Nestled upon a rocky summit 160 metres above the central city of Dambulla, this UNESCO World Heritage Site features sanctified caves with centuries of tales that have shaped the five immaculate Buddhist shrine rooms open for visitors today.A sacred pilgrimage site for 22 centuries, this cave monastery, with its five sanctuaries, is the largest,best-preserved cave-temple complex in Sri Lanka. The Buddhist mural paintings (covering an area of 2,100 m2 ) are of particular importance, as are the 157 statues.