Image title: Lion's Paw Terrace (detail)

The Lion's Paw Terrace is another noteworthy feature in the layout of Sigiriya: It is a plateau facing north at the base of Lion-Staircase, the gateway to the main palace on summit. The colossal paws an surviving mass of brick masonry at the base of the rock provide, ever today, a clear picture of the form and scale of this gatehouse. The lion seems to have been in a crouching position, represented by its front paws, head and shoulders projection from the rock. Several units of other buildings could also be seen here among which are moonstones and guard-stones of various sizes made of limestone. Recent archaeological explorations and excavations have revealed evidence of a flight of steps leading from the northern gate to this terrace.

In Sanskrit the “Lion's paws” would be known as Siṃhapāda (सिंहपाद) [simhapada] and the “Lion staircase” as Siṃhasopāna (सिंहसोपान) [simha-sopana].

For more details, see previous photo.

Gallery information:

These photos are taken at the Sigiriya rock in Sri Lanka. This archaeological important site dates to the 2nd century BC when it functioned as a monastery. In the fifth century, King Kassapa I transferred the administrative centre from Anuradhapura to Sigiriya in order to  rule from there. The on-site museum displays various artifacts and paintings found at the Sigiriya rock.