Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
23
Wayfarers
B2
Durbar Square
HISTORIC SITE
Kathmandu's
Durbar Sq
was where the city's kings were once crowned and legitimised,
and from where they ruled ('durbar' means palace). As such, the square remains the tradi-
tional heart of the old town and Kathmandu's most spectacular legacy of traditional archi-
tecture.
It's easy to spend hours wandering around the square and watching the world go by
from the terraced platforms of the towering Maju Deval; it's a wonderful way to get a feel
for the city. Although most of the square dates from the 17th and 18th centuries (many of
the original buildings are much older), a great deal of rebuilding happened after the great
earthquake of 1934. The entire square was designated a Unesco World Heritage Site in
1979.
The Durbar Sq area is actually made up of three loosely linked squares. To the south is
the open Basantapur Sq area, a former royal elephant stables that now houses souvenir
stalls and off which runs Freak St. The main Durbar Sq area, with its popular watch-the-
world-go-by temples, is to the west. Running northeast is a second part of Durbar Sq,
which contains the entrance to the Hanuman Dhoka and an assortment of temples. From
this open area Makhan Tole, at one time the main road in Kathmandu and still the most in-
teresting street to walk down, continues northeast.
A good place to start an exploration of the square is with what may well be the oldest
building in the valley, the unprepossessing Kasthamandap.
Durbar Square
HISTORIC SITE
ticket office
7am-7pm)
The ancient Royal Palace of Patan faces on to magnificent
Durbar Square
. This concen-
trated mass of temples is perhaps the most visually stunning display of Newari architecture
to be seen in Nepal. Temple construction in the square went into overdrive during the
