About Lion Rock
Standing atop a 200-metre plateau lies a grand palace known as Sigiriya, Sinhala for 'Lion Rock'. The elaborate fortress was built by King Kashyapa in the 5th century, and display a wealth of royal decadence.
The gateway to the fortress was originally made from brick and plaster, shaped to resemble a giant lion's body, flanked by two large stone claws. Most of the lion’s body has since collapsed, but you can still stand between its mighty stone paws today, and the flat-topped rock column upon which the royal summit was built still stands high above the treeline.
Nearby is the mirror wall, a plaster wall that was once so highly polished that the king could see his reflection in it as he walked by. The wall now contains graffiti from the 8th century, with love poems and clever quips written in ancient Sinhala.
There are many more sights within the palace, including ancient erotic frescoes and ingenious water fountains that still function after 1,500 years.
Facing the palace from across the plains are the Dambulla cave temples, a sacred Buddhist pilgrimage site that’s been in continuous use for over two millennia. The caves are filled with devotional paintings and over 150 statues of the Buddha. Here you’ll find yourself alongside brightly-clad monks and pilgrims dressed in white.