Sri Lanka or former Ceylon is a land capable of charming the travellers interested in its people's history. Here there are many archaeological sites that tell the history of this country. Some of them like the Sigiriya Lion Rock are majestic and imposing, and are no less than other more famous historical sites.
Let's learn more about this magical ancient world.
Sigiriya, Lion's Rock
Sigiriyais a rock where the remains of a fortress dating back to 477 A.D. can be found. It was built by king Kashyapa on a rock higher than 370 meters. The main building, which also contained a giant lion head and paws, was excavated from the rock. Today the remains of the paws can still be seen.
The fortress also has some details typical of a royal palace, such as frescos which can still be seen on some walls. Some say that these awesome frescos covered the external walls of the fortress.
Most of the frescos were destroyed when the fortress was converted into a monastery after Kashyapa was defeated by his brother, the true heir of the kingdom, Mugallan.
Apart from the main building, tourists can also see the trenches, the pools and the gardens which were part of this amazing royal palace. It's registered in the UNESCO world heritage list.
Anuradhapura
Anuradhapura is the ancient capital of Sri Lanka. It's inlcuded in the UNESCO world heritage list and, among the various ruins, you can find bell shaped buildings called "Stupa", which can be wider than 300 meters, as well as the remains of monasteries and "Pokuna", big pools that were used to collect water.
Polonnaruwa
Polonnaruwa was the capital of the old reign that occupied the current Sri Lanka, from 1070 to 1284 A.D. Today it's a rich archeological park with remains of the following::
- royal palace
- royal audience hall
- royal pool
- quadrangle Buddha temple
- Shiva Devale - Shiva temple entirely built from a rock
- Rankot Vihara - a "Stupa" higher than 30 meters
This site is close to national parks: it is perfect to combine a visit to Polonnaruwa with an "elephant tour".
