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The oldest inscriptions in the Kathmandu Valley date back to 185 AD. The oldest known building is almost 1992 years old. The Kirats are the first known rulers of the valley and the remains of the palace built by them are located in Patan, near Hiranyavarna Mahavihara. The Licchavi dynasty, whose inscriptions date back to 464 AD, were the next rulers. The Malla dynasty, made up of Newar rulers, ruled from the 12th to the 17th century, when the founder of the Shah dynasty, Prithvi Narayan Shah, conquered the valley and created the Nepal we know today. Most of the existing architecture in Nepal is from the Malla and Newar periods.



The city of Kathmandu gets its name from a structure in Durbar Square called Kaasthamandap. This temple was built in the year 159 A.D. by King Laxmi Narsingh Malla. It is constructed entirely of wood without any iron nails or supports of any kind. A legend indicates that the necessary wood was obtained from a single tree.







It is the capital and largest city of Nepal, with a population of 1,442,271 (2006) inhabitants, located in the valley of the same name in central Nepal, near the Vishnumati River, at an altitude of 1,317 meters above sea level.

The ancient city is characterized by the large number of Buddhist and Hindu temples and palaces, most of them from the 17th century. Many of these monuments have unfortunately been damaged by earthquakes and pollution. In the Kathmandu Valley there are seven sites classified by Unesco as World Heritage Sites.

Kathmandu became a popular tourist destination since the 1960s due to the hippie movement.







On the outskirts of Kathmandu there are modern European-style buildings, such as the Royal Palace, with more than 1,700 rooms, built in the early 20th century. On a hill overlooking the city is the Buddhist temple and monastery of SwayambLu, the terraces of which monks wander. The temple is crowned by a shrine on the four walls of which is painted a huge eye, symbolizing the watchful wisdom of Buddha.

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