Holiday in Sigiriya

About Sigiriya

Sigiriya is Sri Lanka's most spectacular World Heritage site — a 200-meter-high rock fortress that rises like a giant monolith from the tropical jungle and was converted into the palace of King Kashyapa in the 5th century AD. This UNESCO World Heritage rock combines dramatic geology, ancient engineering, and one of the oldest landscape architectures in the world. The ascent of over 1,200 steps leads past the famous cloud maiden frescoes — 22 life-sized paintings of bare-breasted court ladies from the 5th century that have survived in a protected rock niche for 1,500 years. The Mirror Wall next to it bears graffiti from the 8th to 10th centuries, the oldest surviving prose texts of Sinhalese literature. Halfway up, the Lion's Gate opens: two massive lion paws made of brick flank the ascent to the summit plateau, where once stood the royal palace with swimming pools, gardens, and a throne room. From the 1.6-hectare summit, a 360-degree panorama offers views over endless jungle areas to the horizon. The water garden facilities at the foot of Sigiriya are among the oldest landscape gardens in the world: symmetrical water basins, fountains (which still work!), and pleasure walkways testify to a high culture that mastered hydraulic engineering at the highest level 1,500 years ago.