A rocky outcrop magnificently protruding over a scenic landscape, Singhagiri or Sigiriya might be the most valuable out of the seven world heritage sites in Sri Lanka. Read on to know why.
The rock is drenched in history
The history of Sigiriya goes all the way back to the 3rd century AD during which it was a monastery for Buddhist monks. After a few hundred years, King Kahyapa made Sigiriya his capital and built a fortress on top of the outcrop. The fortress featured immaculate works of art, it had well-landscaped gardens with impeccably planned irrigation systems and was heavily fortified with traps and other modifications to withstand sieges from enemies.
Sigiriya’s Artistic allure
Although most of its intricate artworks were destroyed during invasions, few remain standing tall against the test of time.The frescoes of Sigiriya are well renowned among art lovers around the globe.
A well-advanced civilisation?
There is evidence that the Sigiriya had a highly advanced system of aqueducts and other irrigation modules within its premises and some of its mysterious features even baffle historians! The attention to detail and precision in these peculiar contraptions makes people wonder how the engineers in an era where no modern equipment was present, managed to pull off such exponential feats.
Things to remember
With very sensitive artefacts, Sigirya is a world heritage site and it is protected by strict legislation.Any damages done to the artefacts is a punishable act so make sure that you do not touch anything during your time here. The ideal times to climbSigiriya are early morning and evening hours you can reach the site early of you plan your stay at nearby Sri Lanka hotels the likes of Heritance Kandalama which is a subsidiary of Heritance Hotels Sri Lanka. Make sure that you wear appropriate trekking shoes, a pair of shades and a hat during your climb.
