Ancient City of Sigiriya 

Sigiriya Rock Fortress located in the Central Province of Sri Lanka .the palace is located in a large rocky plateau 370 meters above sea level. Sigiriya rock has two fortified precincts where the western precinct encompasses 90 hectares, and the eastern precinct covers 40 hectares.   Sigiriya was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1982. Sigiriya rock plateau, which formed from magma extinct volcano, is 200 meters higher than the surrounding forest. The climate is hot and humid throughout the year and the average temperature remains between 20⁰ C and 30⁰ C.

Fort complex including the remains of ruined castles, surrounded by a vast network of forts, extensive gardens, ponds, canals, alleys and fountains. Since the 3th century BC Sigiriya rocky plateau served as a convent. In the second half the 5th century king Kasyapa (477 CE-495 CE) decided to build a royal residence here. After his death Sigiriya again become a Buddhist monastery until the 14th century, when it was abandoned. The term comes from the word Sihagri Sigiriya, the Lion Rock. The west wall of Sigiriya is almost entirely covered by frescoes. Frescoes depicting naked women and well-regarded portrait of wives and concubines Nagas or priests perform religious rituals.

City Planning and Landscaping

Sigiriya is considered one of the sites of the most important urban planning of the first millennium, and a site plan is considered very complicated and imaginative. On the west side of the rock lies a park for the nobility, placed on a proportionate plan; garden contains water-retaining structures, including advanced hydraulic system surfaces, some of which work even today. South which contain man-made reservoir;  the widely used than the previous capital of the dry zone of Sri Lanka. Five gates were placed at the entrance. Wall mirror is well maintained.

Royal Gardens

The most important aspect of Sigiriya is a garden and it is among the oldest landscaped gardens in the world. The gardens are divided into three distinct but related forms: water parks, caves and rock gardens, and terraced gardens.

The water gardens are seen in the center of the western garden. Three principal gardens are found here. The first consists of a garden plot is surrounded by water. It is connected to the main zone using four ramps, with gateways placed at the head of each cross. The park is built according to the shape of an ancient park and is one of the oldest models of this form.

The second contains two long, deep pools set on either side of the road. Two shallow, meandering rivers cause this pool. Fountain made of circular limestone plates are placed here. Underground water channels supplying water to this fountain is still functioning, especially during the rainy season. Two large islands are that lie on either side of the second water park. Summer palace built on the flat surface of these islands. The third park is sited on a higher level than the other two with a large octagonal pool on a raised pedestal on its northeast corner.   Large brick and stone walls of the fortress are on the eastern edge of this park.

Water gardens are built on an east-west axis. They are connected with the outer moat in the west and a large artificial lake to the south of the rock. A miniature water park located west of the first water park, consisting of several smaller pools and waterways. The newly discovered small garden seems to have been built after the occupation of King Kassapa, probably between the late 10th and 13th. This proves that Sigiriya was occupied by many of the pre-history and even after King Kassapa.

The garden of stone consists of several large boulders that are connected by winding paths. The gardens extend from the northern slopes to the south slope of the hill at the foot of Sigiriya rock. The audience hall of the king is positioned in the rock garden; the remains were visible on the flat crest and polished off a large rock.

Terraced garden is formed of a natural hill at the base of the Sigiriya rock. Ancient fortress once sat on a stone, and the remnants of a glorious past is still visible today. Foundation of the building spread over 1.5 hectares, remains intact, as do the terrace and garden. The summit is also equipped with a large pool, made by cutting into the rock, as well as a small pond made of bricks. The view is breathtaking and completely worth the climb. A series of terraces raises the stone garden path to the ladder on the rock.  It has been created by the construction of a brick wall, and is located in approximately concentric plan around the rock. The road through the terraced garden is formed by a limestone staircase. There are two large brick staircase with limestone paving, which provides access from Boulder gardens through this garden into the stone itself. The road to this ladder may be just two that bear some resemblance to the original path. One of these stairs past a cave believed to be a temple to the goddess Abhrasthita. The other, a large arch created by two rocks, also provides access to the terraced garden above. These two steps are ended on the landing is located near the middle of the west face of the rock. Beam hole cut into the rock indicate that this landing may once have been covered. The Mirror Wall starts from this direction.

Frescoes

Frescoes 5th century is the most famous feature of Sigiriya. These stunning wall paintings that are believed to represent either apsaras (heavenly nymphs), or a concubine of King Kassapa, painted on the surface of thin stone which appears to be a giant photo gallery. The paintings would have spread across the western face of the rock and graffiti refers to 500 women, but unfortunately most of them have faded and only a few paintings can be seen today. These paintings seem unique because such a style of painting cannot be seen anywhere else. Lines have been painted in a form which increases the sense of volume figures and the paint has been applied in strokes using more pressure on one side effect deeper color tone towards the edge.

Mirror Wall and Graffiti

Mirror Wall is a brick wall three meters high with plaster very smooth as a mirror. This wall is meant for those who come to see the frescoes to note their impressions of the women in the gallery above. Wall mirror contains a number of graffiti around 1000 years shows the evolution of Sinhala language. People from all walks of life have written thousands of verses on the walls on a variety of subjects such as love, irony, and the experiences of all kinds. One wrote: “I Budal, come up with hundreds of people to see the Sigiriya because all of them write, I do not.” He has left an important note that Sigiriya visited by people started a very long time.

Lion’s Paws

The colossal lion is a good appeal in ancient Sigiriya fortress. lion constructed of bricks lying either side of the entrance that runs through the mouth of a lion on a flight of steps. The fifth century claws were found during excavations in 1898.