🇱🇰 Sigiriya lion Rock, the First UNESCO world heritage site in Sri Lanka

#freehotelstay Type "Sri Lanka" in Google images and I'm sure the first few images you see will be the iconic Sigiriya Lion Rock. Inscribed in 1982 as one of the first UNESCO world heritage sites in Sri Lanka, Sigiriya Lion Rock is an ancient rock fortress built in the fifth century which stands around 200 m high. The Sigiriya Fortress has an interesting history. It was built by King Kasyapa, the second king of the royal Moriya dynasty of Sri Lanka. He was not the rightful heir and acquired the throne by rebelling against his father. He built the palace right on top of the rock column to avoid potential attacks from his brother Moggallana, the rightful heir to the throne. He was defeated by Moggallana 22 years after ascending to the throne. The fortress was used as a monastery after Kasyapa’s death till it was abandoned in the 14th century. A few hundreds years later, it was discovered by British Army Major Jonathan Forbes in 1831. Be prepared to have a workout while visiting the Lion Rock as there are around 1200 steps of stairs to climb throughout the visit. The amount of time taken to reach the top depends on your fitness level and also the crowd. We took about 2 hours to explore the site. A foreign adult ticket costs USD 30 while a foreign child ticket costs USD 15. Tickets can be bought online from the official website or from the ticket office onsite. The site opens from 6.30 am to 5.30 pm every day. It is better to arrive early in the morning or in the late afternoon (last entry at 4 pm) to avoid the scorching sun. #srilanka #sigiriya #unesco #lionrock #fortress #worldheritage #tripblazers #ancient