Ancient pride of sigiriya
Sigiriya a pride of Ancient Ceylon Sigiriya or Sinhagiri ( Lion Rock Sinhala : සීගිරිය , Tamil : சிகிரியா , pronounced see-gi-ri-yə) is an ancient rock fortress located in the northern Matale District near the town of Dambulla in the Central Province , Sri Lanka . The name refers to a site of historical and archaeological significance that is dominated by a massive column of rock nearly 200 metres (660 ft) high. [ citation needed ] According to the ancient Sri Lankan chronicle the Culavamsa , this site was selected by King Kashyapa (477 – 495 AD) for his new capital. He built his palace on the top of this rock and decorated its sides with colourful frescoes. On a small plateau about halfway up the side of this rock he built a gateway in the form of an enormous lion. The name of this place is derived from this structure — Sīnhāgiri , the Lion Rock (an etymol...
