In the previous article, “Nepal Travel Journal (3): Studying at a Weaving Workshop” (Japanese page), I shared the news that I would be studying at a weaving workshop in a town called Bhaktapur.
This time, I would like to introduce Bhaktapur, the historic city where the workshop is located.
Bhaktapur lies about 12 kilometres east of Kathmandu and is one of Nepal’s best-preserved historic cities. In the local Newar language, it is also known as Khwopa. It once flourished as a royal capital under the Malla rulers of the Kathmandu Valley.
Red-brick houses, brick-paved lanes, temples, royal buildings, finely carved wooden windows and traditional pottery can still be seen throughout the city. These are not simply decorative remains of the past. They belong to the living culture of the Newar people, whose traditions have been shaped by both Hinduism and Buddhism.
For centuries, the Kathmandu Valley stood between South Asia and the Tibetan Plateau. The trans-Himalayan routes carried more than merchandise: religious ideas, architectural forms, craft techniques and artistic knowledge also travelled with merchants, pilgrims and artisans. Bhaktapur’s culture developed within this wider network of exchange.
Walking among its temples, former royal buildings and red-brick streets can feel like stepping into another age. Yet Bhaktapur is not a preserved historical stage. People continue to live, work, worship and celebrate festivals within the old city, making it a form of living heritage.
In 1979, UNESCO inscribed the Kathmandu Valley as a World Heritage property. It consists of seven separate monument zones—not the whole city of Bhaktapur. Bhaktapur Durbar Square, the historic royal and ceremonial centre, is one of those seven zones.
Through the photographs I took there, I would like to share the streets and royal architecture of this remarkable city.
Streets of Bhaktapur
The Royal Palace Area
