Sigiriya is the ancient rock fortress in Sri Lanka famous for its frescoes and carved lion entrance. The site rises dramatically from the central plains as a granite column about 180 metres high, creating one of South Asia’s most distinctive archaeological landscapes.
According to the Sri Lankan chronicle Culavamsa, King Kashyapa I selected the rock for his capital after taking power. Between 477 and 495 CE, he built a palace on the summit, fortified the approaches, and developed elaborate gardens, pools, moats, and hydraulic systems below. A gateway halfway up the rock was shaped as a huge lion; only its paws and the lower parts of the entrance remain today.
The surviving paintings, often called the Sigiriya frescoes, depict elegantly rendered human figures and once covered much more of the rock face. Visitors also encounter the Mirror Wall, which preserves centuries-old graffiti left by early visitors.
Sigiriya was later used as a Buddhist monastery and was eventually abandoned. It became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1982. It is sometimes called Lion Rock, a translation connected to its ancient name, Sinhagiri.