Sigiriya is an ancient rock fortress and palace complex in the Matale District of Sri Lanka, built on and around a roughly 200 meter high column of hardened magma left standing after the erosion of an extinct volcano. According to the Culavamsa chronicle it was built by King Kashyapa I in the late fifth century AD as his new capital and royal residence after he seized the throne, with the summit crowned by a palace and the approach guarded partway up by a monumental gateway carved as the paws and mouth of a giant lion, from which the site's name, meaning Lion Rock, derives. The lower slopes preserve extensive landscaped water gardens with gravity fed fountains and boulder gardens, while a sheltered gallery partway up the rock still carries the site's well known frescoes of celestial maidens. After Kashyapa's death the site reverted to use as a Buddhist monastery, and it was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1982.
Facts
Building TypeSourced to the subject's own account LocationSourced to the subject's own accountDambulla, Matale District, Central Province, Sri Lanka 1 Height (m)Sourced to the subject's own account180 metres is the height of the granite rock formation itself, on which King Kashyapa (reigned CE 477 to 495) built his palace and fortress; the source gives no separate figure for the built structures atop it. completed-year is left an honest gap for the same reign-window reason: the source names only Kashyapa's CE 477-495 reign, no single year for the palace's own completion. Classification
Standing StatusSourced to the subject's own account Building Type
Building Type (category)Sourced to the subject's own account Connections
Has Building Type
In Style
King Kashyapa's 5th-century rock fortress and water gardens, a premier example of ancient Sinhalese urban planning and architecture.
Uses Element
Source Sigiriya (Wikipedia)
In the Other Atlases
Located In
Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is located.
Source Sigiriya (Wikipedia)tier 3
Sources
1. Sigiriya (Wikipedia)
Wikipediaopening paragraph, first sentence (place name and script parenthetical omitted)
is an ancient rock fortress located in the northern Matale District near the town of Dambulla in the Central Province, Sri Lanka.
opening paragraph, second sentence
It is a site of historical and archaeological significance that is dominated by a massive column of granite approximately 180 m (590 ft) high.
Entity description and the lead of the Wikipedia article
Sigiriya is an ancient rock fortress and palace complex in the Matale District of Sri Lanka, built on and around a roughly 200 meter high column of hardened magma left standing after the erosion of an extinct volcano. According to the Culavamsa chronicle it was built by King Kashyapa I in the late fifth century AD as his new capital and royal residence after he seized the throne, with the summit crowned by a palace and the approach guarded partway up by a monumental gateway carved as the paws and mouth of a giant lion, from which the site's name, meaning Lion Rock, derives. The lower slopes preserve extensive landscaped water gardens with gravity fed fountains and boulder gardens, while a sheltered gallery partway up the rock still carries the site's well known frescoes of celestial maidens. After Kashyapa's death the site reverted to use as a Buddhist monastery, and it was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1982.
Uses Element: Granite, Wikipedia lead
It is a site of historical and archaeological significance that is dominated by a massive column of granite approximately 180 m (590 ft) high.
View the Source Reader Challenges (0)
No disputes yet. Spotted an error or a better source? Open the first one.
Sign in to dispute this or suggest a correction.