Kathmandu Durbar Square, also called Basantapur Durbar and Hanuman Dhoka, is not one building but a network of palaces, courtyards, shrines and public spaces in the centre of the old city. Nepal Tourism Board presents the square as a historic civic and royal centre, where the Malla and Shah dynasties left layers of architecture and public memory. Its name is associated with Hanuman Dhoka, the palace gateway marked by a statue of Hanuman. For a visitor, the first impression is the close relationship between everyday street life and the carved timber, brickwork and courtyards of the former royal complex.
The palace area reflects centuries rather than a single construction campaign. Nepal Tourism Board traces the earliest complex to the Licchavi period, from the fourth to eighth centuries, and notes that King Pratap Malla expanded it substantially in the seventeenth century. The wider square includes structures built and adapted across different periods and rulers. It served not only as a royal residence but also as a setting for administration, ceremony and cultural life. This layered history is why guides and official tourism pages use several names for the same historic precinct; when following directions, look for Basantapur or Hanuman Dhoka as well as Kathmandu Durbar Square.