Short vedio on anything and description .

 Short vedio on anything and description .

Sigiriya was designated as a world heritage site in 1982. Sigiriya is famous for it's palace ruins on top of a massive 200 meter high rock surrounded by the remains of an extensive network of gardens, reservoirs and other structures. The rock itself is a lava plug left over from an ancient long extinct volcano.

Sigiriya rock plateau, formed from the magma of an extinct volcano, is 200 meters higher than the surrounding jungles. Its view astonishes the visitors with the unique harmony between nature and human imagination.

The fortress complex includes remnants of a ruined palace, surrounded by an extensive network of fortifications, vast gardens, ponds, canals, alleys, and fountains.

The surrounding territories of Sigiriya were inhibited for several thousand years. Since the 3rd century BC, the rocky plateau of Sigiriya has served as a monastery. In the second half of the 5th-century king, Kasyapa constructed a royal residence here.

After his death, Sigiriya again became a Buddhist monastery until the 14th century, when it was abandoned.

The main entrance is located on the northern side of the rock. It was designed as a huge stone lion whose feet have survived until today, but the upper parts of the body were destroyed.

Thanks to this lion, the palace was named Sigiriya. The term Sigiriya originates from the word Sihagri, i.e., Lion Rock.

The western wall of Sigiriya was almost entirely covered by frescoes created during the reign of Kasyapa. Eighteen frescoes have survived to this day.

Sigiriya frescoes depict nude females and are considered to be either portraits of Kadapa’s wives and concubines or priestesses performing religious rituals. Despite the unknown identity of the females depicted in the frescoes, these unique ancient paintings celebrate female beauty and have incredible historical significance.

One of the most striking features of Sigiriya is its Mirror wall. In the old days, it was polished so thoroughly that the king could see his reflection. The Mirror wall is painted with inscriptions and poems written by the visitors of Sigiriya.

The most ancient inscriptions are dated from the 8th century. These inscriptions prove that Sigiriya was a tourist destination over a thousand years ago. Today, painting on the wall is strictly prohibited.

Sigiriya and its water and boulder gardens are the zenith of Sri Lanka architectural advancement.

Generations of engineering experience in pagoda, monastery and palace building and knowledge of hydraulics in constructing ocean like reservoirs had been concentrated into the construction Sigiriya.

Believed to have been built in the fifth century AC by King Kashyapa, the original purpose of Sigiriya had been long lost within the pages of history but the engineering gen, which had been invested into this structure atop the 200 meter rock mountain,continues to amaze.

One of the most striking features of Sigiriya is its well planned and immaculately engineered hydraulic inflow and outflow conveyance system which even surpasses the present day understanding in handling the domestic, pleasure, display and aesthetic water supply needs, and drainage of storm water from an urban settlement.

Despite the popular belief that the water needed on the summit was pumped 200 meters up the rock mountain from the Sigiriya Reservoir archaeological excavation revealed that the water requirements of the castle were met through advanced water saving techniques adopted on the summit. Recent archaeological investigations had unearthed a central reservoir partially dug in rock in the southern corner and build by bricks and several other small cisterns dug in the rock, one of country’s earliest rain water harvesting apertures. Since the summit plateau has a general falling slope in north to south direction water was gathered at the ponds built atop the peak and water was usedfor domestic consumption.

At all terraced levels the rain water was diverted to a main collector passage cut into the southern edge of the rock running from north to south direction. Collected water was conveyed vertically down from a point at the southwest corner of the summitthrough a canal cut into the rock wall to a collecting cistern at the ground level.

The central reservoir or the water collection point could hold 297,000 gallons of water, which would have sustained thirty people at a per capita consumption of 300 gals/month leaving 50% for evaporation.

Other than for domestic consumption water had been used liberally for landscaping and pleasure.

The water gardens consists a geometrically laid out fountains, pools and ponds within a walled enclosure. It housed aquatic flowers and birds, and tropical trees a constant flow of water. An octagonal pool is set at the transition point from the water gardens to the boulder gardens, surrounded by a wide terrace, which follows its shape. A cleverly placed gigantic boulder almost the height of a six-storey building shelters the pool and initiates the boulder garden.

The miniature water gardens of Sigiriya has winding waterways, shallow reflecting pools, cobbled watercourses, marbled floors and an intricate layer of tiled roof buildings. Bordering the miniature water garden is a central island surrounded by four L-shaped pools, used for bathing. Adorned with polished walls, flights of steps and surrounding terraces these pools are largely similar to a modern-day swimming pool.

