Nepal; Kathmandu Valley, Bhaktapur, 1986

Nepal; the Kathmandu Valley, 1986. Shows Durbar Square in the city of Bhaktapur which had a population at this time of 50,000, and had preserved its 'medieval' character better than Kathmandu and Patan. Nevertheless, an earthquake in 1934 destroyed buildings dating back to the fourteenth century. Bhaktapur is the most self-contained and self-sufficient of the valley's major settlements, building and decorating its own houses, making pottery and adorning temples. Many original traditions were preserved. The green fields of the Kathmandu Valley are visible over the rooftops of the Square.