Sri Lanka: Mystical Megalith in Sigiriya
3 17. 01. 2024Sri Lanka 500 pnl
Sigiriya is an old palace in the Matale area near the city of Dambulla in the Central Province of Sri Lanka.
It is an old historically and archaeologically significant place, dominated by a massive rock formation almost 200 m high. According to the old Sri Lankan chronicle Culavamsa, King Kasyapa (477-495 BC) chose this place as the country's capital.
He had a temple decorated on the rock decorated with colorful frescoes. On a small plateau about halfway up the rock is a gate in the form of a huge lion. From it is also derived the name of the place - Sīhāgiri, which means lion rock. After the king's death, the capital with the palace remained abandoned. He was in the palace until the 14th century. established Buddhist monastery.
Today, Sigiriya is on the UNESCO World Heritage List. It is one of the best preserved examples of ancient urban planning and the most visited landmark in Sri Lanka.