Dating back to the 1st century BC, this enormous dagaba was built during the reign of king valagamba. Originally over 100m high, it was one of the greatest structures in the ancient world. It is said that the scale of Abhayagiri is only matched by the pyramids of Giza. Today, after several reconstructions, Abhayagiri Dagaba soars 75m above the forest floor. Visually, it’s stunning, and your first glimpse of this brick monument (which is shielded by surrounding forest) through a gap in the trees is breathtaking.