Sigiriya is a must visit for every Sri Lankan  and most tourists . The natural rock column has been inhabited by humans (as a monastery, mainly) since the 3rd Century BC, but its most famous inhabitant was King Kashyapa in 477 AD. We’ll get to all that later. Sigiriya is 60-90 minute climb but you can spend a lot longer there. The terraced top has beautiful views and it’s a great pleasure to imagine all the ancients who hung out there. Sigiriya, also called Lion Rock or Lion Mountain, site in central Sri Lanka consisting of the ruins of an ancient stronghold that was built in the late 5th century CE on a remarkable monolithic rock pillar. The rock, which is so steep that its top overhangs the sides, rises to an elevation of 1,144 feet (349  metres) above sea level and is some 600 feet (180 metres) above the surrounding plain.