Sri Lanka is home to Sigiriya, the ancient city and rock fortress in the island’s central cultural region.
Sigiriya was developed by King Kashyapa I, who ruled from 477 to 495 CE. The site is centered on a dramatic granite column rising about 180 metres above the surrounding plains. A palace and fortress occupied the summit, while gardens, reservoirs, defensive works, and mural galleries spread around its base.
Visitors traditionally reach the upper areas through stairways that pass near the famous Lion’s Paw terrace. The surviving paws once formed part of a larger lion-shaped entrance.
Sri Lanka was formerly known internationally as Ceylon, a name retained in some historical and commercial contexts. Sigiriya is not the island’s highest mountain; that distinction belongs to Pidurutalagala, near Nuwara Eliya.