Sigiriya

Sigiriya The Lion Rock the Fortress in the Sky. King Kasyapa built this legendary Citadel during his reign 477 - 495 AC. After passing through the remains of the beautiful water Gardens at the foot of the rock, your ascent to the summit will reveal The Mirror Wall -possessing over 700 Sinhala verses written by visitors from the 5th to the 13th century, Frescoes the famous exquisite rock cave paintings of the Cloud Damsels. The Lion Stairway - A stairway where the last lap of your ascent starts between the huge paws of a colossal Lion statue and takes you through what was once the mouth of the Lion, up to the summit of the rock where the remains of the Kings Palace, ponds, and other structures can be seen. The legend of Kasyapa is a story of tragedy and political intrigue. Kasyapa was the Kings son by a non royal consort who plotted against his father and became king after executing him. Fearing the wrath of the crown prince he is said to have built this palace like an impregnable fortress on this rock. Later the two half brothers met in battle and by a unexpected turn of events was abandoned by his own army and took his own life. After the demise of this Kingdom it once again returned to its original state of a Buddhist monastry