There are eight UNESCO World Heritage sites in Sri Lanka compared to 23 in the U.S. (which is almost 150 times larger than Sri Lanka), and we were able to visit six of them.
Our first was the city of Anuradhapura, declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1994. It was the capital of this part of Sri Lanka from the 4th century BC until the 11th century AD. It is also one of the most sacred Buddhist pilgrimage cities in the country. Covering 16 square miles, the ruins are some of the most extensive in the world.After moving us quickly through the Jetavanarama Museum, which contained glass display cases full of small artifacts from the city . . .
. . . a site guide took us to visit the first of four stupas we would see that day. A stupa is a domed structure built around a relic--typically the remains of a Buddhist monk (or in some cases, the remains of Buddha himself)--and used as a place for prayer or meditation. Another name for a stupa in Sri Lanka is a "dagoba" (sounds like "pagoda").
The Jetavanarama Dagoba (Say that three times really fast) was built in about the 3rd century AD. Originally over 325 feet tall and made of 93 million (yes, million) bricks, it is the largest brick structure in the world. At the time of its construction, only the Pyramids of Giza were taller, but they are made of stone, not brick.
A sash or belt that belonged to Lord Buddha is buried somewhere in this solid hump.