The Mirror Wall

Just beyond the gallery is a wall covered with ancient graffiti which originally had an extraordinary mirror-like polish.  Visitors from more than a thousand years ago wrote on the wall their impressions of the paintings, as well as their experiences and thoughts on Sigiriya.  There are more than 700 poems amongst this grafitti, many written in very neat and precise lettering....

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The Gallery of maidens

Two of the main attractions of Sigiriya are reached after climbing a spiral staircase built along the sheer cliff wall.  The colourful frescoes of graceful ladies painted on the side of the rock are likely the most beautiful and well-preserved of ancient Sri Lankan art.  There are references to around 500of these figures but only 22 of these remain.  Some say they are Apsaras, or celestial nymphs, while others contend that they are...

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The water Gardens

 These are a series of striking and elaborate pools, symmetrically placed and fed by a complex system of underground pipes.  Attesting to the ingenuity of the ancient hydraulic engineers, some of the fountains of the garden are still in working order.  These gardens, according to the traditional accounts, were  the  bathing  places  of  the  king’s  concubines  who  were  drawn ...

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Yapahuwa Rock Fortress

Located about 130 kilometers from Colombo, or about a 3 ½ hour drive,is one of Sri Lanka’s ancient capitals.  This is the Yapahuwa Rock Fortress,which is built on the side of a huge 90 meter high boulder.  During aperiod of political instability, King Bhuvanekabahu I moved his capital toYapahuwa in 1272, taking with him the sacred Tooth Relic.  After his death,the fortress fell into obscurity and was eventually abandoned.The stone...

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Colombo National Museum:

The oldest and largest Museum in the Sri Lanka, established 1877. Best known for collection of antiques and objects of art. The library of the museum has more than 4,000 palm leaf manuscripts. Among the exhibits are the regalia of the King of Kandy; ancient and medieval jewelry rare collection of traditional mask; wood and ivory carvings; an exquisite collection of Buddhist and Hindu Bronzes, temple frescoes; ceramics objects including VOC plates...

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Sigiriya

Sigiriya Rock Fortress Built on a sheer-sided volcanic plug rising 200 metres above the surrounding jungle, the Sigiriya Rock Fortress is possibly Sri Lanka’s most impressive attraction. Known also as the “Lion’s Rock”, it is one of the island’s seven UNESCO Heritage sites, featuring extensive gardens, stairways, galleries, caves and other structures. According to the Sri Lankan Chronicles, Sigiriya was the fortress-palace built by King Kassapa...

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Ruvanvalisaya

Simply known also as the Great Stupa, the Ruvanvalisaya was constructed by Dutthagamani after he became king in 161 BCE.  This was his most ambitious project and it is said that one of the architects designed the dome to resemble a bubble of milk.  Sadly, the king did not live to see the completion of the stupa.When it was finally completed, it was one of the wonders of the ancient world, with a diameter of 90 metres at the base and a...

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Avukana

Avukana Buddha statue Near the village of Avukana, located in the Anuradhapura district, stands the tallest Buddha statue in Sri Lanka.  The Avukana Buddha statue is almost 12 metres high and is carved out from a granite cliff.  It is almost free-standing, being joined to the cliff by just a narrow piece of rock.It is commonly believed that this statue was constructed sometime in the 5th century, during the reign of King Dhatusena. ...

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Anuradhapura

Anuradhapura Located in the north-west of the island, Anuradhapura was the capital of Sri Lanka for 1,400 years.  It is slightly more than 200 kilometers from Colombo and a drive of around 6 hours.  Anuradhapura gained much greater prominence with the advent of Buddhism on the island, after which many significant buildings and monasteries were constructed.The three greatest monasteries of Sri Lanka, the Mahavihara, the Abhayagiri and the Jethavana, were all located in Anuradhapura.  Visitors will see mainly the ruins of these monasteries...

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