The city's name is said to derive from «Kasthamandap», an ancient wooden pavilion dating to roughly the 12th century that local legend claims was built entirely from the timber of a single tree, without a single metal nail.

The Kathmandu Valley is a UNESCO World Heritage Site comprising seven separate monument zones, including historic Durbar Square, the Swayambhunath temple — popularly known as the «Monkey Temple» for its resident sacred monkeys — and the Hindu Pashupatinath Temple on the banks of the Bagmati River.