Sri Lanka
Sigiriya
The Ancient City of Sigiriya holds the ruins of a 5th-century rock fortress and palace.
This enormous complex, known as Lion Mountain, was constructed by Prince Kasyapa. At the level below the top, two very big lions claws give way to the final and most important stage of the complex, the palace. Along the way, visitors encounter non-religious mural paintings and the most ancient texts in the Sinhalese language.
Community Perspective: The frescoes are amazing and the views from the top are wonderful (to some). Beware of the steep 30 USD entrance fee.
Site Info
Official Information
- Full Name
- Ancient City of Sigiriya (ID: 202)
- Country
- Sri Lanka
- Status
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Inscribed 1982
Site history
History of Sigiriya
- WHS Type
- Cultural
- Criteria
- ii
- iii
- iv
Links
- UNESCO
- whc.unesco.org
All Links
UNESCO.org
- whc.unesco.org — whc.unesco.org/
Related Resources
- srilanka.travel — Sri Lanka Travel
- sigiriyafortress.com — Sigiriya Fortress
News Article
- Feb. 2, 2019 xinhuanet.com — Sri Lanka declares UNESCO site Sigiriya as polythene free
- July 18, 2016 colombopage.com — Wasp attack at Sigiriya heritage site injures 17 tourists
- June 6, 2013 businessweek.com — Sri Lanka to sue ad firm over beer commercial
- March 26, 2013 emirates247.com — Students vandalised and totally disfigured the "Lion's Paw" in Sigiriya
- Oct. 29, 2012 colombopage.com — Canopy to shade damaged part of lion foot entrance at Sigiriya
- June 6, 2012 colombopage.com — Sri Lanka police arrested a person who attempted to scribble his name on the Mirror Wall of Sigiriya
- Aug. 29, 2010 timesofindia.indiatimes.com — There's a storm raging in Sri Lanka over the depigmentation of ancient frescoes in the rock fortress of Sigiriya
- May 16, 2010 colombopage.com — An insect menace in Sigiriya ancient rock fortress in Sri Lanka has sparked controversy with the environmentalists and authorities arguing over the removal of wasps
- May 31, 2009 sundaytimes.lk — State-of-the-art Sigiriya Museum and Information Centre - having as its backdrop the formidable rock fortress - to be opened shortly
- March 31, 2009 thehindubusinessline.com — Wasp attacks injure 53 at Sigiriya rock fortress
- Nov. 30, 2008 sundaytimes.lk — Sigiriya sound and light show off/on
Community Information
- Community Category
- Religious structure: Buddhist
Travel Information
Recent Connections
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Stand-alone Rock Reliefs
the paws at the colossal lion gateway t… -
Strict no-photography policy inside
Taking photos of the frescoes is forbid… -
Recorded cultural discoveries
It wasn't until 1831 that the abandoned…
Connections of Sigiriya
- Individual People
- Geography
- Trivia
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More than 500 steps to climb
Exact number of steps quoted varies but general agreement that it is over 1000. The summit is 200 meters above the surrounding plain so it seems inevitable that there must be well over 500! -
Viewable from another WHS
From Dambulla
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- History
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Located in a Former Capital
Capital of Sri Lanka during the reign of parricidal King Kassapa I (477-495)
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- Ecology
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Inselbergs
Centred on the great Sigiriya rock, a massive monadnock or inselberg rising about 200 metres above the surrounding plain
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- Architecture
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Stand-alone Rock Reliefs
the paws at the colossal lion gateway to the hill-palace
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- Religion and Belief
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Theravada Buddhism
"Kashyapa (...) was wary of an attack by Moggallana, and (...) moved the capital and his residence from the traditional capital of Anuradhapura to the more secure Sigiriya. (...) Moggallana took back the kingdom which was rightfully his, and shifted the capital back to Anuradhapura, converting Sigiriya into a Buddhist monastery complex. (...) This site may have been important in the competition between the Mahayana and Theravada Buddhist traditions in ancient Sri Lanka."
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- Human Activity
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Irrigation and drainage
Water reservoirs -
Writing systems
Sigiriya Graffiti, early Sinhala writing system -
Historical Graffiti
Ancient tourists visiting the 5th-century citadel at Sigiriya in Sri Lanka scribbled over 1800 individual graffiti there between the 6th and 18th centuries. Etched on the surface of the Mirror Wall, they contain pieces of prose, poetry, and commentary. (wiki)See en.wikipedia.org
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Erotic art
22 paintings of females, considered erotic with their naked chests
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- Constructions
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Thrones
Stone throne of King Kassapa -
Gates depicting Lions
Lion Gate ruins
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- Timeline
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Built in the 5th century
ruins of 5th century capital, fortress etc.
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- WHS Hotspots
- Science and Technology
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Recorded cultural discoveries
It wasn't until 1831 that the abandoned Sigiriya was discovered by British Army Major Jonathan Forbes.
