The Kasthamandap is a large wooden pavilion at the southwest corner of Durbar Square, built in the 12th century and long considered one of the oldest wooden structures in the world before the 2015 earthquake brought it down. The reconstruction completed in 2022 used traditional Newar woodworking techniques and, where possible, salvaged original timbers. For centuries it served as a rest house on the trade route between India and Tibet.
The pagoda-style architecture with its triple-tiered roof is characteristic of the Newar style that defines Kathmandu's historic core. Worth visiting as part of a walk through Durbar Square.