Durbar Square

Durbar Square or Royal Square in English, is the generic name that refers to the plazas and areas opposite the old royal palaces in Nepal.^{[citation needed]} The name comes from Persian دربار (Darbar).^{[citation needed]} The durbar squares are full of temples, idols, open courts, water fountains and much more. Before the Unification of Nepal, Nepal consisted of smaller independent kingdoms, and Durbar Squares are some prominent remnants of those old kingdoms in Nepal.^{[citation needed]} There are three Durbar Squares in the Kathmandu Valley, belonging to the three Newar kingdoms who were situated there before unification, are most famous: Kathmandu Durbar Square, Patan Durbar Square, and Bhaktapur Durbar Square. All three of these landmarks are UNESCO World Heritage Sites.^[1] These sites had received significant damage due to the devastating earthquake of 2015 but most structures still remain or were reconstructed.^[2][3]