Sigiriya
About
This is a rock fortress with a height of 180m and situated near Dambulla. The site was a Buddhist monastery before it was abandoned. Many centuries later in the 5th century, King Kashyapa built a palace on top of this giant Sigiriya rock and moved his capital there due to the threat of an attack by his brother Moggallana. The site remained Kashyapa's capital until Moggallana defeated Kashyapa in battle.
Frescoes
Sigiriya frescoes paintings are a perfect example of the skills of the artists of the 5th century. The painting are painted on plaster of lime that is very smooth using natural material for color and drying oil. Even after many centuries the colors are still vibrant
Moats
No fortress is complete without moats. Sigiriya is surrounded by two moats. The wider and deeper outer moat was designed and built to keep enemies away, while the inner moat's primary purpose was to cool the surrounding.
Mirror Wall
The mirror wall is one of the main features of Sigiriya. On the wall are "Sigiriya Graffiti", these are many poetry and thoughts scribbled by visitors who visited after the fortress was abandoned. Before that the mirror wall was polished so well that it reflected light.
Fountains
The water garden that surrounds the palace have many different types of ponds. It has water fountains that functions using only hydrostatic pressure. These fountains are still functional and works very well during the rainy season.