Inner surface of the Mirror Wall
Mirror Wall
Visible from a distance, the Mirror Wall is an ancient barrier built to protect the people walking on the pathway cut along the western side of the rock.
The Mirror Wall is made of bricks and covered with finely polished plaster. The fine polish on the inner surface of the wall made it appear like a mirror. The wall owes its name to this mirror-like appearance. It is believed that King Kashyapa used to view his reflection while climbing the stairs to reach his palace.
Although the original construction of the Mirror Wall amazingly survived more than 1500 years, its inner surface lost its fine polish. Covering the inner surface now is a large number of graffiti, scratched by people visiting the rock summit from the 6th to 14th century.
After the fall of King Kashyapa, the rock fortress on the summit fell into disuse and became home to Buddhist monasteries. Some of the visitors were Pilgrims to these monasteries. Inspired by the awe-inspiring construction of the palace complex, the staircase passing through the giant lion face, and the murals painted on the rock surface and inside the caves above the Mirror Wall, visitors expressed their feelings, most of which as poems, by writing them on the wall.
The outer surface has traces of paint, likely remnants of the murals painted on the wall.
As you can see from the image, now the inner surface of the Mirror Wall is protected by a security barrier to prevent visitors from touching or writing more graffiti. You can also see some of the original graffiti inscribed on the wall.
Sigiriya Rock Pages
– Lion Rock – A west-side view
– Mirror Wall – Inner Side
– Mirror Wall – Outer Side
– Lion’s Paw Terrace – Entrance to the rock summit
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