An ancient and powerful city has stood on a 200-meter mountain for many centuries, or rather what is left of it: huge ramparts and gates, dug ditches and, of course, the ruins of a grandiose palace. This is the legendary Sigiriya, built in Uvek at the very beginning of our era.
Sigiriya, a stone fortress that is now recognized as a true treasure of world art, is the main attraction of Ceylon.
The main part of the city is its fortress-palace, which served as the main refuge for the ruler, the Sri Lankan king Kassapa. According to the description of travelers, the pediment of the palace, built of marble and surrounded by gardens and reservoirs, was lined with precious stones. To enter the palace, you must climb a huge staircase consisting of 1,360 steps that lead to a 1.7 hectare terrace. The entire palace was once located here.
The long gallery, called the mirrored corridor because its walls are polished to the point where you can see your own reflection, leads to the royal chambers, on the walls of which 11 of the 500 frescoes are still preserved. Mostly, they depicted half-naked women - the ruler's concubines. By the way, King Kassapa had 365 concubines, according to the number of days in a year.
The colors of the frescoes, although they faded over time, are still preserved due to the fact that the ancient masters used natural paints (based on beeswax and egg white). That is why, after 15 centuries, you can see what is depicted.
The mountain resembles a sleeping lion in shape - the main symbol of the country. If you climb the low stairs, made in the form of lion paws, you can get to the royal pool, near which there is a huge throne. This elevation is called "lion's rock". From this place a gorgeous panorama opens up - the surrounding forests, rice fields and small lakes scattered everywhere.
According to the description of the travelers, the gable of the palace, built of marble, was lined with precious stones. The palace was surrounded by terraces with gardens and ponds. It is surprising how the builders of those times raised the necessary building materials on the rock. Brick walls were erected along the edges of the cliff, on the ledges of which there were narrow platforms for sentinels, where they could not sleep due to the risk of falling. The rocks on the cliff were always ready in case of invasion. One of them is still barely holding on, ready to fall.
The historical uniqueness of Sigiriya lies in the fact that only here were found the most ancient water gardens in Asia that have survived to this day. These decorative reservoirs were created long before the famous European parks - Versailles and Petrodvorets.
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King Datussen (459-477) had two sons. The elder is Kassapa, the younger is Mogallan. The eldest was supposed to inherit the throne, but the father decided to transfer the rule to Moggallan, since Kassapa was the son of one of the many concubines. Kassapa became very angry and in 477, in a fit of anger, he killed his father. Mogalan, frightened that the same fate awaited, fled to South India.
Fearing revenge, Kassapa decided to build a capital in a remote location. The Sigiriya rock became such a place - its height is almost 200 meters. The chosen place was cleared, and in a short time a beautiful city with many gardens and fountains was erected.
Kassapa ruled this fortress for 18 years and finally decided to fight his brother. He sent him a challenge, and he accepted it. The two huge troops met on the plain. But luck was not on Kassapa's side, his troops fled. Left alone, Kassapa cut his own throat. So the story of the great city at the top of Sigiriya ended: Mogallan ordered to erase all traces of his brother's rule, destroying the citadel. The old capital Anaradhapur has been rebuilt again.
For a very long time, they knew about the Sigiriya fortress only from legends. It was believed that it no longer exists. However, in the middle of the 19th century, the ruins of this great structure were discovered. Currently, active work is underway to restore Sigiriya. The monument is under the protection of UNESCO.
Today Sri Lanka and the summit of Sigiriya are incredibly popular: every year thousands of people from all over the world come here to look at one of the wonders of antiquity, which has survived to this day.