Claim: Sigiriya opened for night tourism.
Fact: The Ministry of Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs, clarified that no approval has been granted for tourists to visit Sigiriya at night and confirmed that the images circulating online, purportedly showing Sigiriya illuminated at night, are 3D renders.
Several posts claiming that the iconic rock fortress, Sigiriya, has been opened for night tourism, are going viral on social media, accompanied by images purportedly showing a lit-up Sigiriya in the night. Sigiriya, also known as Lion Rock, is famous for its towering rock column, which is nearly 200m high. It is one of Sri Lanka’s most popular tourist attractions.
A user shared the claim on Facebook, writing “Sigiriya Night Life”, along with an image showing Sigiriya illuminated at night.
A Facebook page named “Thedal 24 News” was among the many pages that shared the claim along with the image of a brightly lit-up Sigiriya Rock. The caption, in Tamil, read: “The Ministry of Tourism has decided to open the historic Sigiriya Rock to tourists during Poya nights.”
We found similar claims on Facebook and TikTok. A few posts can be found here, here and here.
Fact Check/Verification
Newschecker checked for more details on the official websites carrying information on Sigiriya, such as the Tourism Ministry, Ministry of Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs, Department of Archaeology, and the official travel website of Sigiriya Fortress, but found no records of such a decision.
However, we did come across recent reports on the government’s alleged plans to open certain archaeological sites for night-tourism on various news websites. A News 1st report, dated January 11, 2025, stated, “The government has announced plans to open several archaeological sites to tourists at night. Deputy Minister of Buddhasasana, Religious, and Cultural Affairs, Gamagedara Dissanayake, revealed that Sigiriya, a UNESCO World Heritage site, will be the first location to offer nighttime access to both local and foreign visitors. He added that discussions are ongoing, and public opinions are being gathered on the matter.” Other news outlets stated, “The Tourism Ministry has decided to allow visitors to the historic Sigiriya Rock Fortress on moonlit nights to boost tourism revenue. The program, called ‘Sigiriya in Moon’, will permit night visits for five days each month: on the full moon night, two days prior, and two days after.” The reports can be seen here and here.
However, the Ministry of Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs has denied reports about opening Sigiriya for night visits. The Ministry issued a press release, clarifying that no approval has been granted for tourists to visit Sigiriya at night. They also addressed the image of Sigiriya illuminated at night circulating on social media, confirming that it is fake.
Additionally, we checked the official travel website for Sigiriya Fortress, which lists the visiting hours as 5:00AM to 6:30PM every day, with the frescoes area closing at 5:45 PM.
We discovered that the image of Sigiriya lit-up at night was posted by Indula Jayasekara, a 3D architectural visualiser, who stated that it is a 3D artwork.
Conclusion
The claim that Sigiriya is open for night tourism is false, while the viral images have been confirmed as 3D renderings and not authentic.
Result: False
Our Sources
News report on News 1st, dated January 11, 2025.
News report on Daily Mirror, dated January 4, 2025.
News report on Sri Lanka Mirror, dated January 4, 2025.
Press Release issued by the Ministry of Buddhasasana, Religious, and Cultural Affairs, dated January 15, 2025.
The official travel website for Sigiriya Fortress.
A Facebook post by 3D architectural visualizer Indula Jayasekara, dated January 14, 2025.
If you would like us to fact-check a claim, give feedback or lodge a complaint, email us at [email protected]. You can also visit the Contact Us page and fill out the form.
