Tourism in Sri Lanka is one of the most developed sectors of the economy, which is facilitated by the presence in the country of a large number of both historical and natural attractions. As of 2011, 8 World Heritage Sri Lanka sites are divided into 7 cultural sites and 1 natural site. 2 cultural objects recognized as masterpieces of human genius ( criterion i) [1] .
Historic Sites
Historic sights are concentrated in the central part of the country, the so-called “Cultural Triangle” (“Ancient Cities”), which includes the cities of Dambulla with the temple of the same name, Polonnaruwa , Anuradhapura , Mihintale and Sigiriya Plateau. The second center of the area of attractions is Kandy and Nuwara Eliya (translated as “city of light”). The “Cultural Triangle” is a region of an ancient, two-thousand-year-old history of the Sinhalese kingdoms and empire, Kandy and Nuwara Eliya - a new history within the British Empire .
There are several world-famous Buddhist relics on the territory of the country: the Bodhi tree in Anuradhapur is the “descendant” of the sacred banyan tree from the Indian Bodh Gaya , under which Gautam Buddha gained enlightenment. In the Middle Ages, Buddhists received a banyan branch from India. A tree grew out of this branch. When the banyan tree in Bodh Gaya died of old age, the branch of the tree from Sri Lanka was sent back, and from this branch the sacred banyan tree was again revived in Bodh Gaya, in the same place. The Temple of the Tooth Relic in Kandy officially contains the tooth of the Buddha, carried away from the cremation site of the body of Gautama Buddha, the only remaining material evidence of the existence of Gautama Buddha. The story with this tooth is dark and doubtful, up to doubts about the existence of the tooth itself as such in the temple (it, as such, is not shown to anyone).
Natural Attractions
Natural attractions are numerous reserves that preserve the island’s rich wildlife and bird life, such as Yala National Park in the south, Wilpattu National Park in the northwest and many other smaller, but no less interesting, especially for bird lovers. In addition, Sri Lanka is notable for the fact that it is the only one that has so far preserved a significant number of wild Indian elephants freely living in nature.
See also
- List of UNESCO World Heritage Sri Lanka
Notes
Links
Sri Lanka Travel Guide at Wikiguide