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Sigiriya
should have been named one of the Wonders of the World,
long ago, and now there is a proposal to name it as
the Eighth Wonder of the Ancient
world. Better late than never!
Sri Lankan architectural tradition is well displayed
at Sigiriya, the
best preserved city centre in Asia from the first millennium,
with its combination of buildings and gardens with their
trees, pathways, water gardens, the fusion of symmetrical
and asymmetrical elements, use of varying levels and
of axial and radial planning.
The Complex consists of the central rock, rising 200
meters above the surrounding plain, and the two rectangular
precincts on the east (90 hectares) and the west (40
hectares), surrounded by two moats and three ramparts.
The
plan of the city is based on a precise square module.
The layout extends outwards from co-ordinates at the
centre of the palace complex at the summit, with the
eastern and western axis directly aligned to it. The
water garden, moats and ramparts are based on an echo
plan duplicating the layout and design on either side.
This city still displays its skeletal layout and its
significant features. 3 km from east to west and 1 km
from north to south it displays the grandeur and complexity
of urban-planning in 5th century Sri Lanka.
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