Historic Site · Polonnaruwa, Sri Lanka
Polonnaruwa
The royal ancient city of the Kingdom of Polonnaruwa, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Built 1070.
Photo: Mlechanteur via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0. Cropped and resized for display.
Landmark facts
| Location | Polonnaruwa, Sri Lanka |
|---|---|
| Type | Historic Site |
| Built | 1070 |
| Coordinates | 7.9333° N, 81.0000° E |
Every fact above is taken from the sources listed below; anything no source states is left blank rather than guessed.
What Polonnaruwa is known for
The royal ancient city of the Kingdom of Polonnaruwa, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
About Polonnaruwa
Polonnaruwa, also referred as Pulathisipura and Vijayarajapura in ancient times, is the main town of Polonnaruwa District in North Central Province, Sri Lanka. The modern town of Polonnaruwa is also known as New Town, and the other part of Polonnaruwa remains as the royal ancient city of the Kingdom of Polonnaruwa.
History
Polonnaruwa was first established as a military post by the Sinhalese kingdom. It was renamed Jananathamangalam by the Chola dynasty after their successful invasion of the country in the 10th century. After 1070 AD, Chola rule on the island came to an end, and Polonnaruwa was captured by Vijayabahu I, who became its ruler in 1070. Trade and agriculture flourished under King Parakramabahu the Great, who built irrigation systems including the Parakrama Samudra. In 1214, an invasion by the warlord Kalinga Magha resulted in the complete destruction of the metropolises of Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa by fire.
How to get there
| Nearest town | Polonnaruwa |
|---|---|
| Nearest airport | China Bay Airport (TRR) |
| Distance from the airport | 43.7 miles (straight line) |
Nearest major airport by straight-line distance from the landmark's coordinates; road distance will be longer.
Airports near this landmark
The airports a visitor would actually fly into, nearest first — each link opens its profile on our sister site AirportProfiles.
- Bandaranaike International Colombo Airport (CMB) · Colombo, Sri Lanka · 92.4 miles away
- Colombo Ratmalana International Airport (RML) · Colombo, Sri Lanka · 108.3 miles away
- Jaffna International Airport (JAF) · Jaffna, Sri Lanka · 143.3 miles away
Landmarks nearby
The closest landmarks in this library, by straight-line distance.
More landmarks in Sri Lanka
More historic sites
Frequently asked questions
What is Polonnaruwa?
The royal ancient city of the Kingdom of Polonnaruwa, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Where is Polonnaruwa located?
Polonnaruwa is in Polonnaruwa, Sri Lanka. Its coordinates are 7.9333° N, 81.0000° E.
How do I get to Polonnaruwa?
The nearest town is Polonnaruwa, and the nearest airport is China Bay Airport (TRR), about 43.7 miles away (straight line).
When was Polonnaruwa built?
Polonnaruwa was built 1070.
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polonnaruwa — Wikipedia article — overview, history and core facts (CC BY-SA).
- https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q394443 — Wikidata — built year, architect, height/size, visitors, official website (CC0).
- https://github.com/jbrooksuk/JSON-Airports — Nearest major airport computed from landmark and airport coordinates (haversine); airport list: jbrooksuk/JSON-Airports.
Page last updated 13 November 2026.