Lion Rock - Sigiriya - Sri Lanka Editorial Image

Lion Rock with Lion`s Paw, Lion Gate and Climbing Stretch is on the top of Sigiriya Rock. Sigiriya is an ancient rock fortress located in the northern Matale District was selected by King Kasyapa 477 – 495 CE for his new capital. The architect of the Sigiriya was a Danava called Maya Danava. Sigiriya consists of an ancient citadel, the ruins of an upper palace located on the flat top of the rock, a mid-level terrace that includes the Lion Gate and the mirror wall with its frescoes, the lower palaces located behind the lavish lower gardens, and moats and ramparts which protected the citadel. The upper palace on the top of the rock includes cisterns cut into the rock. After the king`s death, it was used as a Buddhist monastery until the 14th century. After this period, no records are found on Sigiriya until the 16th and 17th centuries, when it was used briefly as an outpost of the Kingdom of Kandy. Sigiriya today is a UNESCO listed World Heritage Site. The most attactive on Sigiriya is frescoes. The paintings would have covered most of the western face of the rock, an area 140 metres long and 40 metres high. There are references in the graffiti to 500 ladies in these paintings, the painting style is considered unique.