Complex sentence: The city is home to the famous ancient Koneswaram temple alluded to in its historic Tamil name Thirukonamalai from which its anglicized name is derived, and has been a sea port that has played a major role in the maritime and international trading history of Sri Lanka.
Split into simpler sentences: The city is home to the famous Koneswaram temple alluded to in its historic Tamil name Thirukonamalai from which its anglicized name is derived. The recorded history of the city began in the pre-modern era and it has been a sea port that has played a major role in the maritime and international trading history of Sri Lanka.