Anurādhapura: Map & History
Anuradhapura is a major city located in the north central plain of Sri Lanka.
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Anuradhapura is a major city located in the north central plain of Sri Lanka. It is the capital city of North Central Province and the capital of Anuradhapura District. The city lies 205 kilometres (127 mi) north of the current capital of Colombo in the North Central Province, on the banks of the historic Malwathu Oya. The city is now a World Heritage Site famous for its well-preserved ruins of the ancient Sinhalese civilisation.
Modern Countries Once Part of Anurādhapura
At its mapped extent, Anurādhapura covered territory in 1 present-day country. The period shown is when the mapped borders include that country, and the note says how much of it.
Largest Present-Day Cities in Its Territory
Each opens on the live map inside Anurādhapura's borders of that time.
- Jaffna 291 BCE – 1017 CE
- Colombo 291 BCE – 1017 CE
- Moratuwa 291 BCE – 1017 CE
- Batticaloa 291 BCE – 1017 CE
- Anuradhapura 291 BCE – 1017 CE
- Sri Jawewardenepura Kotte 291 BCE – 1017 CE
- Kandy 291 BCE – 1017 CE
- Trincomalee 291 BCE – 1017 CE
- Kilinochchi 291 BCE – 1017 CE
- Galle 291 BCE – 1017 CE
- Matara 291 BCE – 1017 CE
- Ratnapura 291 BCE – 1017 CE
Derived by testing mapped cities against this polity's dated territorial polygons, so the list is indicative and follows the borders in the source dataset.
Anurādhapura in Depth
History
Anuradhapura is the best representation of the beginnings of pre-modern urbanisation in Sri Lanka. The development of the initial settlement at the site of the city can be attributed to the second global cycle of historical evolution with the generalised diffusion of iron technology in the Old World through the first millennium BCE, culminating in the emergence of many historical civilisations.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Anuradhapura (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Anurādhapura Map Over Time
Dated world maps on which Anurādhapura appears, with the other states of the time.
Anurādhapura Timeline
Key historical inflections from foundation to peak territorial expansion
Expansion to peak recorded area of 73,532 km² in 1016 CE.
Anurādhapura: Frequently Asked Questions
When did Anurādhapura exist?
Anurādhapura is dated to 291 BCE – 1017 CE, in the Classical Antiquity era.
How large was Anurādhapura at its peak?
At its peak in 1016 AD Anurādhapura covered about 73,532 km².
How did the map of Anurādhapura change over time?
Anurādhapura appears on 12 dated world maps in the atlas, from 200 BCE to 1000 CE. Each shows its borders in that year next to the other states of the time.