Sigiriya Ramparts, Moats & Entrances

The Sigiriya Citadel built by King Kashyapa over 1600 years ago was surrounded by three massive ramparts and two moats. The citadel had four entrances.

Ramparts

The outermost earthen rampart was forty-three meters wide and over six kilometers in length. It encircled the entire citadel. The middle rampart was thirty-seven meters wide. An eight-meter-wide roadway ran along its top.

Moats

The Sigiriya citadel was surrounded two moats. The outer moat, traces of which are still visible today, was fifty-two meters wide and four meters deep. The inner moat was about twenty-three meters wide. Its primary purpose was to provide cooling.

Entrances

The Sigiriya citadel had four entrances. The ceremonial entrance was through the western gate which was reached by crossing the inner moat via a small bridge and up a narrow marble stairway to an elegant gatehouse with a triple entrance.