Sigiriya Rock - The Lion Mountain EarthCache

Sigiriya Rock is located in Matale District in the Central Province of Sri Lanka.
It is within the cultural triangle, which includes five of the seven world heritage sites in Sri Lanka.

The Sigiriya rock is a hardened magma plug from an extinct and long-eroded volcano. The monolithe stands high above the surrounding plain, visible for miles in all directions. The rock rests on a steep mound that rises abruptly from the flat plain surrounding it.
The rock itself rises 370m above sea level and is sheer on all sides, in many places overhanging the base. It is elliptical in plan and has a flat top that slopes gradually along the long axis of the ellipse.

Sigiriya Rock Fortress was created by King Kasyapa who reigned between 477- 495 AD.
The summit of this almost inaccessible rock was the setting for a courtly paradise of elegant pavilions amid gardens and pools.

The rock was transformed into a recumbent lion by the addition of a brick-built head and foreparts of which only the paws remain. The rock's natural defences were augmented by broad moats and stone perimeter walls. In the event of an enemy approach,the outer moat was built so as to flood the entire area between the two moats.

This Earthcache became GEOCACHE OF THE WEEK in September 2021!

To get credit and claim a "Find" for this EarthCache you must climb Sigiriya Rock and post a picture of yourself/s with your GPS on top!

Tell us via email how high you estimate the rock comes out of the jungle
and how the buildings are called you see on top.