Sigiriya
Description
Taking its name from giriya (‘jaws and throat’) and sinha (‘lion’), Sigiriya is a palace in central Sri Lanka. It contains the ruins of an ancient royal fortress and city founded in the fifth century AD by King Kasyapa. Three kilometres (1.8 miles) wide and one kilometre (0.6 miles) long, it stands on a remarkably steep, large rock, known as Lion Mountain, that rises 180m (600ft) above the surrounding plain. The magnificent site also features a series of water gardens, trees and pathways, laid out according to an ‘echo plan’, with the two sides reflecting one another in a symmetrical design. It is considered one of the best preserved, first-millennium city centres in Asia and is also renowned for its fifth-century rock paintings.
Air: Colombo Bandaranayake International Airport. Rail: Train: Habarane Station. Road: Coach: Services from Dambulla. Car: Main road from Colombo.
Contact Addresses
For more information on Sigiriya, contact the Sri Lanka Tourist Board (see Tourist Information above).
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