A UNESCO World Heritage Site is an important landmark in the world chosen by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization as a protected area. The places selected to be UNESCO World Heritage Sites are usually in a historical location with cultural and anthropological importance. Sri Lanka is home to eight such sites—six cultural and two natural. Keep reading to find out what they are, and plan your trip!
Sacred City of Kandy
Kandy, a mountain city in Sri Lanka, was home to the Sinhalese kings from 1592 to 1815. It is also the site of Sri Dalada Maligawa, also called the Temple of the Tooth, as a special container holds a tooth of the Buddha. Over the years, the relic came to be very important politically; the belief was that the holder of the sacred tooth was the one who would have power over the Buddhist population. The Sacred City of Kandy was appointed the status of World Heritage Site in 1988, mainly due to the Temple of the Tooth.
Sacred City of Kandy, Kandy, Sri Lanka