Sigiriya

Sigiriya rock fortress

sigiriya is an ancient rock fortress located in the Matale District near the town of Dambulla in the Central Province, Sri Lanka. It is a very popular tourist destination not only among foreigners but also among locals. It is an amazing site of historical and archaeological significance that was made by King Kashyapa (CE 477–495). But some investigators tell the history of this rock fortress dates back to the era of King Ravana (around 5000 BC).


According to the ancient Sri Lankan chronicle, the Mahawansha, this area was selected by King Kashyapa (CE 477–495) for his new capital of his kingdom. He built his palace on top of this rock and created a wonderful garden outside of the rock, and it is also used as a fort. On a gateway halfway to top of the rock, he created the form of a huge lion. So we called this as rock of the lion.
After the collapse of the kingdom, It was used as a Buddhist monastery until the 14th century. Today, Sigiriya is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. There are many attractive and colourful frescoes on this rock wall, and local and foreign tourists like to see those paintings. Also, the ancient Sinhalese technology 2000 years ago that was used to make this site is unbelievable.

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