Kathmandu Valley Travel Information

The Kathmandu Valley, located in Nepal, lies at the crossroads of ancient civilizations of Asia, and has at least 130 important monuments, including several places of pilgrimage for Hindus and Buddhists. There are seven UNESCO World Heritage Sites within this valley. The city of Kathmandu is named after a structure in Durbar Square called Kaasthamandap. This unique temple, also known as Maru Satal, was built in 1596 by King Laxmi Narsingh Malla. The entire structure contains no iron nails or supports and is made entirely from wood. Legend has it that the timber used for this two story pagoda was obtained from a single tree. Kathmandu is also known as the City of Temples. The Kathmandu Valley may have been inhabited as early as 300 BC, since the oldest known objects in the valley date to a few hundred years BC.