![]() The pools at the top of the rock are filled with rainwater, and a series of drains cut into the rock connect to a large cistern, which feeds into the underground conduit system to help supply the gardens with water. However, some of the garden water does come from the top of Sigiriya. A series of underground conduit terracotta pipes use gravitational force and hydraulic pressure to send water from the Sigiriya tank (with a slightly higher elevation than the gardens) into the different pools, fountains and streams throughout the impeccably organised gardens. In reality, the palatial complex's water is sourced from a nearby reservoir, known locally as "tanks". Some Sri Lankans still believe in ancient folklore that says all the water that fills the garden's streams flows down from the pond at the top of the rock. These water systems are considered an engineering marvel due to the use of hydraulic power, underground tunnel systems and gravitational force that creates a visually spectacular system of pools and fountains still functioning almost 1,500 years later. Surprisingly, the detailed design of these gardens is not what's most impressive rather it's how they work. "For comparison, it would have looked similar to a modern luxury resort with beautiful gardens and swimming pools," said Sumedha Chandradasa, a tour guide lecturer in Sri Lanka for more than 24 years. Within the gardens were artfully designed pools, fountains, streams and platforms that once held pavilions and performers. ![]() "The gardens at Sigiriya consist of three distinct but interlinked sections: the symmetrical or geometrically planned water gardens the asymmetrical or organic cave and boulder garden the stepped or terraced garden circling the rock, the (miniature) water garden and the palace gardens on the summit of the rock," he wrote. In his essay Sigiriya: City, Palace and Royal Gardens, Senake Bandaranayake, founding director of archaeology at Sigiriya, explained that the site is a brilliant combination of deliberate symmetry and asymmetry playing on both natural and geometric forms. Important guests in the 5th Century would have walked a path with the impressively designed water gardens on either side, serving as a grand entrance to the more than 1,200 steps leading up to the palace. The gardens at Sigiriya are not only the best-preserved water gardens in South Asia but some of the oldest landscaped gardens in the world. However, its ingenious garden and water systems at the foot of the rock are what make it a national treasure. The elaborate palace and its towering construction on top of the rock, as well as its risqué artwork, resulted in its 1982 listing as a Unesco World Heritage Site. But on this sunny day in May 2021, my partner and I were the only two people there.ĭating back to 477 AD, Sigiriya is considered one of South Asia's best-preserved examples of urban planning and one of its most important archaeological sites. Sigiriya, an ancient rock fortress and former royal palace, is one of Sri Lanka's most visited and best-known sights, attracting just more than one million visitors in 2019. But we barely took notice we couldn't take our eyes off the 200m-high monolith in the distance. A family of toque macaque monkeys swung from verdant tree branches and rolled playfully in the hot sand in front of us. It was 09:30 on a bright Monday morning and the temperature was already creeping past 30C. Orange sand particles twinkled in the sun as a lone motorbike kicked up dust in its wake.
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