Patan
Durbar in Kathmandu. That was an inspiring visit. One of my first trips after
moving to Dubai. It was such a novelty to be able to travel like that after
years in Zimbabwe where travel was an expensive luxury, although I did get a
few business trips, and one holiday in Mauritius before hyperinflation kicked
in.
This historic centre was walking distance from where my cousin lived at the
time so I was able to take quite a few digital photos and also picked up a book
with a number of hand drawn plans and Sections.
What I see in the plan view is an irregular clearing in the “forest”
that is the dense street network. Running north to south, a group of palace
buildings in a straight line dividing the public domain from a larger private
royal garden. Dotted around the public square are Buddhist stupas and hindu
pavilions. Between these, intensive activity, buying and selling, socialising,
just passing through.
And of course the water spouts and ponds, rectangular, stepping down…