Outer side of the Mirror Wall
Mirror Wall
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 image shows the outer side of the Mirror Wall. The inner side of the wall has the staircase leading to the Lion’s Paw Terrace. The spiral staircase above the Mirror Wall leads to the caves containing the remnants of the ancient frescos painted on their walls. Traces of paintings were also found on the outer surface of the wall and are likely remnants of the murals once existed there.
The Mirror Wall is made of bricks and covered with finely polished plaster. The fine polish on the inner surface once made it gleam like a mirror, which is how the wall got its name. It is believed that King Kashyapa used to view his reflection while climbing the stairs to reach his palace.
Although the original structure 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 gradually fell into disuse and became home to Buddhist monasteries. Many of the people who visited the site were pilgrims traveling to these monasteries. Inspired by the awe-inspiring palace complex, the dramatic staircase passing through the giant lion face, and the murals painted on the rock surface and inside the caves above the Mirror Wall, visitors recorded their feelings on the inner surface — often in the form of short poems.
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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