The iconic Kasthamandap, from which Kathmandu derives its name, was built in the twelfth century and was the oldest structure in Kathmandu. It was a public pavilion, a rest house, which sat along the...

The iconic Kasthamandap, from which Kathmandu derives its name, was built in the twelfth century and was the oldest structure in Kathmandu. It was a public pavilion, a rest house, which sat along the two ancient trans-Himalayan trade routes- India and China. This sattal, half shelter and half temple, was enormous measuring sixty-six feet across. This three-storied structure stood on a rectangular platform, its roof supported on sixteen columns. This sattal is distinguished by its many columns, masonry piers, pilasters and corner pavilions. The ground floor housed the shrine of Gorakhanath. The upper stories, reached by steep stairways, were partly walled and partly enclosed by latticed windows to provide semi-protected quarters.