Polonnaruwa - (UNESCO World Heritage Site), was founded as the capital of the island in the 11th century by King Vijayabah I. According to archaeological excavations, there were human settlements in Polonnaruwa even in the second century BC.
The city reached a dazzling but woefully brief zenith in the 12th century, and although it was devastated by invasion in the following centuries, much evidence of old glory and glory survives. The ruins of the ancient city stand on the eastern shore of a large artificial lake. , Parakrama Samudraya (Sea of Parakrama), built by King Parakramabahu I (1153-86), whose reign was the golden age of Polonnaruwa. The huge reservoir, covering an area of 2,500 hectares and having a capacity of 134 million cubic meters of water, is a lifeline for the agricultural region of Polonnaruwa and its surroundings.
During the time of King Parakramabahu, the country's agriculture was developed to the maximum extent..
The ancient city of Polonnaruwa, 122 hectares long, stretching for a distance of 5 km from north to south and 3 km from east to west. In the rectangle of the city walls are palace buildings and clusters of dozens of dagobas, temples and various other religious buildings.
To the north of the main complex, outside the city walls and close to the main road leading to Habarana and Dambulla, many other historic buildings can be seen.
Many of the relics found at the site, such as the stone lion that once guarded the palace of King Nissanka Malla or the fine Hindu bronzes found in the ruins of the Shiva Dewale Temple, are kept at the National Museum in Colombo where they are preserved. However, after the opening of the Polonnaruwa Tourist Information Center and its museum in 1998/9, some key exhibits were returned to the place where they were found.