Sigiriya rock.
In central Sri Lanka you have a fortress on top of a giant rock. It’s called Sigiriya. And it’s probably the most spectacular sight on the island of Sri Lanka.
In the 5th century Sri Lanka had a king called Kashyapa. He wanted to show the world what an important king he was. and he probably also wanted to live in a place where it was harder for potential enemies to get him. So he decided to build a fortress on top of a giant 200 meter high rock.
You have a fantastic view from the top of Sigiriya rock.
These days the remains of his fortress are still sitting on top of the rock. On the way to the top of the rock, there are also some very interesting frescos of half naked women. King Kashyapa was very fond of women 🙂
Climbing the Sigiriya rock.
It’s a long way to the top.
It’s possible to climb the Sigiriya rock these these days. First you need to cough up with a fairly high entrance fee of 30 US Dollar though. Then as you enter the site, you will first pass some ancient gardens. Back in King Kashyapa’s time, Sri Lanka was already very well equipped with water canals. These were both used for irrigation of the fields, as well as for providing big swimming pools with water that were used for bathing. At Sigiriya you see some excellent examples of ancient bathing pools.
Ancient bathing pool at Sigiriya.
The climb to the top of the rock is a little hard. You have around 1200 steps to climb. The beginning of the climb is on old stone staircases. they do not always have the best grip on your shoes, so be a little careful. As you move further up, most of the stairs are of metal and easier to walk on.
Expect to walk somewhere between one and two hours to get to the top. And roughly half the time to get back down.
There are many people visiting the Sigiriya rock these days. So you might have to stand in line on the staircases sometimes. Because of that, try to get there early. That way you also avoid the midday heat. And the staircase also has shade in the morning, as it is located on the western part of the rock.
It’s a popular rock to climb.
About two thirds of the way up you have the Lion Gate. It’s two giant lion’s feet carved out in rock. In order to get to the top you have to walk between them and further up the staircases.
The Lion Gate.
On top of the rock you have some fantastic views. The remains of the fortress are nice. But you have better preserved ancient places in Sri Lanka than that. A visit to Sigiriya is mostly something you do because of it’s spectacular setting. And it’s spectacular views. But it’s really worth visiting the Sigiriya rock.
A nice hotel in Sigiriya.
Hotel Sigiriya.
An impressive looking place.
I am curious to know how long you in rocking?1200 steps are quite enough.
It takes 1-2 hours to climb the rock, depending on how many visitors are there. You often have congestion on the stairs, as there are many visitors at Sigiriya.