Jetavanaramaya Stupa

Jetavanaramaya was constructed by King Mahasena around 275 AD and at 122 metres was once the third tallest structure on earth, surpassed only by two Egyptian pyramids. The stupa required an estimated 93 million fired bricks and took decades to complete. Today it stands at about 71 metres after centuries of decay but remains the largest brick structure in the ancient world. An on-site museum houses gold jewellery, ivory carvings, and a gold plate inscribed with a Buddhist sutra recovered from the relic chamber during excavations in the 1980s. Combine a visit here with the nearby Lovamahapaya ruins, 500 metres south, to understand the scale of monastic Anuradhapura.