About Sigiriya - Sigiriya Tourism, Sri Lanka

Sigiriya is an amazing geological formation in Sri Lanka that encompasses an important archaeological site. Sigiriya lies 22 km north-east of Dambulla in the North central province of Sri Lanka. The tourist site of Sigiriya has been declared as a UNESCO world heritage site since 1982 and is part of the seven world heritage sites of Sri Lanka. Sigiriya is located in the middle of the tourism cultural triangle formed by connecting the world heritage sites of Anuradhapura, Kandy and Polonnaruwa in Sri Lanka.

Sigiriya is a popular tourist destination that is also considered as one of the oldest tourist site in Sri Lanka, being visited by travellers for past 1000 years. The ancient rock fortress and palace of Sigiriya, currently standing in ruin, still has magnificent opulence that is surrounded by beautiful gardens, reservoirs and other structures and attracts large influx of tourists.

The Sigiriya rock also known as “Lion’s rock,” is a hardened magma plug from an extinct volcano with a steep mound that rises abruptly from the plain surrounding it. The Sigiriya complex consist the central rock, rising 200 meters above the surrounding plain, and two rectangular precincts on the east (90 hectares) and the west (40 hectares), surrounded by two moats and three ramparts. The water gardens, moats and ramparts are based on an 'echo plan' duplicating the layout and design on either side.