22/02/2022
Sigiriya Rock fortress 🙂🙂 Wonder of Asia’s eighth wonder of the world!(Sigiriya Rock - Lion Rock)
Referred by locals as the Eighth Wonder of the World this ancient palace and fortress complex has significant archaeological importance and attracts thousands of tourists every year. It is probably the most visited tourist destination in the paradise island of Ceylon.
The palace is located in the heart of the island between the towns of Dambulla and Habarane in the central district on a massive rocky plateau 370 meters above the sea level.
Sigiriya rock plateau, formed from magma of an extinct volcano, is 200 meters higher than the surrounding jungles.
There is archaeological evidence of religious communities living in the area dating back to at least the third century BC. The ancient city of Sigiriya is a few centuries younger, having been built for King Kasyapa, the son of the previous king by a non-royal consort.
In 477 AD Kasyapa killed his father and seized the throne from his half-brother and heir Moggallana. Fearing his brother’s revenge, Kasyapa left the capital city of Anuradhapura and built the heavily fortified city of Sigiriya and he placed his impregnable palace-fortress on top of the granite rock. That part of the city in which the aristocrats lived was embellished with canals and other water features, as well as beautifully landscaped gardens. In the 11 years of Kasyapa’s time at Sigiriya he built a capital city of exceptional splendour.
True enough, Moggallana came to do battle with the King. During a battle that King Kasyapa did not have much hope of winning, Kasyapa took his own life by cutting his throat. His brother Moggallana obviously became king and reinstated Anuradhapura as the capital. He left Sigiriya to the monks, and of course its eventual abandonment. It was not until the early 1800s that colonial archaeologists found the site, and there are still large parts of the ancient city that have not been excavated.
Its view astonishes the visitors with the unique harmony between the nature and human imagination.
The fortress complex includes remnants of a ruined palace, surrounded by an extensive network of fortifications, vast gardens, ponds, canals, alleys and fountains.
The surrounding territories of Sigiriya were inhibited for several thousand years.
Since 3th century BC the rocky plateau of Sigiriya served as a monastery. In the second half of the 5th century king Kasyapa decided to construct a royal residence here.
After his death Sigiriya again became a Buddhist monastery until the 14th century, when it was abandoned.
The main entrance is located in the northern side of the rock.
It was designed in the form of a huge stone lion, whose feet have survived up to today but the upper parts of the body were destroyed.
The western wall of Sigiriya was almost entirely covered by frescoes, created during the reign of Kasyapa. Eighteen frescoes have survived to this day.
The frescoes are depicting n**e females and are considered to be either the portraits of Kasyapa’s wives and concubines or priestess performing religious rituals.
Despite the unknown identity of the females depicted in the frescoes, these unique ancient paintings are celebrating female beauty and have incredible historical significance.
One of the most striking features of Sigiriya is its Mirror wall.
In the old days it was polished so thoroughly that the king could see his reflection in it.
The Mirror wall is painted with inscriptions and poems written by the visitors of Sigiriya.
The most ancient inscriptions are dated from the 8th century.
These inscriptions are proving that Sigiriya was a tourist destination more than a thousand years ago. Today, painting on the wall is strictly prohibited.
The buildings and gardens of Sigiriya show that the creators of this amazing architectural monument used unique and creative technical skills and technologies.
The construction of such a monument on a massive rock approximately 200 meters higher from the surrounding landscape required advanced architectural and engineering skills.
The gardens of Sigiriya are among the oldest landscaped gardens in the world.
Sigiriya has water gardens, cave and boulder gardens, and also terraced gardens.
They are located in the western part of the rock and are with a complex hydraulic system, which consists of canals, locks, lakes, dams, bridges, fountains, as well as surface and underground water pumps.
In the rainy season, all channels are filled with water, which begins to circulate through the whole area of Sigiriya. Fountains of Sigiriya built in the fifth century, perhaps, are the oldest in the world.
The palace and fortress complex are recognized as one of the finest examples of ancient urban planning. Considering the uniqueness of Sigiriya UNESCO declared it a World Heritage site in 1982. Sigiriya is an unmatched combination of urban planning, water engineering, horticulture and art
