Sri Lanka’s Jetavanaramaya Stupa Shines on Global Stage with CNN Feature

Sri Lanka’s ancient Jetavanaramaya Stupa has stepped into the global spotlight after receiving special recognition in a recent CNN feature on remarkable travel and cultural landmarks.

Situated in the sacred city of Anuradhapura, the 1,700-year-old monument is being celebrated as an extraordinary example of early engineering brilliance and enduring religious significance.

CNN refers to Jetavanaramaya as an immense structure designed to stand the test of time, noting that when it was completed in the early fourth century CE, it ranked as the third-tallest man-made construction in the world, behind only the Great Pyramids of Giza.

The stupa originally soared to about 122 metres (around 400 feet) and was built using more than 93 million baked bricks. Although its present height is roughly 71 metres, the monument still holds the distinction of being the largest brick structure ever constructed by volume.

Archaeologists estimate that the sheer number of bricks used could form a wall three feet high stretching the distance between major cities such as London and Edinburgh or New York and Pittsburgh.

CNN also highlights Jetavanaramaya’s long period of concealment, as the stupa remained buried under dense vegetation and largely forgotten for centuries. Its eventual rediscovery and restoration have since restored its rightful place among the world’s most awe-inspiring ancient monuments.