Kathmandu is the capital and the largest metropolitan city of Nepal. The city is situated in Kathmandu Valley, which also contains two other cities - Lalitpur and Bhaktapur. Nepali is the common language of the city, though many speak Newari as it is the center of the Newar people and culture. The city stands at an elevation of approximately 1400m and has total population in the Kathmandu valley at 1,647,092 (2001).
Kathmandu is situated in the heart of the Himalaya mountains and has a rich history. The earliest known inscription in the Kathmandu Valley is dated 185 AD. The oldest firmly dated building in the earthquake-prone valley is almost 1,992 years old. Four stupas around the city of Patan, said to have been erected by Charumati, attest to the ancient history present within are in Patan near kendra Hiranyavarna Mahavihara (called "Patukodon"). The Licchavi Dynasty whose earliest inscriptions date back to 464 AD were the next rulers of the valley. It was during the Malla period that the cultural complex that is today referred to as Newari developed and reached its peak under the patronage of the Malla rulers, who ruled Kathmandu Valley and the surrounding area from the 12th century till the 17th century, when the Shah Dynasty founder Prithvi Narayan Shah conquered the valley as he created present-day Nepal. Most of ancient Nepali Architecture present in Nepal today is from the Malla/Newar era. The city of Kathmandu is named after a structure in Durbar Square called Kaasthamandap. [Wikipedia]
