Sigiriya Rock Fortress

Sigiriya the ancient rock fortress of Sri Lanka is an ancient palace situated in Matale district near Dambulla build by the great king Kassapa. Sigiriya rock is surrounded by gardens, ponds and palaces. Considering the archaeological value  it is declared as a World Heritage site. It is said that the  Sigiriya Rock is  a hardened magma plug from an extinct volcano.

It can be reached along Colombo- Habarana highway by turning towards east from Inamaluwa. It is about 170km away from the city of colombo. 

Highlights of Sigiriya 

Ancient Paintings 

The Sigiriya Paintings are found on about the halfway height of the Sigiriya  rock face, or about 100 meters from the base of the rock.The paintings are mostly ladies  identified as Apsaras .The apsaras can be seen carrying flowers Sapu, Na and Asoka . However a lot of these ladies have been wiped out when the palace was again converted into a monastery so as to not to disturb meditation.

The Mirror Wall 

The pathway from the paintings runs along the face of the rock, bounded on one side by the Mirror Wall. This was originally coated in highly polished plaster made from lime, egg white, beeswax and wild honey but now some parts are repaired by the archaeologists. The wall is covered in graffiti, the oldest dating from the seventh century, in which early visitors recorded their impressions of Sigiriya and the paintings of the Apsaras.

The Gardens

Sigiriya Fortress gardens are among the oldest landscaped gardens in the world. The gardens are divided into three distinct but linked forms; water gardens, Cave and boulder gardens, and terraced gardens.These various kinds of gardens represents the engineering technologies of the ancient sinhalese- Clay and rock plumbings etc. 

Loins Staircase 

The base of the final staircase is flanked by two enormous lion paws carved out of the rock,to symbolize the pride of the fortress and the nation.  

Travelling Tips 

* Sigiriya is famous for bee attacks .Bees in Sigiriya are a species known as Rock Bees or Giant Honey Bee to avoid bee attacks its important to keep your silence.

* Snacks and beverages are bit expensive in the Sigiriya premises.

* Hotels near by - Habarana Lodge by Cinnamon , Habarana Village by Cinnamom, Thilanka resorts and spa. 

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