Cultural Triangle North of Kandy, the tangled green hills of the central highlands tumble down into the plains of the dry zone, a hot and denuded region covered in thorny scrub and jungle and punctuated by isolated mountainous outcrops that tower dramatically over the surrounding flatlands. Despite the unpromising natural environment, these northern plains – traditionally referred to as Rajarata, or “The King’s Land”, now more popularly known as the Cultural Triangle. At the spiritual heart of the Triangle lies the great ruined city of Anuradhapura, capital of the island from the third century BC to 993 AD and one of medieval Asia’s great metropolises, dotted with vast monasteries, elaborate palaces, enormous tanks and a trio of monumental dagobas, excelled in scale in the ancient world only by the Egyptian pyramids. The remains of Polonnaruwa, the island’s second ancient capital, are more compact but equally absorbing, while few visitors miss the chance to climb the spectacular rock citadel of Sigiriya, perhaps Sri Lanka’s single most extraordinary sight.
ﺍﻟﻤﺜﻠﺚ ﺍﻟﺜﻘﺎﻓﻲ وﺗﻌﺪ،ﻣﺜﻠﺚ ﻣﻦ ﺗﻼل اﻟﻤﺮﺗﻔﻌﺎت اﻟﻮﺳﻄﻰ اﻟﺨﻀﺮاء ﺷﻤﺎل ﻛﺎﻧﺪي ﻳﻨﺤﺪر ﻓﻲ اﺗﺠﺎه ﺳﻬﻮل اﻟﻤﻨﻄﻘﺔ اﻟﺠﺎﻓﺔ وراء اﻷﺷﺠﺎر اﻟﺸﻮﻛﻴﺔ اﻟﺨﻔﻴﻀﺔ واﻟﻐﺎﺑﺔ وﺗﺘﺨﻠﻠﻬﺎ ﻗﻤﻢ ﺟﺒﻠﻴﺔ ﻣﻨﻌﺰﻟﺔ ﺗﺮﺗﻔﻊ ﻋﻠﻰ،ﻣﻨﻄﻘﺔ ﺣﺎرة وﻣﻜﺸﻮﻓﺔ ﻳﺸﺎر إﻟﻰ ﻫﺬه، وﺑﻐﺾ اﻟﻨﻈﺮ ﻋﻦ اﻟﺒﻴﺌﺔ اﻟﻄﺒﻴﻌﻴﺔ ﻏﻴﺮ اﻟﻮاﻋﺪة.ﻧﺤﻮ ﻣﺜﻴﺮ ﻓﻮق اﻷرض اﻟﻤﺴﺘﻮﻳﺔ اﻟﻤﺤﻴﻄﺔ ًّ ًّ ."ﺣﺎﻟﻴﺎ ﺑـ "اﻟﻤﺜﻠﺚ اﻟﺜﻘﺎﻓﻲ وﺗﺸﺘﻬﺮ،" أو "أرض اﻟﻤﻠﻮك،"ﺗﻘﻠﻴﺪﻳﺎ ﺑـ " راﺟﺎراﺗﺎ اﻟﺴﻬﻮل اﻟﺸﻤﺎﻟﻴﺔ ﻋﺎﺻﻤﺔ اﻟﺠﺰﻳﺮة ﻣﻦ، ﺗﻘﻊ ﻣﺪﻳﻨﺔ أﻧﻮراداﺑﻮرا اﻟﻘﺪﻳﻤﺔ اﻟﻌﻈﻴﻤﺔ،ﻓﻲ ﻗﻠﺐ اﻟﻤﺮﻛﺰ اﻟﺮوﺣﻲ ﻟﻠﻤﺜﻠﺚ اﻟﺜﻘﺎﻓﻲ وواﺣﺪة ﻣﻦ ﺑﻴﻦ أﻋﻈﻢ اﻟﻤﺪن اﻟﺤﻀﺮﻳﺔ اﻵﺳﻴﻮﻳﺔ ﻓﻲ اﻟﻌﺼﻮر، ﻣﻴﻼدﻳﺔ٩٩٣ اﻟﻘﺮن اﻟﺜﺎﻟﺚ ﻗﺒﻞ اﻟﻤﻴﻼد إﻟﻰ واﻟﻘﺼﻮر اﻟﻔﺴﻴﺤﺔ واﻟﺼﻬﺎرﻳﺞ اﻟﻀﺨﻤﺔ وﺛﻼﺛﺔ ﻣﻦ اﻟﻤﻌﺎﺑﺪ اﻟﺒﻮذﻳﺔ، اﻟﺘﻲ ﺗﻤﻴﺰت ﺑﺎﻧﺘﺸﺎر اﻷدﻳﺮة،اﻟﻮﺳﻄﻰ - وﺗﻌﺪ آﺛﺎر ﺑﻮﻻﻧﺎرووا. اﻷﻫﺮاﻣﺎت اﻟﻤﺼﺮﻳﺔ ﻓﻘﻂ ﻣﻦ ﺑﻴﻦ آﺛﺎر اﻟﻌﺎﻟﻢ اﻟﻘﺪﻳﻢ،ﺣﺠﻤﺎ اﻟﺘﻲ ﻳﺘﻔﻮق ﻋﻠﻴﻬﺎ،اﻷﺛﺮﻳﺔ ً ًّ وﺑﻴﻨﺎ ﻳﻔﻮت ﺑﻌﺾ زوار، وﻟﻜﻨﻬﺎ ﺗﺴﺘﺤﻮذ ﻋﻠﻰ ﻧﻔﺲ اﻟﻘﺪر ﻣﻦ اﻻﻫﺘﻤﺎم،ﻧﺴﺒﻴﺎ أﻗﻞ- اﻟﻌﺎﺻﻤﺔ اﻟﻘﺪﻳﻤﺔ اﻟﺜﺎﻧﻴﺔ .اﻟﻤﻌﻠَ ﻢ اﻷﻛﺜﺮ روﻋﺔ وﺗﻤﻴﺰًا ﻓﻲ اﻟﺠﺰﻳﺮة َ اﻟﺘﻲ رﺑﻤﺎ ﺗﻜﻮن،ﺳﺮﻳﻼﻧﻜﺎ ﻓﺮﺻﺔ ﺗﺴﻠﻖ ﻗﻠﻌﺔ ﺳﻴﺠﻴﺮﻳﺎ اﻟﻤﺬﻫﻠﺔ
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