Yapahuwa is one of Sri Lanka’s ancient fortresses, its palace ruins perched atop a 90-metre granite outcrop that rises suddenly from the surrounding jungle. Built in the 13th century as a temporary royal capital and home to the sacred Tooth Relic of the Buddha, Yapahuwa represents a brief but significant chapter in Sri Lanka’s turbulent medieval history. The ornate stone staircase leading to the upper palace, decorated with exquisite carvings of lions, musicians, and dwarfs, is considered a masterpiece of medieval Sri Lankan art.