Monday, August 31, 2026 Search My Trip EnglishChinese
World news · travel · culture
Taiwan The Taiwan Times
Taiwan's window to the world
Island

Taprobana

Sri Lanka · Asia

Taprobana

About

Taprobana (Latin: Taprobana, Ancient ᾶ, Thamirabharani), Taprobana, and Taprobané (ῆ) was the name by which the Indian Ocean island of Sri Lanka was known to the ancient Greeks. Tabrobane is suggested to be derived from Prakrit and Pali "Tambapanni"., where the Sanskrit form of it is "Tamraparni". This name could be a reference to the "copper coloured" shores of Sri Lanka, connected to its civilisational origin story of Prince Vijaya and his followers, later forming the Sinhalese Kingdoms. The Ashokan edicts of his missionary activities also refers to the island by the name "Tambapanni".

Adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA). Photography via Wikimedia Commons.

More islands in Sri Lanka