Sri Lanka - The Royal Cities of Asia

The Book

The classical civilisation of Sri Lanka - formerly the island of Ceylon - boasts several royal cities of venerable history and considerable cultural significance. Home to South Asia's Theravada Buddhist tradition, and a major source of cultural influence on the neighbouring Southeast Asian nations of Burma, Thailand, Laos and Cambodia, Sri Lankan royal power once rested on the lion rock of Sigiriya, with its exquisite nymphette murals; on the reclining Buddha and great water tanks of Polonnaruwa; on the stupas and temples of Anuradhapura; and on the rock temples of nearby Mihintale. More recently the highland capital of Kandy, home to the fabled Temple of the Tooth and set amidst luxuriant rolling tropical hills, has taken up the torch. These historic sites, together with the mist-shrouded summit of Adam's Peak - sacred to four religions - make Sri Lanka's royal cities spectacular indeed.

The Author

Rainer Krack is a German Indologist and travel writer who has lived in Asia for more than twenty years. Fluent in Hindi, Bengali and Thai, he has written more than a dozen books on aspects of South and Southeast Asian culture, language, history and religion. Currently based in Bangkok, he is an accomplished photographer and works for several photo agencies. Rainer Krack is one of Germany's best-known travel writers, and is the author of Reise Know-How's Sri Lanka Handbuch.