"Sigiriya Rock Fortress" Top 5 Page for this destination Sigiriya by jennifermueller

Sigiriya Travel Guide: 111 reviews and 259 photos

Sigiriya from the Water Gardens - Sigiriya

The Sinhalese King Kasyapa and his household (think hundreds of people) lived on top of Sigiryia from about 480-495 AD.

Sigiriya, Sri Lanka

This tranquil rock has a dramatic and violent history. King Kasyapa is said to have 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 built Sigiriya. Eventually, Mogallana defeated Kasyapa. At some point the palace became a monestary and many of the frescos were removed.

Sigiriya, nearly to the top

The views are pretty awesome.

Last visit to Sigiriya: Dec 2003
Intro Updated Jan 16, 2004
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Reviews (3)

Fresco at Sigiriya, near this inn - Sigiriya

Inexpensive place near Sigiriya Hotels (1)

Our driver brought us to the Inamaluwa Inn after we didn't like the looks of the place we had booked in Dambulla. The... more travel advice

There are a lot of stairs. Warnings Or Dangers (1)

Carry water and dress appropriately for the weather. This is one of the few historic sites in Sri Lanka where you can... more travel advice

Start the climb up Sigiriya early Things to Do (1)

We started at 7am, reaching the top by about 8am. It was still a warm climb. The rock fortress is 200 meters high and... more travel advice

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Comments (2)

freya_heaven Jul 19, 2004 at 7:19 AM Report Abuse

Great time of day to reach the top, lovely sun rise photo. (~_~)
yumiyun Jan 26, 2004 at 10:52 PM Report Abuse

Well, you are smart to climb it in the morning - we went under the noon sunlight which was so tiring!