SIGIRIYA ROCK FORTRESS
Sigiriya, an ancient rock fortress specially known to be as the eighth wonder of the world. It is located in the northern Matale district near the town of Dambulla in the central province, Srilanka.Residents call this ancient fortress complex as ‘Lion’s rock’.
It is special due to its giant structure which is so steep and its incredible height of 1,144 feet elevation from the sea level and around 600 feet above the surrounding plain.
Sigiriya has a specialty that this is the first and most famous historical monuments in Srilanka. And it is the most visited tourist spot in Srilanka which covers massive number of tourists around the world.
History
Sigiriya is one of the ancient capitals. (Constructed between the period of Sinhala king Kashyapa (Kassapa I – 477-495)). He built this fortress in the intention of safeguarding himself from the enemies.
After he defeated and this fortress became the Buddhist pilgrimage, and it’s now a famous tourist attraction in Srilanka.
later 90s, UNESCO announced Sigiriya as a world heritage site in 1982.
Significance of Sigiriya
Sigiriya is a marvelous fortress construction specially known for its series of features from the entrance to the impressive palace at the right top of the rock column.
Visitors are accessible through the mouth of gigantic lion at the entrance (bricks and plaster).
Through the staircases, in the mid-way to the top of the rock, visitors can see galleries of frescoes. Means a kind of painting done rapidly on wet plaster.
These frescoes portrait the drawings of the king Kashyapa’s wife and priests doing their cultural rituals.
Even when these paintings resemble the paintings drawn during Anuradhapura period, they have their unique style in the way lines and shadows are drawn.
There’s a believe that the whole rock were covering with these paintings . And thereafter major part of them were fade out due to various invasions and natural disasters .
After passing these Rock frescoes, you’ll see a well-polished wall ‘Mirror Wall’.
In the past there’s a believe that the king used this well polished surface to see his reflection. And you’ll see random ancient notes and names written carelessly in the wall which belongs to early 8th century.
Apart from these, there are many significant features one can witness here at the eighth wonder of world.
Some of them are ruins of palace complex at the top of the rock, boulder garden, water garden and so on.
Visitors have to spend an extra time here to witness the greatest rock fortress of all time and imagine how it would be thousands of years ago.
