The inception of Kathmandu dates back to the ancient times and is older than 185 A.D.<\/p>\n
The metropolis got its name from a temple known as Kasthamandap<\/em>\u00a0built in 1596 at the Durbar Square.As per legends and the contents of the Swayambhu Purana<\/em>, Kathmandu was once a huge, deep lake filled with snakes and was called \u2018Nagdaha\u2019. Bodhisathwa Manjusri traveled to Nepal from the west and cut the rim of the valley with his sword to release the water from it, resulting in the formation of the \u2018Kathmandu\u2019 we know today.<\/p>\n Going forward, the city of Kathmandu experienced two golden ancient eras Licchavi & Malla before touching the modern era which includes the Early Shah <\/em>and Rana rules.<\/em><\/p>\n During the Licchavi period, Kathmandu witnessed the establishment of the most ancient sacred sites for both Hinduism and Buddhism.<\/p>\n Kathmandu is the center of Nepal\u2019s history, art, culture<\/a> & economy hosting people from different ethnicities with a majority of Hindus<\/a> and Buddhists.\u00a0As the largest metropolitan in Nepal, Kathmandu city has a population of over 5 million and is made up of Lalitpur, Kirtipur<\/a>, Madhyapur, Thimi, Bhaktapur<\/a>, and a cluster of municipalities across the valley.<\/p>\n Kathmandu is part of Nepal Province 3 and also has international recognition as the SAARC headquarters since 1985.<\/p>\n Kathmandu experiences a mix of two temperature zones: Warm and Cool \u00a0Temperate Zones which differs across the city. The metropolis generally has a climate with warm days followed by cool nights and mornings.<\/p>\n Nepal opened to the world in 1950 after its long isolation.\u00a0Following this, air transport was started between Kathmandu and Raxaul in 1956 paving the way for tourism<\/a> in the city.<\/p>\n Kathmandu is the gateway to Nepal\u2019s Himalayan range and thus, serves as an important tourist destination. World\u2019s renowned travel advisor Trip Advisor placed Kathmandu at \u2018third\u2019 among the top ten upcoming travel destinations in the world and first rank in Asia, in its 2013 ranking.<\/p>\n Kathmandu has some iconic sites and structures that draw innumerable tourists from around the world. Unfortunately, the 2015 earthquake<\/a> shook Nepal and robbed Kathmandu of most of its remarkable heritage sites.<\/p>\n![\"Boudhanath](\"https:\/\/www.nepalisansar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/boudhanath-stupa-kathmandu.jpg\" "\\"Boudhanath")
<\/p>\nTourism and Some Interesting Places<\/strong><\/h4>\n
![\"Old](\"https:\/\/www.nepalisansar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/old-hindu-temple-in-kathmandu.jpg\" "\\"Old")
<\/p>\nHere are some of the iconic places that add to the city\u2019s charm:<\/strong><\/h4>\n