Sigiriya

Sigiriya rock situated 19 Km from Dambulla. It's rock fortress is one of Srilanka's major attractions. This was the Kingdom of King Sigiri Kassayapa in the 5th century. This rock 200m high (375 meters from sea level) King Kasyapa built a wet-season palace- a kind of 5th century penthouse. It is hard to imagine Sigiriya at the height of its glory, but it must have been something akin to a European chateu,

1. Water Garden

The approach to the rock from the entrance is through Kasyapa's beautiful water gardens, which extend from the western foot of the rock., with royal bathing pools, little moated islands which acted as dry-season palaces.

2. Frescos

Frescos are found in Sheltered gallerys in the sheer rock face. Painted in this niche are series of beautiful women similar in style to the rock paintings at Ajantha in India. These 5th century pin-ups are the only non religious old painting to be seen in Srilanka. Although there may have been as many as 500 portraits at one time. only 22 remain today- several were badly damaged by a vandal in 1967.Protected from the sun in the sheltered gallery, they remain in remarkably good condition, their colours still glowing. they are at their best in the late afternoon light.

3. Mirror Wall with Graffiti

Beyond the fresco gallery the path way clings to the sheer side of the rock and is protected on the outside by a three metre high wall. This wall was coated with a mirror -smooth glaze of which visitors of 1000 years ago felt impelled to note their impression of the women in the gallery above. The graffiti were principally inscribed between the 7th and 11th centuries, and 685 of them have been deciphered and published in a two volume edition.