Kathmandu - Durbar Square

Durbar Square

Kathmandu's Durbar Square is the largest of the palace squares in the three royal cities and is designated by UNESCO as a protected cultural asset. The old palace alone covers an area three times the size of the precincts in Bhaktapur and Patan. Also on Durbar Square are some 50 temples and monuments of varying shapes, sizes, styles and faiths.

Kathmandu became an independent city-kingdom at the time of King Ratna Malla who, in 1501, erected a temple to Taleju in the Tana Deval temple precinct. His palace is presumed to have stood near by. Mahendra Malla (1560-74) extended the palace precinct to its present size and built the great pagoda dedicated to Taleju, the Malla family deity. He also erected two other