The huge lion staircase leading to the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic of Buddha, half-way up the hillside, is the masterpiece of the citadel of Yapahuwa, now in ruins. Emerging from the thick vegetation, the granite rock against which is built the fortress of Bhuvanekabahu I, (13C), formerly a palace and a lower town, is now a striking site that commands a splendid panoramic view over the surrounding countryside.