Rangiri Dambulla Cave Temple


World Heritage Identification Number: 561

World Heritage since: 1991

Category: Cultural Heritage

Transboundary Heritage: No

Endangered Heritage: No

Country: 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

Continent: Asia

UNESCO World Region: Asia and the Pacific

Map

Dambulla Cave Temple: A Spiritual Sanctuary in Central Sri Lanka

The Dambulla Cave Temple, officially recognized as the Rangiri Dambulla Cave Temple, stands as a testament to Sri Lanka's rich cultural heritage and religious significance. Inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1991, this remarkable cave monastery complex has been a sacred pilgrimage site for over two millennia.

More to come…

UNESCO Description of the World Heritage Site

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.

Encyclopedia Record: Dambulla cave temple

Dambulla cave temple, also known as the Golden Temple of Dambulla, is a World Heritage Site (1991) in Sri Lanka, situated in the central part of the country. This site is situated 148 kilometres (92 mi) east of Colombo, 72 kilometres (45 mi) north of Kandy and 43 kilometres (27 mi) north of Matale.

Read more on Wikipedia

Additional Site Details

Area: Not available

UNESCO Criteria: (i) — Masterpiece of human creative genius
(vi) — Directly associated with events or living traditions

Coordinates: 7.856666667 , 80.64916667

Image

Image of Rangiri Dambulla Cave Temple

© No machine-readable author provided. Jolle~commonswiki assumed (based on copyright claims)., CC BY-SA 3.0 Resized from original. (This derivative is under the same CC BY-SA license.)

About World Heritage Explorer

World Heritage Explorer is an independent educational project designed to uncover and share the richness of our world’s cultural and natural heritage. Dive into detailed site profiles, immersive imagery, interactive maps, and tools that help you explore UNESCO World Heritage Sites across the globe. Drawing extensively on open data sources, the project delivers authoritative, well-structured information for learners, educators, travelers, and younger explorers alike.

Learn more

Nearby World Heritage Sites

Ancient City of Sigiriya
15 km — Sri Lanka
Ancient City of Polonnaruwa
39 km — Sri Lanka
Central Highlands of Sri Lanka
48 km — Sri Lanka
Sacred City of Anuradhapura
61 km — Sri Lanka
Sacred City of Kandy
63 km — Sri Lanka

Country Information: Sri Lanka

Flag of Sri Lanka

Official Name: Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka

Capital: Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte

Continent: Asia

Population (2024): 21,916,000

Population (2023): 22,037,000

Population (2022): 22,181,000

Land Area: 61,860 sq km

Currency: Sri Lankan rupee (LKR)

Country Data Sources

Last updated: January 18, 2026

Portions of the page Rangiri Dambulla Cave Temple are based on data from UNESCO — World Heritage List Dataset and on text from the Wikipedia article Dambulla cave temple, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Changes made. Additional original content by World Heritage Explorer (WHE), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. WHE is not affiliated with UNESCO or the World Heritage Committee. Legal Notice. Privacy Policy.

Open Data for an Open World