Sigiriya Lion Rock
Sigiriya rock fortress is the most visited tourist attraction in Sri Lanka. It is sometimes known as the Sigiriya Lion Rock, after its original name “Sinha-Giri”. The name comes from its palace entrance through a massive brick sculpture of a lion head. Only the paws of this sculpture remain at the foot of the rock today. Sigiriya rock fortress is a fifth-century fortified palace complex, which was used by King Kassapa (477CE-493CE). The Sigiriya rock abruptly rises 600 feet high from the surrounding plains. The ruins of King Kassapa’s royal palace are scattered on the peak rock plateau. The hike to the top is via 1200 steps. Some of them were constructed at the time of King Kassapa. The foothills and immediate surroundings of the Sigiriya rock were once an elaborate royal pleasure garden. The archaeological value of the site is immeasurable, perhaps unsurpassed in South Asia.Sigiriya Lion Rock
Most Sri Lankan ruins have a religious significance. However, the ancient city of Sigiriya is not a pilgrimage site. It provides valuable insight into the non-religious architecture and high culture of ancient Sri Lanka. Along the stairway to the top are the Sigiriya rock fresco pockets. The pockets house 21 fresco paintings of voluptuous women. Five hundred such paintings are said to have adorned the rock walls flanking the stairway. These paintings closely resemble the classical art schools of ancient Indian kingdoms. Notably, cave No.16 of central India’s Ajanta cave paintings are contemporaries of the Sigiriya rock paintings. However, the copper blue pigment and preservative coating used, show distinct technical differences between the schools of central India and Sigiriya in Sri Lanka. The Sigiriya rock paintings also point towards a realist movement within the greater Indian classical art spectrum. As far as we know, this realist movement is sorely unique to Sigiriya rock paintings in Sri Lanka. The entire archaeological complex of the ancient city of Sigiriya is a UNESCO world heritage site. Sigiriya Lion Rock
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