In 5th Cen. A.D King Kashapa built a palace on a huge rock. It is called Sigiriya. Sigiriya means lion’s rock. On a plateau, about the two-thirds way of the rock, the king built a gateway in the shape of an enormous lion. Because of this structure, this place named as Sigiriya. The hight of this rock is around 200 meters.
According to the chronicles of Sri Lanka, Kasyapa became a king by assassinating his father, King Dhatusena. Afraid of an attack by Moggallana, who was the brother of Kasyapa and the rightful heir, king Kasyapa wanted a secure place for his palace. Finally, he built his palace on the top of the rock and beautifully landscaped gardens, formal water features, safety moats around the rock.
World famous Frescoes brings the most value added for Sigiriya. Sigiriya was announced as a world heritage site in 1982 by UNESCO.
