Sigiriya
Ancient site
A rock two hundred metres high in Sri Lanka, with a king's palace on top.
In the middle of Sri Lanka a block of rock rises about 200 metres straight out of the jungle. In the fifth century King Kashyapa built his palace on its flat top, where no enemy could easily reach him.
Halfway up, the way led between the paws of an enormous lion built of brick; visitors walked in through its mouth. The paws are still there. The name Sigiriya means lion rock.
- high
- 200 m
- steps to the top
- 1,200
- century
- 5th
- 1
On a sheltered part of the rock face are paintings of women, still bright after 1,500 years.
- 2
At the foot lie gardens with pools and fountains, among the oldest laid-out gardens in the world. The fountains still work when it rains.
- 3
After the king died, the rock was a monastery for hundreds of years.
Question 1 of 2
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