{"chapterKey":"sri-lanka/sigiriya","title":"Sigiriya","regionSlug":"sri-lanka","status":"published","photos":[{"sha":"51d005294c00e31a8abfe57ae491fbff67261d284d8834a8f3a6d3c6b47066f7","caption":"Two hours north of Kandy: the main Sigiriya approach road on Christmas Day, 2000.","width":1536,"height":1024,"aspect":1.5,"orientation":"landscape","layoutHint":"wide","srcThumb":"https://wtbl.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/a964fbb2ec1e9ef9e2fba6f39b714cb2","srcSmall":"https://wtbl.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/00c1972b6c3752185df6cec56e87eaf2","srcMedium":"https://wtbl.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/bd3273ca1d8dc5306fe5f45e3f5bf54d","srcLarge":"https://wtbl.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/37a68c650370cb8cc60cde7e3d69a724","srcOriginal":"https://wtbl.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/37a68c650370cb8cc60cde7e3d69a724","altText":"Two hours north of Kandy: the main Sigiriya approach road on Christmas Day, 2000."},{"sha":"e93acac82b6411064245edd22f8925458b9957ad0983147e2d0e8b22ed8f33c2","caption":"A palace moat, around the palace at the foot of the granite tower.","width":1536,"height":1024,"aspect":1.5,"orientation":"landscape","layoutHint":"wide","srcThumb":"https://wtbl.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/dccf6b357c73992e1496398731b65da0","srcSmall":"https://wtbl.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/34ccf0ff4c88620cd07e3e3cd8f4a436","srcMedium":"https://wtbl.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/b3f4c5cf96e366ac080389b098770c25","srcLarge":"https://wtbl.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/34f67d12811c2c27884d12ce32320628","srcOriginal":"https://wtbl.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/34f67d12811c2c27884d12ce32320628","altText":"A palace moat, around the palace at the foot of the granite tower."},{"sha":"848b50b9f82f235ca6158c23b2cee66db8690c859aa92114822295bc8a4709ec","caption":"And the tower itself, the Lion Rock, approached by thousands of Sinhalese on holiday. 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plain.","width":1536,"height":1024,"aspect":1.5,"orientation":"landscape","layoutHint":"wide","srcThumb":"https://wtbl.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/f3f201ba1c75005cacc181f20d633555","srcSmall":"https://wtbl.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/5c7592a4fd06509e655ab0cb19727f8d","srcMedium":"https://wtbl.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/c414138eff50732709f4a56351f6c377","srcLarge":"https://wtbl.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/6df495af50e68bc7ced0b84fa543efac","srcOriginal":"https://wtbl.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/6df495af50e68bc7ced0b84fa543efac","altText":"Rain on a palace pond, down once again on the surrounding plain."}],"createdAt":"2022-02-28T01:23:34.000Z","updatedAt":"2022-02-28T01:23:34.000Z","lead":"Sigiriya is a nearly impregnable natural fortress, at whose base the parricide Kasyapa built a palace where he lived from 477 to 511 in fear of his brother's revenge. It came, and the fortress proved of little use: in the heat of battle, a wheeling movement by Kasyapa was interpreted by his own troops as retreat. They fled, leaving him to kill himself. The palace and refuge were abandoned.","visitedDate":"2001","publishedDate":"2001-04-23T04:00:00.000Z","originalUrl":"https://www.greatmirror.com/index.cfm?countryid=376&chapterid=380&picturesize=medium","heroSha":"51d005294c00e31a8abfe57ae491fbff67261d284d8834a8f3a6d3c6b47066f7","authorLabel":"Bryan Wallach","_meta":{"sameAs":[]}}