|
Sigiriya, commonly known as the “lion rock” or “rock fortress” or “palace in the sky”, is one of the eight World Heritage Sites in Sri Lanka. All five of them belonging to the classic ancient Sinhalese civilisation are located in the so called Cultural Triangle in between ancient capital Anuradhapura, medieval capital Polonnaruwa and early modern capital Kandy. For a short period in the 5th century Sigiriya was the capital, too. The World Heritage Site Dambulla cave temples is located close-by, too.
Sigiriya was built in the 5th Century during the reign of King Kasyapa (477-495 AD) on and around a 200 m high monad rock, the most prominent and steppest rock bolder in Sri Lanka. On the summit can be seen the foundations of what is believed to be Kassapa’s former Royal Palace. Water tanks on the rock supplied water to the other structures. In a rock shelter halfway to the top the only Sinhalese secular paintings from antiquity survived till the present day, the world-famos “cloud maidens” or “cloud damsels”. They are from the same period as the Ajanta cave paintings in Maharashtra in India, of smaller size and compexity, but of astonishing beauty, amazing visitors throughout the centuries. At the base of the rock lie the Royal Gardens, which comprised boulder gardens with caves ad well as water gardens with fountains sometimes working even today. The entire natural and artificial ensemble of Sigiriya is one of the best kept archaeological sites in South Asia, you need at least three hours to visit all attractions of Sigiriya, and you have to climb long stairways. However, every visitor falls in love with this place - even if entrance fees are high, but they are reduced for guests from India. |
|
| SriLanka-RamayanaTours |
|
