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Ancient City of Sigiriya *
UNESCO World Heritage Site
Country	Sri Lanka
Type	Cultural
Criteria	ii, iii, iv
Reference	202
Region **	Asia-Pacific
Inscription history
Inscription	1982 (6th Session)
Location of Sigiriya in Sri Lanka
* Name as inscribed on World Heritage List ** Region as classified by UNESCO

Sigiriya (Lion's rock, Sinhalese - සීගිරිය) is a town with a large stone and ancient rock fortress and palace ruin in the central Matale District of Central Province, Sri Lanka, surrounded by the remains of an extensive network of gardens, reservoirs, and other structures. A popular tourist destination, Sigiriya is also renowned for its ancient paintings (frescos),^[1] which are reminiscent of the Ajanta Caves of India. It is one of the eight World Heritage Sites of Sri Lanka.
Sigiriya may have been inhabited through prehistoric times. It was used as a rock-shelter mountain monastery from about the 5th century BC, with caves prepared and donated by devotees of the Buddhist Sangha. According to the chronicles as Mahavamsa the entire complex was built by King Kashyapa (477 – 495 CE), and after the king's death, it was used as a Buddhist monastery until 14th century.