Sigiriya

Sigiriya “The Lion Rock” also known as the ‘Palace and Fortress in the sky’, was built by the legendary King Kasyapa during his reign 477 – 495 A.C. Sigiriya is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and located in the central district of Matale close to the town of Dambulla.

               

Sigiriya is both a palace and a fortress of stunning splendor, and is a tribute to its ingenious builders. Lest we forget to the King who wanted a Sri Lanka Holiday deal in a palace built on the flat top of a rock with a terrace and a mirror wall. After passing through the remains of the beautiful water gardens at the foot of the rock, your ascent to the summit will reveal; The Mirror Wall possessing 700 Sinhala verses written by the visitors from the 5th to the 13th century, and the exquisite rock paintings of the “Cloud Damsels”.

 

The Northern end of the rock the pathway emerges to a platform, from which the rock derives its name Sigiriya (the Lion Rock). At one time a gigantic brick lion sat at the end of the rock, and the final ascent to the summit was between the lions paws and into its mouth! Today the lion has disappeared, only the paws and the first steps are visible.

 

Covering an area of around 1.6 hectares, the remains of the foundations show that the summit would have been completely covered with buildings. The design, layout and magnificent views that it still enjoys to this day, suggest Sigiriya would have been more of a royal palace of pleasure than a fortress. A pond scooped out of solid rock measuring 27m x 21m, looks like a modern rooftop pool. A smooth slab of flat stone, often referred to as the kings stone throne, faces the rising sun.

 

The Sigiriya complex is considered one of the best preserved examples of ancient urban planning in the first millennium. The fortress is outlined with a web of gardens, tanks and structures. A park laid out on a symmetrical plan to appease Royal indolence and water retaining structures with ingenious surface and subsurface hydraulic systems will surprise you, as most of them function to this day