Cultural heritage · Sri Lanka
Ancient City of Sigiriya
The ruins of the capital built by the parricidal King Kassapa I (477–95) lie on the steep slopes and at the summit of a granite peak standing some 180m high (the 'Lion's Rock', which dominates the jungle from all sides). A series of galleries and staircases emerging from the mouth of a gigantic lion constructed of bricks and plaster provide access to the site.
Heritage at a glance
- First inscribed
- 1982
- UNESCO region
- Asia and the Pacific
- Selection criteria
- (ii)(iii)(iv)