The huge rock column that rises approximately 200 meters high at the old rock castle known as Sigiriya Lion Rock is its most distinctive feature. The location was chosen as the new capital by King Kasyapa during his reign (477–495 AD). He painted murals on the walls and constructed a magnificent castle directly atop the granite column. The palace was only accessible by a huge carved lion’s mouth.

The royal gardens, one of the oldest landscaped gardens in the world, and the Mirror Wall, which is covered with historic graffiti, are two attractions found within the fortress complex, which was built in the fifth century. The colorful frescoes painted on the western face of the rock, which were once thought to number 500 but now number just about 22, are the fortress’s principal attraction.