The ruins of Abhayagiriya, swamped in jungle for 700 years before they were discovered by British archaeologists in the 19C, are the scene of richly sculpted treasures of great rarity. They bear witness to the cultural dimensions of this former monastery whose reputation extended as far as India and China in its heyday. A Samadhi statue of Buddha (4C) is worshipped here and the dagoba, encircled by a perfect gridwork of lanes, is truly impressive.