Sigiriya (translated from Sinhalese as "Lion Rock") is one of the main symbols of Sri Lanka and is hugely popular with tourists. It is located in Sri Lanka's central Matale district and is a cliff with an ancient fortress and palace ruins. It is surrounded by the remains of an ancient garden and water bodies. Sigiriya is also famous for its ancient paintings - frescoes that are reminiscent of the Ajanta caves in India.
Sigiriya may have been inhabited in prehistoric times and was used as a cliff monastery from the 5th century BC. According to the annals, the entire complex was built by King Kassap (477 - 495 CE) and after his death it was used as a Buddhist monastery until the 14th century.
King Kassapa I came to power by killing his father and taking power from his brother. Rightly fearing the latter's revenge, he lived in a fortified palace built on this rock, which was considered an impregnable place. However, it was there that he was defeated after a short but brutal battle in 495, after which he cut his throat. After Kassap's death, Moggallan returned Sigiriya to the monks, condemning it to neglect.
During the eleven years that Kassapa lived in Sigiriya, he established a pompous residence and founded his capital there, the impressive remains of which still remain. At the top of the cliff is the palace with its ruined buildings, sculptures and swimming pool. At the foot of the cliff are the two quarters of the lower city, which are protected by two massive walls: the eastern quarter, which has not been fully excavated, and the aristocrats' quarter, which contains gardens lushly decorated with canals and fountains.
Halfway up the cliff, in a rocky cave in the vertical wall on the western side are rock paintings that have become world famous and have become one of the symbols of Sri Lanka - the "cloud maidens": 21 female figures comparable to Ajanta's most beautiful creations.
The poems scratched into the rock, known as "Sigiriya Graffiti", are among the oldest texts in the Sinhala language, and thus show Sigiriya's significant influence on literature and philosophy.
Sigiriya is one of Sri Lanka's eight UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
