Situated in the central part of the country, Golden Temple of Dambulla, also known as Dambulla Cave Temple, is the largest and best-preserved cave temple complex in Sri Lanka. There are more than 80 documented caves in the surrounding area, and the rock towers 160 m over the surrounding plains. This temple complex dates back to the 1st century BC, but prehistoric Sri Lankans would have lived in these cave complexes before the arrival of Buddhism in Sri Lanka as there are burial sites about 2700 years old in this area. The larger site incorporates a set of individual units reflecting all phases of site development from the megalithic period to the present day, including a monastic chapter house, bo-tree temple, dagoba and the earliest known village in Sri Lanka. Those are located within a site of considerable natural beauty and power.
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