Thamel Bazar Kathmandu

Thamel Bazar is a dense, shifting maze of narrow alleys identified by the constant motion of pedestrians, cycle rickshaws, and motorcycles navigating between storefronts packed with trekking gear, woolens, and handmade silver. Long before it became the city's primary tourist district, this neighborhood was a quiet residential area for the indigenous Newar people. Its name originates from the Newari term "Tha Bahi," which refers to a monastery known as Bhagwan Bahal, or "small monastery above," a site with foundations dating back over a thousand years.