With a history that dates back over 2000 years Sri Lanka has a culture
that is seeped with heritage that helped mold the country into the place of
wonder that it is. Sri Lanka holidays showcase this ancient influence as
visitors are embraced by the warmth of her people. This tiny island can lay
claim to 8 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, which are well preserved and proudly
display the achievement of ancient Sri Lanka.
From amazing structures such as temples and the
Sigiriya Rock Fortress to rivers and lakes to well planned gardens, visitors
will be awed from the moment they arrive. Come visit Sri Lanka, the wonder of
Asia. Built by an obsessed monarch in the 5th century, Sigiriya or Lion
Rock is an astonishing feat of engineering and construction. The most striking
portion of Sigiriya, a terracotta and grey core of rock set in the cultural
heart of Sri Lanka, rises a sheer 200 metres above a forested plain, its
flattened summit sloping gently. A series of moats, ramparts and water gardens
— remnants of an ancient city — spread out on two sides of the rock, with the
remains of a pair of giant stone lion’s paws still guarding the staircase that
leads to the summit, once occupied by a royal palace.
Designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in
1982, Sigiriya is Asia’s best preserved city of the first millennium, showing
complex urban planning around the base of the rock, combined with sophisticated
engineering and irrigation skills in the palace perched on the summit. It is
considered it to be one of the oldest tourist attractions in the world with
visitors recording their impressions in some of the earliest-known graffiti.
For just two decades in the 5th century AD, Sigiriya
rose to prominence following a power struggle between two brothers, and an act
of patricide that saw the then king walled-up alive by his son, Kasyapa.
Fearful that his defeated brother would return from exile to extract vengeance,
Kasyapa shifted the capital to Sigiriya and in 477 AD, he ordered the
construction of the magnificent city around the base of the rock, and decreed
that his palace should stand on top, a fortress that would keep him safe from
retribution. Just seven years later, his astonishing palace in the sky was
ready, complete with terraces and a complex system of irrigation.
Kasyapa clearly had an eye for beauty. The
pleasure gardens include a series of symmetric pools, channels and fountains
that still spurt water after 1,500 years. Partway up the rock are the famous
Sigiriya frescoes, featuring 21 bare-breasted damsels that may represent
celestial nymphs, but were surely modeled on Kasyapa's own consorts. Halfway
you'll encounter a pair of giant lion's paws, part of the original entrance,
which required visitors to pass through the open mouth of a lion. The summit
yields a dramatic vista of the surrounding jungle and contains the foundations
of the palace complex, replete with bathing pools.