Sigiriya

Sigiriya is a fortress on top of this 650-foot tall (200 m) rock pillar in Sri Lanka; the name means Lion Rock.

According to a Sri Lankan chronicle called the Culavamsa, it was built by King Kasyapa (477 – 495 CE) as the citadel of his new capital.

On a shelf halfway up Kasyapa's architect placed this amazing gateway in the shape of a lion.

Ruins of the palace on top.

Some of the surviving frescoes; these once lined the whole route up the rock.

The site is surrounded by related ruins, including extensive gardens.

Kasyapa's successors quickly abandoned the site, perhaps for some place they could reach without climbing a thousand stair steps. It then became a monastery and remained one until the 1300s.