Kathmandu

Kathmandu

Kathmandu, the capital and most populous city of Nepal, lies in the Kathmandu Valley, in the central Nepalese high plateaus at 1400 meters above sea level. Established in the 2nd century AD, the city is one of the oldest continuously populated places in the world. The valley was historically known as the 'Nepal Mandala' and was home to the cosmopolitan urban civilization of the Newar people, who lived in the Himalayan foothills. The city used to be the royal capital of the Kingdom of Nepal and is home to palaces, mansions and gardens built by the Nepalese aristocracy. For many years, Kathmandu was and is the center of Nepal's history, art, culture and economy. Its multi-ethnic population has a Hindu and Buddhist majority. The city's tourism is an important part of its economy, it is considered the gateway to the Nepal Himalayas and is the site of several World Heritage Sites, among them the Durbar Square, Swayambhu Mahachaitya, Bouddha and Pashupatinath. In parts of Kathmandu, archaeological excavations have uncovered traces of ancient civilizations. The oldest such find is a statue found in Maligaon, dated to 185 AD. At the Dhando Chaitya excavation, a brick with a Brahmi inscription was discovered, which archaeologists believe could be 2,000 years old. The stone inscriptions are a common feature at heritage sites and a key source of Nepal's history. One of the earliest western mentions of Kathmandu can be found in the account of Portuguese Jesuit Father Joao Cabral, who travelled through the Kathmandu Valley in the spring of 1628 and was graciously received by the then king.