Royal Palace of Kandy

The Royal Palace of Kandy, a remaining part of history dating back to the 1400s is hidden among the valleys of the city symbolizing the realm of the last Kandyan King, Wickrama Rajasinghe. Very little of the structure can be seen today. This consists of the Royal Court (Magul Maduwa) and the Temple of the Tooth. Historical records reveal that the palace had been burned down and rebuilt several times. The Temple of the Tooth is home to the enshrinement of the tooth relic of Lord Buddha. It was believed that whoever had custody of the relic was blessed with the right to rule. After several wars were fought for the possession of the tooth, the Royal Palace of Kandy was built to enshrine the sacred relic.
A Victorian building was built by the British during their colonial rule on the other side of the Royal Palace. This building was previously used by the Kandy High Court that had British influence on the Sri Lankan legal system. The Royal Court was built beautifully with classical ancient architecture that reflects the colonial charm today. It was built in the 18th century by Wickrama Rajasinghe. The Chieftains of Kandy had signed the Kandyan Convention to end the Kandyan Kingdom in this building.
All structures apart from the Temple of the Tooth are now administered by the Department of Archaeology as part of the National Museum of Kandy.