Saturday, 3 April 2021

The Mirror Wall & The Lion Staircase in Sigiriya

The mirror wall dates from the fifth century and has been substantially preserved in its original forms. built up from the base of the rock itself with brick masonry, the wall has a highly polished plaster finish, from which its ancient name, the Mirror wall. The wall encloses a walk or gallery paved with polished marble slabs. The famous Sigiriya painting are found in a depression high above this gallery. The polished inner surface of the mirror wall contains the Sigiriya Graffiti as described above.

The lion, so impressive even in its ruined state today, must have afforded a vision of grandeur and majesty when it was intact. We know from the chronicle account of Kashyapa's   construction of Sigiriya that the lion staircase house was one of the principle features of his plan of the Sigiriya complex. The lion was in effect the ultimate and solitary gatehouse to the palace on the summit. 

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