Sigiriya

Description

Sigiriya Rock Fortress Sri Lanka

Sigiriya is an ancient rock built for leisure purposes by King Kashyapa during the reign of 473 – 495 which is standing majestically 660 feet straight up. It is located in the northern Matale district near the town of Dambulla in the central province of Sri Lanka. The word Sigiriya or the Sinhagiri means the Lion’s Rock where you have to climb up 1200 steps before you reach the top of Sigiriya. Today Sigiriya rock is one of the most famous Archeological Treasures and UNESCO designated Sigiriya rock a World Heritage in 1982 under the name “Ancient City of Sigiriya Sri Lanka”.

This fortified garden city of Sigiriya is an exceptional masterpiece of ancient architecture, construction technology, exceptional hydraulic engineering & management. Sigiriya rock fortress is recognized as one of the best preserved surviving ancient urban sites in Asia from the 1st millennium or simply it’s a Living Museum. Sigiriya World Heritage Site is versatile and many-faceted appeal, and it is one of Sri Lanka’s ancient political capitals and Sri Lanka’s most sensational heritage site.


Historical research carried out at the site has brought to light evidence to show that the origins of Sigiriya date back to pre-historic times. Situated at the base of the Sigiriya rock on its eastern side, is a monadnock named Aligala (Elephant Rock). In a cave underneath this, excavation has revealed remains of pre-historic human settlements that existed here around 5,500 years B.P. In addition, there is evidence of human habitation in this area, as far back in history as the 9th — 10th centuries B.C.