dimly-lighted and you may need to adjust lighting by using your skills. Otherwise, you need to wait for the sunlight to capture the best shots inside the caves.
Other than enjoying historical artworks, the rock ascend landscape enables us to reach the top of the Dambulla Rock. It offers a panoramic view of the surrounding flatlands, including the rock fortress in Sigiriya, 20 km away.
6. Sacred Temple of Tooth Relic in Kandy
Without capturing the magnificent shot of the sacred Temple of Tooth Relic in Kandy, the journey to Sri Lanka wouldn’t have been completed. This is the most religious and worshipped place of Sri Lankan Buddhists. The octagonal pavilion of the sacred Temple of Tooth can be considered the most iconic cultural landmark of Sri Lanka.
The Sacred Temple of Tooth Relic houses the tooth relic of Lord Buddha. The Tooth relic has played a very important role since ancient times, as it is the symbol of the sovereignty of Sri Lanka. Its location shifted several times with the change of Sri Lanka’s capital until it ended up in Kandy with the last ruling monarchy.
The inside of the temple was decorated with elegant paintings, which drew in the Kandyan era. This is the best place to admire the authentic styles of Kandyan architecture. You’ll enchant with the spiritual power in this sacred place.
7. Red Mosque in Colombo
The Jami-ul-Alfar Mosque or simply the Red Mosque is one of the most unique mosques in Colombo. If you visit the second cross street in Pettah, you’ll find this striking cultural landmark, simply standing out elegantly among other buildings. Built in 1908, it is the oldest Mosque in Colombo city. It is easy to reach within walking distance of Colombo Fort Railway Station.
Red Mosque is a tall two-story building painted in striped red and white patterns with a dazzling appearance. Due to its mesmerizing view, Red Mosque is a popular tourist spot in Colombo city. The exterior of the mosque is stunningly beautiful and gives the best opportunity to capture wonderful Instagrammable shots. You can admire and take photographs of it only from the outside since it is a religious building of Muslim people.
8. Hindu Temple in Colombo
Just close to the Fort railway station in Colombo, you’ll find a beautiful, ancient Hindu Temple called Sri Kailawasanathan Swami Devasthanam. It is one of the oldest and most gorgeous Hindu temples in the country, which preserved for more than two centuries. It is dedicated to the Hindu gods Ganesha and Shiva.
This temple was created by skilled architects and sculptors who came from India. It has large numbers of brightly painted sculptures of gods and goddesses on its exterior. The colorful main tower is decorated with detailed sculptures and intricate carvings. This Hindu Temple is a beautiful sight and one of the great cultural landmarks that all ethnic communities visit in Sri Lanka.
9. Koneswaram Temple in Trincomalee
Thirukoneswaram, or the Holy Koneswaram Temple, is a Hindu temple in Trincomalee on the east coast of Sri Lanka. This is a thousand years old, an ancient Hindu temple dedicated to the God Shiva. Thirukoneswaram is a religious pilgrimage center, not only for Hindus but also for all the Sri Lankan communities. This is one of the top legendary Ramayana sights in Sri Lanka.
This temple lies on a high rocky outcrop surrounded by the sea from three sides. The location of the temple is dramatic and jaw-dropping. Surrounded by the beautiful scenery of the deep blue ocean on all sides, the colorful Koneswaram temple sits high above the bay.
The original structures of the temple were destroyed during the colonial period, but the restoration work was completed in 1963, with some quite modern constructions. Closer to the entrance, there is a massive statue of God Shiva in the lotus position. This statue is painted in gold and stands at a height of 14 feet.
Since the Koneswaram temple is famed all over the world, it is visited by many people of different cultures and countries. If you are visiting the East Coast, this is a must-visit place to capture some unique photographs belonging to Hindu culture.
10. Nallur Temple in Jaffna
The Nallur Kandaswamy Kovil in Jaffna is one of the iconic cultural landmarks in Sri Lanka. It is an ancient temple devoted to Hindu God Murugan and one of the most sacred places of worship for the Hindu community of Sri Lanka. The annual Nallur Kovil festival attracts thousands of devotees and visitors. If you arrived in late August, you will be lucky enough to see this famous and colorful 25-day festival.
The original Nallur Kovil was constructed in the year 948, but they were destroyed in the colonial era. Reconstructions and development work completed later, bringing it back to its past glory.
The temple is filled with intricate artwork and statues of gods and deities of the Hindu culture. The temple’s main entrance is adorned with an ornately carved five-story tower with sculptures of gods. It has four entrances with gates and shrines for other Hindu Gods inside the temple. If you are visiting the northern area of the country, this is one of the must-visit destinations in Jaffna city.
To sum up. here we have brought you the details of epic cultural landmarks in Sri Lanka. When you are visiting here, try to visit as many as these photogenic, historical spots and capture their marvelous beauty.
Text by Magnificent Sri Lanka. Images from Wikimedia Commons, walker tours and Pixabay.
