- King Panduwasdeva (504-474 BC) is credited with building the first man-made great reservoir in the world, Panda Wewa, near the city.
- The ruins date back to the 12th century, when King Parakramabahu I (1070-1110) set up his temporary capital here. The city was well-fortified with a thick enclosing wall, moat, and rampart.
- The ruins include several Panchayathana complexes, which are groups of five religious buildings including a stupa, image house, bodhigara (place where a Bodhi tree is planted), pohoya geya (building used for religious ceremonies), and pirivena (building used for learning). Some of these complexes were built by Tamil officials who served the king.
- The ruins include a unique circular building called the Chakrawala Kottaya, which has a diameter of 3.3 meters and may have been built in the 12th century. Legend has it that this was the foundation of a tower built to imprison a princess in the 5th century BC, but archaeologists believe this is unlikely.
- The ruins also include a Tampita Viharaya, a type of image house built on a wooden platform with a mandapa in front. This is the oldest structure of the new Rajamaha Viharaya temple that was built during the Kandyan era.