Sigiriya
Overview
Sri Lankan school history books taught us that King Kaasiappa overthrew his father King Dhatusena and killed him. Fearing an attack by his stepbrother and the rightful heir to the throne, he built a new capital in Sigiriya and moved away from the then capital Anuradhapura. He built an impenetrable citadel on a rock 650 ft high and a large flat area on top. He ruled the kingdom from 477 to 495 AD.
The site of Sigiriya became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1982, today, it is one of the best-preserved examples of ancient urban planning.
There is a clear view of the surrounding areas with 1,200 steps to reach the top of the rock. The entrance to Sigiriya is through a gateway in the form of a huge lion. It is recommended to start the climb early in the morning or late in the evening to avoid the direct heat of the sun as there are no shades when you get to the plateau. Allow about 45 minutes to climb to the top.
The King built a gateway on a plateau located halfway up the rock and is guarded on either side by a pair of monumental lion’s paws. For this reason, Sigiriya has gained the nickname of Lion’s Rock.
The King created a “mirror wall”, the highly polished wall was originally designed so that the King could see his reflection when walking by. A huge part of the walkway was covered in colourful fresco paintings depicting semi-naked female figures, however, only a small section of this now remains on the way up via the spiral staircases.
The ‘mirror wall’ became a graffiti board, covered in verses scribbled by Sigiriya’s man visitors, some of the messages go back to the 8th century AD. The graffiti is of great interest to historians because it shows them the development of the Singhla language and script. The wall is being treated to an ongoing protective restoration to preserve the existing ancient graffiti.
The city includes a number of impressive archaeological and architectural features. Sigiriya the rock features a citadel, an upper palace on top of the igneous rock, and lower palaces at ground level. Additionally, the King constructed landscaped gardens throughout and a moat with earthworks surrounded the complex for protection. Today, the upper palace is the oldest surviving palace in Sri Lanka, and the gardens are the oldest surviving in the whole of Asia.
Sigiriya has an advanced irrigation system, this impressive system consists of canals, lakes, and dams, which still provide water to the site’s gardens to this day! This contributes largely to Sigiriya’s reputation as one of the world’s best-preserved examples of urban planning.
