List of World Heritage Sites in Sri Lanka

Kandy

Sigiriya

Anuradhapura

Galle

Polonnaruwa

Dambulla cave temple

Sinharaja

Knuckles Mountain Range

Peak Wilderness

Horton Plains

class=notpageimage|

Location of World Heritage Sites in Sri Lanka. Green dots are natural sites, red dots are cultural.

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) designates World Heritage Sites of outstanding universal value to cultural or natural heritage which have been nominated by countries which are signatories to the UNESCO World Heritage Convention, established in 1972.^[1] Cultural heritage consists of monuments (such as architectural works, monumental sculptures, or inscriptions), groups of buildings, and sites (including archaeological sites). Natural features (consisting of physical and biological formations), geological and physiographical formations (including habitats of threatened species of animals and plants), and natural sites which are important from the point of view of science, conservation or natural beauty, are defined as natural heritage.^[2] Sri Lanka ratified the convention on 6 June 1980.^[3]

As of 2022^[update], Sri Lanka has eight sites on the list. The first three sites, the Ancient City of Polonnaruwa, the Ancient City of Sigiriya, and the Sacred City of Anuradhapura, were listed in 1982. The most recent site, the Central Highlands of Sri Lanka, was listed in 2010. The Central Highlands and the Sinharaja Forest Reserve are natural sites, the other six are cultural. In addition, Sri Lanka has three sites on its tentative list. The country served as a member of the World Heritage Committee in the years 1983–1989.^[3]