The history of Kathmandu spans over two millennia, with the earliest known settlements dating back to the period of the Kirat dynasty. The indigenous Newar people are considered the original inhabitants and the historical creators of the valley's distinct architectural and cultural heritage. According to local myth, the valley was once a massive lake that was drained by the bodhisattva Manjushri, who cut a gorge in the surrounding hills with his flaming sword.
The city's classical era flourished under the Licchavi dynasty (400–750 AD), followed by the golden age of the Malla kings (12th to 18th centuries). During the Malla period, Kathmandu, along with neighboring Patan and Bhaktapur, became a highly sophisticated urban center known for exquisite art, architecture, and trade. The city's current name is believed to derive from the Kasthamandap, a unique wooden temple built in 1596 from the wood of a single tree, which tragically collapsed during the 2015 earthquake.
In 1768, Prithvi Narayan Shah of Gorkha conquered the Kathmandu Valley, unifying Nepal and establishing Kathmandu as the capital of the new Shah dynasty. The 19th and 20th centuries saw the city expand under the autocratic Rana regime, which introduced European-style neoclassical architecture. Modern history has brought significant transformation, including the abolition of the monarchy in 2008 to form a federal republic. The devastating 7.8 magnitude earthquake in April 2015 destroyed much of the city's heritage, but intensive, ongoing reconstruction has helped restore many of Kathmandu's iconic historical structures.
