Sigiriya, Sri Lanka's mysterious Great Rock: How to climb it, this is the visit

Sigiriya is undoubtedly the most important tourist place you have to see in Sri Lanka, a place full of mysteries, legends and unanswered questions.

Heritage since 1982, Sigiriya It was the home of one of the most important civilizations in the history of the country.

All trip to sri lanka has a star visit Sigiriya, or as it is also known there, The Lion Rock.

It is probably one of the most mysterious and unknown places on the planet whose origin is a true mystery.

Like the Pyramids of Egypt, Sigiriya It is full of legends and uncertainties to such an extent that it makes the imagination of anyone who visits it fly.

It is not easy to get to this place and climb its 1.200 steps, but when you do it, that is when you really begin to appreciate the grandeur of the place.

Curiosities about the history of Sigiriya, the mysterious Lion Rock

In this article we are going to show you everything that is known about this place and try to separate the legend and reality as much as possible.

We are also going to provide you Useful information on how to visit Sigiriya in case you dare to visit one of the most curious places not only in Sri Lanka, but of the world.

Let's start at the beginning, to see the real historical part and the legendary part of this enigmatic city.

What is the origin of Sigiriya

The oldest proven historical data in the area surrounding Sigiriya dates back 5000 years, in the mesolithic period.

But there is some unanimity among archaeologists that the first use of monolithic rock It was in the 5th century AD when it housed on top what is known as lion fortress built by him king Kasyapa.

Although as a curious fact, in local popular beliefs it is said that this construction dates back thousands of years and that it was the place from where the Hindu deity ravana He ruled in his palace.

What we see today as an inaccessible mountain is supposed to have had more accesses that collapsed over the years.

Beyond the verifiable data from the time of the construction of the fortress and the occupation of the top of Sigiriya, the part of history that has come down to us is a mixture of reality and legends that is difficult to distinguish.

Elevated 200 meters above the city of Dambulla, it is considered to have been the place chosen by the king Kasyapa to build an impregnable fortress.

Specifically, legend has it that Kasyapa, who was king between 473 and 495 AD, acceded to the throne by murdering his father to usurp power from his brother, who was the legitimate heir.

The murdered father was the one who achieved one of the first unifications of the kingdoms of Sri Lanka.

And to defend his throne, Kasyapa built the Sigiriya fortress, with which he hoped to be able to defend himself from his brother's army Mogallana if he tried to recover his rightful throne.

But despite how difficult it is to climb to the top of the Lion rock, the army of Mogallana managed to besiege it and before being captured, Kasyapa committed suicide.

Upon his death, Mogallana gave Sigiriya to the Buddhist monks and it remained as a monastery until the 14th century, and a century later it would be abandoned until the arrival of English settlers who discovered it by chance.

Mysteries and technology in Sigiriya

The explorations of English archaeologists In the years that followed, up to the present day, impressive data was revealed about this fortress and the technology it housed.

Above all, as regards the urban planning of Sigiriya and the use and exploitation of water.

A clear fact that begins to bring to light the mysteries of this place is its swimming pool.

The mystery of the Sigiriya pool

At the top there is a swimming pool whose construction is a mystery, since it has water all year round, even in the hot and dry season of Sri Lanka.

This pool has engineering behind it that is difficult to explain for the years in which it was built and with the means they had, since even with our modern technology, the fact that the water tank does not dry out is a marvel of engineering.

They also have a drainage system so that it does not overflow during monsoon rains.

In the lower part of Sigiriya You can see an entire water storage system and advanced engineering structures that were not expected to be found in such an ancient civilization.

As happens in various places around the world, The excavations have not yet been able to explain certain aspects of this impressive civil work..

Going back to the upper part of Sigiriya, there are some structures with pyramidal shapes that confuse archaeologists.

He too use of bricks and huge blocks of white marble, extremely heavy and it is not known where they were brought from since it is not original from that area.

It must be taken into account that there is still no explanation as to how it could be possible that all these materials got up there, since no ladder systems have been found with which they could be taken to the top of the fortress.

All the parts where they could have been accessed have been studied, and although it is true that there are some carving marks at the ends of the cliffs, there is no explanation as to how they could have been done given the impossibility of holding on to do them.

Nowadays it would only be possible to lift the material with modern scaffolding, but it is not known how they were able to carry it in their day for the construction of the fortress.

In a way to Sigiriya the same thing happens to him as Egyptian pyramids, there are many doubts about how this construction could be carried out in the 5th century AD since with today's technology it would be a challenge to carry it out.

How to climb and visit Sigiriya, our experience

La climb to Sirigiya It's not just anything, but after the experience of our visit, there is no doubt that it is the best way to understand the magnitude and grandeur of this place.

How many steps do you have to climb in Sigiriya?

To get to the top where the fortress is located you have to climb a total of 1.200 steps.

Basically the ascent is made up of two sections.

The first part has less unevenness and takes you from the Low zone where are the grounds, the ruins and remains of the water storage structures, to the foot of the Lion Fortress.

The second part is much more vertical, and by means of modern scaffolding you can climb up to the fortress at the top of the hill.

Keep in mind that Sigiriya It is located inside the forest, so the humidity and heat is very considerable, especially if you visit this place in the morning, since it usually rains in the afternoons in this country.

What is the duration of Sigiriya's visit?

To carry out all the visit to Sigiriya are needed around 2 or 3 hours to have time to face its 1.200 steps, visit the ruins and then descend.

It is possible to climb only the first section although, honestly, once you have gotten there, it is worth finishing the last section which, although it is more vertical, is also much shorter and the gratification of reaching the top is enormous.

Where is Lion Rock in Segiriya

Sigiriya o Lion Rock, The Lion rock takes its name from huge construction which is located just before accessing the last flight of stairs that takes you to the top of the mountain.

Today only the feet with the lion's claws are preserved, but you have to imagine the rest that has unfortunately been lost.

Seeing the size of the paws, we can get an idea of ​​the enormous dimensions of the lion that the residents of this area carved.

The main entrance at the top of the ruins that exist today was once reserved for the king who accessed the fortress through the jaws of the lion.

Although the greatest curiosity is that, despite being called the Lion rock, the claws that have survived to this day only have three fingers on each paw, something more typical of reptiles than of felines.

Where is the Sigiriya viewpoint: Pidurangala

If what you want is see Sigiriya from a viewpoint, the place is Pidurangala.

It is a rock that also emerges like Sigiriya, although much smaller, located a short distance away and where many people go to have a good view of Lion Rock.

From the entrance of Sigiriya it takes about 15 minutes by TukTuk to the base, where you buy entry to the site and you can see a reclining Buddha.

To climb to the top of this viewpoint you have stairs, which are in worse condition than those of Sigiriya, but it will take you only 30 minutes to climb.

How much do tickets cost to visit Sigiriya?

If you want to go on your own, the entrance fee to Sigiriya It is 30 euros for foreigners, which includes the entire visit to the venue.

It is accessed through the part of the moats that surround the enclosure, the pools that were part of the water system are crossed, and from there, the climb to Lion Rock with its almost infinite steps begins.

You also have many options guided tours and excursions which is how you really understand the place well.

Specifically, there is another option that seems brutal to me to see this impressive fortress, and it is also the best way to appreciate the place, which is a balloon flight over Sigiriya, pending experience for another new trip.