Joanna James
Sigiriya is a famous UNESCO World Heritage Site in Sri Lanka, renowned for its impressive architecture. It is known as the Palace among the Clouds and was built by King Kashyapa as his fortress, castle, and place of governance. Here are some facts about this historical wonder.
The brainchild of King Kashyapa who ruled the region from 477 CE to 495 CE, the Lion Rock was intended to serve as both a palace and a fortress to defend the king from the enemy forces of his brother, Prince Moggallana. The height of the rock and its location afforded King Kashyapa unhindered views of approaching armies or impending threats.
Tourists can reach the summit of Sigiriya Rock Fortress in under two hours. The citadel, standing tall at 200m, offers breathtaking views after climbing 1200 steps. After a tiring day of exploring this rock fortress, sign up for an Ayurvedic retreat in Sri Lanka offered by the likes of Ayurvie Sigiriya and call it a day.
King Kashyapa’s life was rooted in controversy as he fled to Sigiriya after murdering his father King Dhathusena in a bid to ascend the throne. The son of a mistress, King Kashyapa had no legitimate claim to the throne which he usurped from its rightful heir, Prince Moggallana, his half-brother.
Archaeologists believe that the rock was once the site of a Buddhist monastery before it was abandoned and later found by King Kashyapa in the 5th century.
Although only the mammoth stone paws of a lion are visible halfway to the top, the monument which has been ravaged by time once included a gaping lion's mouth attached to the paws. It was through the mouth that visitors had to enter the king's court when Sigiriya was a functioning palace.
The Lion Rock was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site only in 1982.
While the Mirror Wall today contains graffiti and poetic impressions of the first visitors who toured Sigiriya, King Kashyapa built the wall so he could see his reflection as he ascended the steps. Polished to a remarkable shine, the Mirror Wall's “Sigiri Graffitis" are just as historic, as there are poems dating back to the 8th century CE.
Home to Asia's oldest surviving water gardens, Sigiriya's upper palace is also the most ancient palatial complex found in Sri Lanka. Surrounded by a moat and towering ramparts, Sigiriya is an astounding construction.
Abandoned after the demise of King Kashyapa, the Lion Rock was rediscovered by colonialist Jonathan Forbes, a British army official who was enjoying a horseback ride in the area in the 1880s.
The hydraulic system used to channel water into baths, bridges, dams and canals of the palace baffles modern engineers to this day as the advanced irrigation system remains a mystery.
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A travel writer who has a passion for fashion and a deep interest in admiring new and exotic attractions around the world.
