DESTINATIONs
Sigiriya (The Lion Rock)
The history of Sigiriya (aka the lion rock fortress) runs back to the 5th century. King Kasyapa (477 – 495 AD), the son of King Dhatusena chose the colossal rock rising up to 600 ft from ground as his fortress. The transformation amazes the visitors to this day. It was recorded that the rock was painted white and beautiful paintings were drawn - some of which are preserved to this day famously known as Sigiriya Frescoes.
The fortress complex consists of a mirror wall – polished so well that the king can see his reflection. Later on, the visitors started writing poems on the wall appreciating the beauty and wonder of the Sigiriya Fortress. The inscriptions on the Mirror Wall date back to the eighth century. The fortress is a landscaping wonder with water, cave, boulder and terraced gardens. The marvellous engineering of the hydraulic systems amazes the world to this day. The fortress has everything from fountains to underground water pumps which were engineered to bring down the high temperature on the surface of the rock. Sigiriya also has lakes, dams, canals and ponds with fountains. This archaeological wonder was built in 5th Century and was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1982.
