Royal Palace of King Parakramabahu,
this was Sri Lanka's first skyscraper. The palace is said to be originally seven storeys high and richly
decorated but what remains now is only a three storeys brick which were constructed of brick - great holes in the walls indicate where the beams used to be.
The upper storeys were made of wood and I think that they succumbed to a demolishing fire. This palace is said to have had a thousand rooms of which fifty five can be seen today. Some of these would not have had windows and with the very thick walls would have been very dark inside.
A little further on is the royal bath, the Kumara Pokuna. Across the
way is the beautiful Council Chamber, embellished with lion, graceful
pillars and a moonstone. This was where the king granted audiences to
his ministers and officials.
Ruins of the Parakramabahu's seven-storey Palace.
Parakrama Bahu's Palace -12th Century with the gigantic lower walls
Staircase to upper levels of Parakrama Bahu's Palace
Pillar
Royal Bath known as the Kumara Pokuna with an intricate geometrical design and fed by means of a network of stone pipes connected to the Parakrama Samudra.
Moonstone
Council Chamber - The three-tiered structure used as Parakramabahu's Council Chamber was rather impressive with its exceptionally sculpted lions, elephants and gnomes moving along them (so as to indicate the enjoyment sculptors had while doing them), as well as the elaborate traditional moonstone and guard stones at the entrance
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