Anuradhapura is Sri Lanka's first ancient capital, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that was one of the great cities of the ancient world, housing a sophisticated hydraulic civilisation from the 4th century BC to the 11th century AD. The sacred city contains enormous dagobas (Buddhist stupas), including the Jetavanaramaya — once the third-tallest structure in the ancient world — as well as the Sri Maha Bodhi, a fig tree grown from a sapling of the original Bodhi tree under which the Buddha attained enlightenment, making it the oldest documented tree in history. Cycling between the ruins through a landscape of forest, ponds, and crumbling monuments is a profound experience.