Lion mountain
Daya Dissanayake
Sri Lankan architectural tradition is well displayed at Sigiriya, the
best preserved city centre in Asia from the first millennium, with its
combination of buildings and gardens with their trees, pathways, water
gardens, the fusion of symmetrical and asymmetrical elements, use of
varying levels and of axial and radial planning.
The Complex consists of the central rock, rising 200 meters above the
surrounding plain, and the two rectangular precincts on the east (90
hectares) and the west (40 hectares), surrounded by two moats and three
ramparts.
The plan of the city is based on a precise square module. The layout
extends outwards from co-ordinates at the centre of the palace complex
at the summit, with the eastern and western axis directly aligned to it.
The water garden, moats and ramparts are based on an ‘echo plan’
duplicating the layout and design on either side.
This city still displays its skeletal layout and its significant
features. 3 km from east to west and 1 km from north to south it
displays the grandeur and complexity of urban-planning in 5th century
Sri Lanka. |