Kathmandu, city, capital of Nepal, in the central part of the country. Also called Katmandu, the city is situated in a fertile lowland (the Valley of Nepal) in the southern Himalayas, at an altitude of about 1220 m (about 4000 ft), near the confluence of the Baghmati and Vishnumati rivers. It is the mountain kingdom's largest city and its chief economic, administrative, and cultural center. A highway extends north to Lhasa, in Tibet, and another road links Kathmandu with Raxaul, a rail center in India. Points of interest in Kathmandu include the elaborate royal palace and the white-domed Bodhnath Stupa, a shrine revered by Tibetan Buddhists. Just west of the city is Swayambhunath Temple, also an important Buddhist site. The city is the site of Tribhuvan University (1959) and the National Museum of Nepal.
Kathmandu was founded in 723 and was ruled for centuries by the Newar people. It was captured in 1768 by the Shah dynasty and became their capital. From 1846 to 1951 the powerful Rana family ruled Nepal from here as hereditary prime ministers. The city was badly damaged in 1934 by an earthquake. Population (1991) 419,073.
