One of them is an archaeological site with the ruins of an ancient palace and fortress built during the reign of King Kashyapa I (473-491) on top of the 180-meter Sigiriya rock. The rock is called “Lion Rock” (Sigiriya) because a gate in the shape of a huge lion was built on a small plateau about halfway up the rock. The palace was abandoned after the death of the king. It served as a Buddhist monastery until the 14th century.
Only the foundations of the palace and parts of the fortress have survived to the present day. Mural paintings depicting court ladies and royal concubines have been preserved on the rock walls. A part of the staircase that extends from between two stone lion’s feet has been reconstructed.
There is a legend about the origin of the castle on the “Lion Rock.” King Dhatusena, who ruled Ceylon in the 5th century, had one daughter and two sons - the legitimate one, Moggallana I, who was the heir to the throne, and Kasyapa I, who came from an illegitimate bed.
Kasyapa I did not want to accept the fact that it was his half-brother who was to take over the rule of the island, so he staged a palace coup. He imprisoned and then cruelly killed his father–when the latter refused to reveal to him the location of the royal treasures, Kasyapa I buried him alive. Moggallana I escaped with his life and hid in India.
Kasyapa I became king, but he lived in fear of his brother’s revenge. Therefore, he decided to build his castle on a 180-meter-high rock, accessible only by a staircase. He ruled for eighteen years until 491, when Moggallana I entered the island at the head of a large army, and attacked the usurper. Defeated in battle, Kasyapa I committed suicide by cutting his throat with his own dagger.
