Sigiriya is a lost city swallowed by nature

(Patria) - Time heals all wounds, as the saying goes.

However, time also leads to the forgetting of some things, including once great and powerful cities, is another conclusion that can be drawn. This story is about one such city.

In the heart of Sri Lanka lies the city of Sigiriya, as its name suggests (meaning Lion Rock), built on a 180-meter high Lion Rock, at an altitude of 360 meters above sea level.

Due to its sophisticated urban planning, the city is an object of admiration for today's scientists.

For a century and a half, it was the political center of Sri Lanka, and today its well-preserved ruins are a popular tourist destination.

It was built in the 5th century during the reign of King Kasyapa as a fortress containing a royal palace, water gardens, botanical gardens, and a Buddhist temple.

How exactly such a structure was built on top of a rock in a time without technology remains a mystery, and local legends say it was built by gods as a palace in the sky.

Later, the site was inhabited by Buddhist monks until they too left, and the city was forgotten between 1155 and 1831, meeting the fate of being swallowed by the jungle.

It was rediscovered by European explorers in the early 19th century, and historians and archaeologists worked tirelessly to preserve the site as best as possible.

It was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1982, and in 2009, the Sigiriya Museum was opened, covering three decades of archaeological research.

The city is located three hours from the capital of Sri Lanka, Colombo, and is open to tourists every day.

After climbing 1,250 steps that end with passing between stone lion paws, visitors can spend hours exploring this fantastic monument of architecture and construction of an ancient civilization.