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- Visiting conditions
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Strict no-photography policy inside
Taking photos of the frescoes is forbidden nowadays (2023) -
Foreigner prices
30 USD for foreigners, around 50 cents for locals
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- WHS Names
News
- xinhuanet.com 02/02/2019
- Sri Lanka declares UNESCO site Sig…
- colombopage.com 07/18/2016
- Wasp attack at Sigiriya heritage s…
- businessweek.com 06/06/2013
- Sri Lanka to sue ad firm over beer…
Recent Visitors
Reserved for members.Community Reviews
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I will say right away: this place isn't my favorite. It looks great on pictures, it's a must-do when in Sri Lanka, it has all the things of an epic day out, I was so looking forward to finally reaching it, or let's say reaching the top, but alas I was disappointed in the end.
The climb is almost a tourist trap. There is a really tiny staircase for most of the way. There are always some tourists trying to get past you, there are always some tourists stopping on the way taking pictures of the not-very-special monkeys and thus EVERYONE needs to wait. This may be more of a rant towards tourists, so how about the rock fortress? The frescoes half-way up are great - I love it. Most people actually go here by mistake judging from their response when they have to turn back towards the stairs. I actually find this the best part of the climb. When you reach the top and look at the all the frustrated faces trying to line up going back down I knew I shouldn't have done it either. What you get is a pretty good view, I wouldn't call it fantastic in anyway, and some much needed wind in the Sri Lankan heat, but from what's left of the ruined fortress is absolutely a waste of time. Instead I should have spent more time in the museum but I figured I should first head up to the top and see …
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We travelled to Sigiryia from Dambulla by our rental car, it's an easy ride of about an hour. You can get inside the site by car, the parking spot is by the museum. The ticket price was equivalent of 30 US dollars per person, to be paid in local currency. You get a ticket with three tear off parts representing three checkpoints. It's a lovely walk towards the rock amongst the ruins, the site is well signposted with English explanations. The gallery of the frescoes is amazing and was my favourite part of the whole site. I had to admire the waspish waists and the perky breasts of the depicted women. On a more serious note, I highly recommend leaning closer and appreciating the amount of detail that went into the paintings.
And then there's the whole large citadel on the rock itself, which you enter via staircase flanked by Lion's paws on each side. The views are wonderful and the whole area surrounding the WHS is green and tranquil. It's quite a steep and narrow staircase, so watch your step and don't wear flip flops as many locals do and then have them fall off. It's pretty hot there all year around, so prepare for sweat, wear sunscreen and have enough water.
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I really love this site. It's such a unique place and the story behind it is fascinating (a king going into hiding after he kills his father and steals the throne from his brother).
But there's also a bit of an adventure to seeing Sigiriya. You can to climb up the different levels and that gives you a really close connection to the rock itself. The details along the way are really interesting and then the views and the broad picture from the top are wonderful.
One of the highlights of a heritage trip to Sri Lanka.
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As of Jan. 2012 the Cultural Triangle Pass which cost $50.00 U.S. and was good for The World Heritage Sites was discontinued leaving the individual sites on per site ticket basis. Sigiriya admission is $30.00 If you chose to leave by the admission gate for rest spell at the air conditioned museum they will not let you re-enter. The ticket says good for one day but only if you make it good. All the food and beverage stalls are located at the parking area so if your going to spend all day here and want food do not exit the admission gate. Sigiriya is an interesting site although its mostly just ruins around and on top of a hugh rock. Giant lion's claws greet the visitor half way up. The awesome head of this lion grand strairway entrance now is long gone. Before you get to this site you are funneled past the well preserved wall paintings of buxom maidens still in full color. This is a sight to see considering their skillful handling and preservation. People who are afraid of heights may not be crazy about going to the top. The steel constructed stairway in the rock is safe enough and well maintained and the views from the top are worth the effort. Wild elephants sometimes frequent the circle road area around the rock and Languar monkeys also live in the forest around the rock.
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A magnificent place! The frescos are just wonderful.
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We've been visiting (group of 20 people) Sri Lanka for 3 weeks in December 2007! An absolutely beautiful country with great places to visit. Unfortunately we were often the only tourists at those fantastic heritage places. People stay away because they are afraid of the Tamil war and to be honest there were many road blokkades on our trip to find. We haven't felt in danger though, not for one minute! Our guide kept in daily contact with his office so we were in perfect safe hands. The Sigiriya rock took our breath away. It was raining cats and dogs that day which made the rock look very colourful. The view from the top was absolutely fantastic even it was hidden behind a curtain of rain! The history of the rock is fascinating.
Sri Lanka is a country with loads of heritage places and lots of different landscapes.
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The 'frescoes' and the 'graffitti' on the mirror wall are a treat. Initially there have been about 500 frescoes of the sigiriya maidens. But unfortunately the numbers have been reduced to many reasons.
The climb up is a bit tedious, but don't miss it, you'll be rewarded
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The site in total is quite an experience. First you have to climb a number of stairs. You walk past the paintings of the women, an awesome sight in itself. Then you reach a platform where you can take a rest before the real hard work starts: between the claws of a lion an iron ladder reaches steeply upwards along the rock.
Finally, on top of the rock, you see the site where the palace of the Prince used to stand (now only the ruins are left).
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