Kathmandu the facts

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Kathmandu is the capital city of Nepal & it is also the largest city in Nepal. The original inhabitants of Kathmandu are called Newars, who speak Nepal Bhasa, which is the language of communication between Newars, & is spoken by other ethnic communities residing in Kathmandu. It stands at an elevation of approximately 1,300m (4,265 ft). It is an urban & suburban area of about 1.5 million inhabitants in the tri-city area in the Kathmandu Valley in central Nepal, along the Bagmati River. The two other cities are Lalitpur (Patan) & Bhaktapur. Kathmandu is located at 27°43'N, 85°22'E (27.71667, 85.36667).

History
The Kathmandu Valley may have been inhabited as early as 900 BC, but the oldest known objects in the valley date to a few hundred years BC. The earliest known inscription is dated 185 AD. The oldest firmly dated building in the earthquake-prone valley is almost 1,000 years old. It is said that the Buddha & his disciples spent some time in the area of present-day Patan in the 6th century BC, although there is no evidence for this. Four stupas around the city of Patan said to have been erected by Charumati, daughter of Ashoka the Great, a Mauryan king, in the 3rd century BC attest to the ancient history present within the valley. As with the tales of the Buddha's visit, there is no evidence supporting Ashoka's visit, but the stupas probably do date to that century. The Kirats are the first documented rulers of the Kathmandu Valley, the remains of their palace are said to be in Patan near Hiranyavarna Mahavihara (called "Patukodon"). The Licchavi Dynasty whose earliest inscriptions date back to 464 AD were the next rulers of the valley & had close ties with the Gupta Dynasty of India. The Malla Dynasty ruled Kathmandu from the 12th century till the 17th century when the Shah Dynasty under Prithvi Narayan Shah conquered the valley as he created present-day Nepal. Most of ancient Nepalese architecture present in Kathmandu today is from the Malla era.

The temple of Pashupatinath.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 A.D. by King Laxmi Narsingh Malla. The entire structure contains no iron nails or supports & 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 sometimes called "Kantipur". Newars use the original term, Yen.

Present
The Kathmandu Valley consists of three primary cities: Kathmandu itself, Lalitpur & Bhaktapur. Lalitpur & Kathmandu run up right against each other (again, separated only by the Bagmati river), while Bhaktapur is set off much closer to the eastern foothills.

Kathmandu itself is home to most of the government offices, embassies, corporate houses, & the palace. The King's Palace (a large newly-pink building) stands right next to Thamel - the tourist hub of the country. Thamel consists of two parallel streets just to the west of the palace. It is home to different hotels, ranging from different stars. The palace is at the head of Durbar Marg, a street lined with various shops.

Most of the streets in Kathmandu are named from Nepal Bhasa, owing its origin to the rich Newari Culture & heritage.

The "old" city is noted for its many Buddhist & Hindu temples & palaces, most dating to the 17th century. Many of these landmarks have been damaged by earthquakes & pollution. This valley hosts an UNESCO World Heritage Sites composed by seven different Monument Zones: The centers of the three primary cities, Kathmandu Hanuman Dhoka, Patan & Bhaktapur, the two most important Buddhist stupas, Swayambhunath & Boudhanath & two famous Hindu shrines, Pashupatinath temple & Changu Narayan. Since 2003 the site has been inscribed in the World Heritage List as being "in danger" out of concern for the ongoing loss of authenticity & the outstanding universal value of the cultural property.

Kathmandu has been popular with western tourists since the 1960s when it became a key stop on the hippie trail, when Jho: Chhee (Nepal Bhasa, continuous house)(Freak Street) was the one of the main location. It is also the subject of a popular Bob Seger song for the same reason.

In the 2000s a democracy movement ousted the monarchy and brought all people towards government, it based much of it's marches in the capital.

Tribhuvan International Airport is located about 6 km from the city center, offering domestic & international flights.

Musical inspiration
Cat Stevens wrote a song titled "Katmandu" which appeared in his 1970 album, Mona Bone Jakon.

Rock musician Bob Seger wrote a song titled "Katmandu" which appeared on his 1975 album, Beautiful Loser.

A Russian rock band Krematorij had a song titled "Kathmandu" on their 2000 album Three Springs.

The Argentinian musician Fito Páez has a song called Tráfico por Katmandú ("Traffic through Kathmandu" in English)