The architecture of ancient Sri Lanka displays a rich diversity of form and style across the long span from the Anuradhapura Kingdom, 377 BC to 1017 AD, through the Kingdom of Kandy, 1469 to 1815, and shows substantial influence from ancient North India. Buddhism, introduced to the island in the third century BC, shaped most of ancient Sri Lankan building, which is mainly religious and includes more than twenty five distinct styles of Buddhist monastery. Leading surviving examples include the stupas of Jetavanaramaya and Ruwanvelisaya from the Anuradhapura kingdom, the rock palace of Sigiriya, regarded as a masterpiece of ancient architectural ingenuity, and the fortress at Yapahuwa and the Temple of the Tooth at Kandy.
Cross-Tradition Connections
Notable Examples
King Kashyapa's 5th-century rock fortress and water gardens, a premier example of ancient Sinhalese urban planning and architecture.
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