Water Gardens of Sigiriya

The fountains of the Sigiriya gardens with spouts made of symmetrically perforated limestone plates were fed by water pumped under gravitational pressure from the Sigiriya Lake and operate in rainy weather even today.

 Sigiriya and its water and boulder gardens are the zenith of Sri Lanka architectural advancement.

Generations of engineering experience in pagoda, monastery and palace building and knowledge of hydraulics in constructing ocean like reservoirs had been concentrated into the construction Sigiriya.

Believed to have been built in the fifth century AC by King Kashyapa, the original purpose of Sigiriya had been long lost within the pages of history but the engineering gen, which had been invested into this structure atop the 200 meter rock mountain,continues to amaze.

One of the most striking features of Sigiriya is its well planned and immaculately engineered hydraulic inflow and outflow conveyance system which even surpasses the present day understanding in handling the domestic, pleasure, display and aesthetic water supply needs, and drainage of storm water from an urban settlement.

Despite the popular belief that the water needed on the summit was pumped 200 meters up the rock mountain from the Sigiriya Reservoir archaeological excavation revealed that the water requirements of the castle were met through advanced water saving techniques adopted on the summit. Recent archaeological investigations had unearthed a central reservoir partially dug in rock in the southern corner and build by bricks and several other small cisterns dug in the rock, one of country’s earliest rain water harvesting apertures. Since the summit plateau has a general falling slope in north to south direction water was gathered at the ponds built atop the peak and water was usedfor domestic consumption.

At all terraced levels the rain water was diverted to a main collector passage cut into the southern edge of the rock running from north to south direction. Collected water was conveyed vertically down from a point at the southwest corner of the summitthrough a canal cut into the rock wall to a collecting cistern at the ground level.

The central reservoir or the water collection point could hold 297,000 gallons of water, which would have sustained thirty people at a per capita consumption of 300 gals/month leaving 50% for evaporation.

Other than for domestic consumption water had been used liberally for landscaping and pleasure.

The water gardens consists a geometrically laid out fountains, pools and ponds within a walled enclosure. It housed aquatic flowers and birds, and tropical trees a constant flow of water. An octagonal pool is set at the transition point from the water gardens to the boulder gardens, surrounded by a wide terrace, which follows its shape. A cleverly placed gigantic boulder almost the height of a six-storey building shelters the pool and initiates the boulder garden.

The miniature water gardens of Sigiriya has winding waterways, shallow reflecting pools, cobbled watercourses, marbled floors and an intricate layer of tiled roof buildings. Bordering the miniature water garden is a central island surrounded by four L-shaped pools, used for bathing. Adorned with polished walls, flights of steps and surrounding terraces these pools are largely similar to a modern-day swimmin

The water gardens consists a geometrically laid out fountains, pools and ponds within a walled enclosure. It housed aquatic flowers and birds, and tropical trees a constant flow of water. An octagonal pool is set at the transition point from the water gardens to the boulder gardens, surrounded by a wide terrace, which follows its shape. A cleverly placed gigantic boulder almost the height of a six-storey building shelters the pool and initiates the boulder garden.

The miniature water gardens of Sigiriya has winding waterways, shallow reflecting pools, cobbled watercourses, marbled floors and an intricate layer of tiled roof buildings. Bordering the miniature water garden is a central island surrounded by four L-shaped pools, used for bathing. Adorned with polished walls, flights of steps and surrounding terraces these pools are largely similar to a modern-day swimming pool.

The Sigiri frescoes .

The walls of Sigiriya are believed to have originally been plastered and painted white to convey the idea of purity, similar to the manner in which the city of gods was depicted in the ancient world. But Kashyapa was more intent on creating a magnificent spectacle that would stand out and capture the attention of anyone who visited the citadel.

The king possessed a harem of more than 500 concubines, who were admired for their sensuous and exotic beauty. Therefore, it is widely believed that they were the inspiration for the golden skinned, bare breasted women that make up the ‘Sigiri Frescoes’. The intricate and lavish gem studded jewellery that adorns the women in these paintings also suggest that they may have been members of the royal family, namely Kashyapa’s daughters. There is also a belief that the paintings depict apsaras, or goddesses, that are emerging from the heavens to bless the citadel. This is corroborated by similar depictions in the Ajanta Caves of the Gupta period in Maharashtra, India. Some historians even believe that the drawings are really depictions of celestial nymphs who are believed to have been protectors of the Rock Fortress. What we see now is just part of what was supposed to be one of the oldest and most intricate picture galleries in the ancient world"