Durbar Square

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Durbar Square" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (August 2023) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

Map

Durbar Square (from Persian دربار, darbār, meaning "court") refers to the public plazas located in front of the old royal palaces in Nepal, particularly in the Kathmandu Valley. These squares served as epicenters of political, religious, and social life during the Malla period (12th–18th centuries). The architecture of the squares reflects a rich blend of Hindu and Buddhist influences unique to Newar culture.

Each of the three main Durbar Squares—Kathmandu, Patan, and Bhaktapur—served as the royal seat of a separate Malla kingdom prior to the unification of Nepal under Prithvi Narayan Shah in the 18th century. These sites are renowned for their intricate wood carvings, multi-tiered temples, courtyards, and statuary, many of which date back several centuries.

Although the 2015 Gorkha earthquake caused significant damage to these sites, most structures have since been preserved or are under restoration, supported by both national and international efforts.^[1][2]

1. ^ Gutschow, Niels. The Nepalese Caitya: 1500 Years of Buddhist Votive Architecture in the Kathmandu Valley. Stuttgart: Edition Axel Menges, 1997. ISBN 9783930698801.
2. ^ "Kathmandu Valley". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Retrieved 6 August 2025.

• 
   Media related to Durbar Square at Wikimedia Commons

27°42′17″N 85°18′27″E / 27.70472°N 85.30750°E / 27.70472; 85.30750

This Nepalese location article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

• v
• t
• e