Sigiriya is a world heritage. It is a real paradise of tourist in Sri Lanka. Sigiriya dates back from over 7,000 years ago, through Pre-Historic to Proto-Historic to Early Historic times, then as a rock-shelter mountain monastery from about the 3rd century BC, with caves prepared and donated by devotees to the sangha.

The garden city and the palace was built by Kashyapa 477 - 495 AD. Then after Kashyapa's death it was a monastery complex up to about the 14th century.

the Mahavansa, the ancient historical record of Sri Lanka, describes King Kashyapa as a parricide, who murdered his father King Dhatusena by walling him up alive and then usurping the throne which rightfully belonged to his brother Mogallana. To escape from the armies of Mogallana, Kasyapa is said to have built his palace on the summit of Sigiriya, but Mogallana finally managed to get to Kashyapa and he committed suicide.

Sigiri frescoes

When you up about halfway the rock you will see a sheltered gallery of frescoes painted on the sheer rock face. The 'Heavenly Maidens' are similar in style to the paintings of Ajantha in India. Some of them are still in remarkably good condition. Only 22 out of an estimated 500 pictures now remain. Flash photography is not allowed at this site.

These paints have been drawn on the rock. When you travel on sigiri rock, you will see more paint like this. Next you will see the mirror wall beyond the frescoes. It is protected by a 3m high wall. This wall was coated with a mirror-smooth glaze, in which visitors over 1000 years ago noted their impressions of the women in the gallery above. The graffiti was mostly inscribed between the 7th and 11th Century AD. The graffiti are a great opportunity for the scholars and university student to study the development of the Sinhala language