Quick answer
Sigiriya was brought to modern attention in 1831 by Major Jonathan Forbes, a British army officer who recognised ruins on the summit. H. C. P. Bell, head of the colonial Archaeological Survey, led the first systematic excavations from the 1890s. Senarath Paranavithana later deciphered the mirror-wall graffiti, publishing them in 1956. UNESCO listed the Ancient City of Sigiriya as a World Heritage Site in 1982.
Key takeaways
- Major Jonathan Forbes of the British army noted the summit ruins at Sigiriya in 1831.
- H. C. P. Bell, the first Archaeological Commissioner of Ceylon, excavated Sigiriya systematically from the 1890s.
- Senarath Paranavithana's study of the mirror-wall graffiti was published in 1956 and included 685 verses.
- UNESCO inscribed the Ancient City of Sigiriya on the World Heritage List in 1982.
- The Central Cultural Fund's Cultural Triangle project from the 1980s restored the water gardens to the form visitors see today.
1831: Jonathan Forbes and the ruins on the rock
Major Jonathan Forbes, an officer of the 78th Highlanders, rode past Sigiriya in 1831 and noted that the summit carried ruins. His account, published a few years later, is the first modern European description of the site as an ancient city rather than a landmark.
Forbes did not excavate. The rock was covered in forest and the upper face was not climbable without equipment, which is why the frescoes went unexamined for decades after his visit. What he did was put Sigiriya on the map of the colonial administration.
- →1831: Major Jonathan Forbes notes the summit ruins.
- →No excavation at this stage; the whole site is forest.
- →The frescoes stay unexamined for decades after his visit.
H. C. P. Bell's excavations
H. C. P. Bell, the first Archaeological Commissioner of Ceylon, led the first systematic work at Sigiriya from the 1890s. His teams cleared the summit, mapped the palace foundations, excavated the lion staircase and uncovered the paws, and exposed the layout of the gardens below.
Bell's work is the reason the site can be read at all. His plans and reports remain the foundation for later research, and the lion's paws, which visitors now take as the site's signature, were buried under debris until his excavators reached them.
- →Cleared and planned the summit palace.
- →Excavated the lion staircase and uncovered the paws.
- →Traced the layout of the gardens and ramparts.
- →Published detailed reports that later archaeologists still rely on.
Reaching and copying the frescoes
The Sigiriya frescoes, high on the rock face in a sheltered pocket, were difficult to reach until access structures were built. Copies were made in the late 19th century and again in the 20th, and those copies record details that have since faded or been damaged.
The frescoes suffered their worst modern damage in 1967, when vandals attacked them with paint. Conservators restored most of the damage, but the episode is part of why photography and access in the gallery are now tightly managed.
UNESCO and the Cultural Triangle project
In 1982 UNESCO listed the Ancient City of Sigiriya as a World Heritage Site. In the same decade the Central Cultural Fund, with UNESCO support, launched the Cultural Triangle project covering Sigiriya, Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa and Kandy.
Much of what visitors see at the base of the rock today, including the restored water gardens and cleared moats, is the result of that project. The Sigiriya Museum near the ticket office, opened roughly in 2009 with Japanese assistance, presents the results.
- →1982: UNESCO lists the Ancient City of Sigiriya.
- →1980s onwards: the Central Cultural Fund's Cultural Triangle project.
- →Water gardens and moats restored and cleared.
- →Roughly 2009: the Sigiriya Museum opens near the entrance.
Seeing the rediscovery story on your visit
The Sigiriya Museum is the best introduction to the rediscovery, with plans, finds and copies of the frescoes. Visit it before the climb rather than after, when most people are too hot to read anything.
Lankan Stays & Trails briefs travellers on the site's modern history on the drive in, because a rock you know was dug out by hand looks different from one you assume was always this tidy. Pair the visit with Polonnaruwa, where the same Cultural Triangle project did much of its work.
Frequently asked questions
Who discovered Sigiriya?
Sigiriya was always known locally. Its modern rediscovery as an ancient city is credited to Major Jonathan Forbes, a British army officer who noted ruins on the summit in 1831. Systematic excavation began with H. C. P. Bell in the 1890s.
When was Sigiriya excavated?
The first systematic excavations were led by H. C. P. Bell from the 1890s. Major work continued through the 20th century, and the Central Cultural Fund's Cultural Triangle project from the 1980s restored the gardens and moats to their present state.
Who deciphered the Sigiriya graffiti?
Senarath Paranavithana, a leading Sri Lankan archaeologist and epigraphist. His study of the mirror-wall graffiti was published in 1956 and included 685 verses, most dating from roughly the 8th to 10th centuries.
When did Sigiriya become a UNESCO World Heritage Site?
In 1982, under the name Ancient City of Sigiriya. It was one of Sri Lanka's first World Heritage listings, alongside the sacred city of Anuradhapura and the ancient city of Polonnaruwa.
Were the Sigiriya frescoes damaged?
Yes. The most serious modern damage came in 1967, when vandals attacked the frescoes with paint. Conservators restored most of it, and access and photography in the gallery have been tightly controlled since.
When were the lion's paws at Sigiriya found?
The lion's paws were uncovered during H. C. P. Bell's excavations from the 1890s. Before then the terrace was buried under debris from the collapsed brick lion, and the paws were not visible.