The Fortress
NEAR THE CENTRE OF THE ISLAND, SIGIRIYA IS AN ANCIENT
fortress on a rock 370 metres high in the heart of the jungle, built 1,500 years ago by Kashyapa, a patricidal king who grew nervous about the potential consequences of his actions. But with a magnificent garden at its base and an irrigation system maintaining a swimming pool at the summit, it’s more of a palace than a fortress. Halfway up, a fork in the trail takes you to a spiral staircase leading to a white-painted crevice that hides the Sigiriya ladies – frescoes covering the rock wall depict ornately-dressed women, eyes half closed and mischievous smiles still distinguishable despite obvious signs of aging. Of the 500 original portraits Kashyapa commissioned to bear witness to his greatness (because a fortress built on a giant monolith somehow isn’t enough), only 21 remain.
Climbing more than 1,200 uneven steps in flip-flops might not be a great idea, but it’s worth it for the view. In the distance, as
the sun sinks and brings out the pink tones in the rocks, the area is enveloped in a fine haze that lends a dreamlike quality to the neighbouring mountains. Sigiriya has always been a popular archeological site among visitors, but as I take in my surroundings, captivating in the afternoon light, it seems to have reached a new crowd, one more interested in photography than history.
In one direction there’s a woman in a polka-dot dress standing on tiptoe with her arms held back, as if she’s ready to take flight, while her friend takes her photo. In the other direction two young men, hair up in buns, are shooting a time-lapse video. They’re seated in the lotus position and facing the horizon, on top of a low wall displaying a sign that reads “Don’t walk on the ruins.” Dutiful daughter of a straight-as-an-arrow lawyer that I am, this disregard for the rules bothers me.
As tourism to Sri Lanka has increased – the country had more than 2 million visitors in 2017 – it’s placed a great deal of pressure on ancient, sacred sites. I wonder how one can honour a country’s history and culture without exploiting it?