Kathmandu Durbar Square

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Kathmandu Durbar Square
Native name Ye Lāyekū (Newar)
Kathmandu Durbar Square
Location	Kathmandu,    Nepal
Coordinates	27°42′15″N 85°18′23″E / 27.70415°N 85.30647°E / 27.70415; 85.30647
Area	167.37 ha
Built	4th to 8th century
Original use	Royal Palace
Architectural style(s)	Nepalese Architecture
Website	hanumandhoka.gov.np
UNESCO World Heritage Site
Official name	Kathmandu Valley
Type	Cultural
Criteria	iii, iv, vi
Designated	1979
Reference no.	121
Region	Asia
Session	3rd
Location of Kathmandu Durbar Square in Nepal

Kathmandu Durbar Square (Nepal Bhasa: येँ लायकु/𑐥𑐾𑑄 𑐮𑐵𑐫𑐎𑐹, Nepali: हनुमानढोका दरबार; Basantapur Durbar Kshetra) is a historically and culturally significant site in Kathmandu, Nepal. It is one of the three Durbar (royal palace) Squares in the Kathmandu Valley in Nepal that are UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Although the construction of the square began in the 3rd century, the major structures within it were added in later periods. The outer complex consists of a number of 16th-century temples built during the reign of the Malla kings. These buildings are adorned with meticulously carved facades characteristic of Newar architecture. The central square is surrounded by palace complexes built during the Malla and Shah periods.^[1] The most well-known among them is the Nautalle Durbar, a nine-story palace built by Prithvi Narayan Shah to commemorate the Unification of Nepal.^[2]

A three-story temple called Kumari Chouk or Kumari Bahal is located at the southern edge of the Durbar square. This Malla-era temple is used by the resident of the Kumari, a young girl worshipped as a living embodiment of the Hindu Goddess Durga.^[1]

On 25 April 2015, an earthquake with an estimated magnitude of 7.9 (M_w) hit the region and severely damaged the Square, reducing several buildings to rubble, the most prominent of which was the centuries-old wooden structure, Kasthamandap.^[3][4]

• Durbar Square
• Bhaktapur Durbar Square
• Patan Durbar Square

• von Schroeder, Ulrich. 2019. Nepalese Stone Sculptures. Volume One: Hindu; Volume Two: Buddhist. (Visual Dharma Publications). ISBN 978-3-033-06381-5. Contains SD card with 15,000 digital photographs of Nepalese sculptures and other subjects as public domain.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Durbar Square.

• Kathmandu Durbar Square on Google Map