Sigiriya Frescoes

If you have heard of the beautiful tropical island of Sri Lanka, then you’re bound to have heard of Sigiriya. The ancient rock fortress built by King Kasyapa is legendary, and constructed with such technological and architectural prowess that it baffles architects and historians alike to this very day. A visit to Sigiriya is essential if you’re embarking on a trip to Sri Lanka, whether you’re coming at the behest of a friend or through a travel entity offering packages for Sri Lanka luxury holidays such as the Sri Lanka Tailor-made.

One of the most striking and iconic aspects of the Sigiriya fortress are the frescoes. These elaborate wall paintings depict a number of beautiful women. According to the widely accepted belief, these women were part of the King’s harem, and were meant to be portrayed in a way that all of the citizens below will come to adore their beauty. It is believed that there were more than five hundred of these women immortalised through frescoes but many of them were lost due to the passage of time. Interestingly, the style of the paintings are incredibly unique, and are different to even the style of paintings in the ancient city of Anuradhapura. The only other example of paintings of a similar style to these frescoes, are found in the Ajanta Caves in India.

If these frescoes aren’t of much interest to you, there are still a multitude of reasons to visit Sigiriya. It is incredible that almost two thousand years ago; there were civilisations who were capable of building an entire citadel of more than six hundred feet in height. The civilisation was also advanced enough to build hydraulic systems to retain and transport water, and some of these systems still function today.

A visit to this ancient work of architectural genius that serves as both fortress and palace is bound to be an experience you will not soon forget, so if you ever find yourself in Sri Lanka, be sure to take the journey to Sigiriya.