Sri Lanka’s rich 2500 year heritage spans over many different Kingdoms in different locations of the island. Of these, one of the most iconic kingdoms is the Kingdom of Sigiriya. Sigiriya served as the seat of the Sinhala Kingdom only during the reign of King Kashyapa, but it still remains one of the most archeologically, historically and culturally significant kingdoms, for the simple reason that the kingdom was home to the Sigiriya Rock Fortress.
The Sigiriya Rock Fortress is a stunning fortress built around a large column of rock that stands around 200m tall. The fortress served as the stronghold of King Kashyapa, who built his Royal Palace on top of the Sigiriya Rock. For this reason, Sigiriya has gained a reputation as being a popular tourist destination and Sri Lanka resorts such as the Heritance Kandalama, actively promote excursions to this fascinating historic structure.
In the year 477, King Kashyapa overthrew his father from the throne and established himself as the King of the Sinhala Kingdom. His younger brother, however, was seeking revenge for the deceitful act of King Kashyapa in overthrowing his father. Thus, King Kashyapa decided to build himself an impregnable fortress and establish his Kingdom around the fortress. Upon seeing the Sigiriya Rock, he was satisfied that it should be the site of the fortress and began constructing the fortress that would be considered to be one of the most stunning archeological landmarks of the ancient word. The entrance to the fortress was through an elaborately constructed lion’s mouth; the paws of which are still well preserved. As you climb up the ornate stone steps you will come across some of the awe-inspiring features of the fortress, such as the Mirror Wall and its legendary “Kurutu Geetha”, stunning bathing pools, and, of course, the magnificent Sigiriya Frescos. The rock fortress is surrounded by three gardens; the boulder gardens, the water gardens, and the terrace gardens. Being one of the most breathtaking landmarks of the ancient world, the fortress was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1982.
Damon Starky is a creative nomadic travel writer, who is well informed and experienced on a wide range of interests that would connect to the needs of any type of traveler. Google+