Culture · Ratnapura
Ratnapura: The City of Gems
By Days of Iru and Opa
Ratnapura means "city of gems", and for centuries its river valleys have yielded sapphires and other precious stones. It is a humid lowland town surrounded by green hills and close to some of the island’s wildest places.
Gems
Traditional pit mining still happens around the town, and gem dealers trade in the streets. Museums and workshops explain how stones are found, cut and graded.
Around town
The Maha Saman Devalaya is an important temple with an annual perahera, and the surrounding hills hide waterfalls like Bopath Ella.
Gateway
Ratnapura is a starting point for the Sinharaja rainforest and for one of the routes up Adam’s Peak.
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