The massive rock of Sigiriya, situated between the Sri Lankan towns of Dambulla and Haburane, is serenely panoramic in the midst of the Emerald Isles’s Central Province. What could easily have been an eyesore, is instead an awe-inspiring edifice, resplendent in its historical and legendary status.This ancient city of Sigiriya has been made with paying much attention to mathematics and symmetry. As a result, Sigiriya in Sri Lanka is a brilliant example of ancient urban planning and also has become a World Heritage Site, after being considered and declared by UNESCO. 

The history of Sigiriya in Sri Lanka states that it was the canny King Kasyapa in the 3rd century who realized the rock’s potential for deterring unwanted visitors and enemies and hence decided to build his fortress there.
The structuring of the city began at the earliest and was soon a fortress. It was a city which included a citadel, two main palaces (the upper and the lower), gardens, waterways and the famed mirror wall as well as the massive lion’s gateway. It was, in fact, the huge big lion door that the commissioned, which gave the rock its moniker- Sinhagiri in Sinhalese, and in other words the Lion Rock. However unfortunate it might be, after the demise of the king, the palace was abandoned until the Buddhists came over like angels from heaven and inhabited it by converting it into a monastery till the very end of the 14th century.

Location: Central Province, Sri Lanka
Open Timings: 7am-7pm
Entrance Fee: INR 2,120