Potala Palace where it is located. Potala Palace - ancient architecture. Great West Hall

Potala Palace is the highest ancient castle in the world, located at an altitude of 3767 meters. The Potala Palace is a huge Buddhist temple complex, occupying 360 thousand m2 and consisting of two parts: the Red Palace, as the center, and the White Palace, as two wings. The height of the palace is 115 meters - that’s 13 floors.The Potala was the main residence of the Tibetan Dalai Lama for several centuries.Now this sacred place attracts thousands of pilgrims and tourists. Situated on the Red Mountain in the center of Lhasa, the Potala is the largest monumental structure in all of Tibet, ancient palace world. The word “Potala” itself means “Mystical Mountain”.

Once upon a time, within the walls of this huge palace, surrounded by peace and tranquility, sat the religious ruler of Tibet. The centuries-old peace was disrupted in 1959 by the invasion of Tibet by Chinese troops, as a result of which the XIV Dalai Lama was forced to leave the country and received political asylum in India, where he still resides.

The first building on the site of the current palace was built in 637 by the king of Tibet Songtsen Gampo, who decided to build not Grand Palace above Fa-Wan's cave, where he used to meditate. After some time, the king came up with the idea of ​​​​making Lhasa the capital, so a large palace was erected on the site of the old building, which was significantly expanded after Songtsen Gampo became engaged to the Chinese princess Wen Cheng- by order of the king, the palace building was expanded to 999 rooms, and high walls with towers were erected around it and a bypass canal was dug.

Unfortunately, since almost everything in those days was built of wood, the palace, which was no exception, could not survive a severe thunderstorm in the second half of the 8th century, during which it was struck by lightning, and the resulting fire burned all the wooden buildings. What remained of the palace was finally razed to the ground by internecine wars - only the Pabalakan Hall and the Fa-Vana Cave have survived to this day.

The Potala Palace that we see today began to be built only in 1645, during the reign of the fifth Dalai Lama. By 1648, the White Palace was built. Red Palace, added in 1694. More than 7,000 workers and 1,500 artists and craftsmen worked on its construction. In 1922, the 13th Dalai Lama renovated many of the chapels and halls in the White Building and made changes to the Red.

After the White Palace was completed in 1648, it became the winter residence of the Dalai Lama. The ruler lived and worked in the Sunny Pavilion of the White Palace, and received guests and held ceremonies in the Great Eastern Pavilion. The white walls symbolize peace and tranquility. The walls of the hall are decorated with beautiful frescoes and paintings. It also houses the Potala statue, the most revered artifact that attracts thousands of Tibetan tourists. It is completely covered with gold leaf with a total weight of 550 kg. and inlaid with tens of thousands of precious stones. The remaining funeral stupas, significantly inferior in size, are also decorated a huge amount gold and jewelry.

The Great East Hall on the fourth floor has an area of ​​725 square meters. was the site of important religious and political ceremonies.It is surrounded on three sides by three chapels: in the east, in the north and in the south. The Dharma Caves and Holy Chapel are the only surviving structures from the 7th century with statues of Songtsen Gampo, Princess Wen Cheng and Princess Bhrikuti inside.

The heart of the complex is the Red Building (which was built from 1690 to 1694) - the highest part in the center. This part is entirely devoted to religious education and Buddhist prayers. The building consists of many halls, chapels and libraries on several levels with galleries and winding corridors. Richly decorated with paintings, gems and carvings, it contains several temples and tombs of the eight past Dalai Lamas, including a pagoda made of 200,000 pearls.

The Potala Palace occupies the entire hill on which it is located. The majesty of the huge structure, stretching across the entire hill, still amazes both travelers and tourists, as well as Buddhists and pilgrims themselves.

Countless treasures are stored in many halls, there are stupas of the Dalai Lamas and many high teachers, many Buddhas and deities. Particularly impressive are the voluminous tantric mandalas:

Samvara Mandala

Guhyasamaja Mandala

Yamantaka-Mandala

Kalachakra Mandala

The Potala houses schools of Buddhist logic, a seminary, a printing house, gardens, courtyards and even a prison. For over 300 years, the ancient palace has preserved many cultural relics such as murals, stupas, statues, thangkas and rare sutras. Of particular importance is the Fa-Wan cave, in which King Songtsen Gampo read sacred texts even before the construction of the building.

In 1994, the Potala Palace was listed World Heritage UNESCO and named one of the new seven wonders of the world. Today, the complex is visited daily by thousands of Tibetan pilgrims and travelers from all over the world.

This is what the Potala looks like at night

Lhasa translated from Tibetan means “Land of the Gods” and here you can really feel the presence of the divine everywhere.

When you come to Lhasa, especially on your first trip to Tibet, the first thing you notice is the Potala Palace (Tib.: པོ་ཏ་ལ potala, Chinese: 布达拉宫 budalagong), rising on Mount Marpo Ri in the center of the city , which for many centuries was the winter residence of the Dalam Lamas. The palace is named after Mount Potalaka, the mythical habitat of the bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara, whose living embodiment is the Dalai Lama.

Construction of the Potala began in 637 by the king of Tibet, Songtsen Gampo. However, after a fire and internecine wars, the palace was completely destroyed and acquired its present appearance already under the fifth Dalai Lama in the mid-17th century.

In 1645, the Fifth Dalai Lama ordered the construction of the White Palace to begin. Three years later, in 1649, the 9-story structure was completed, and the Dalai Lama moved into it from Drepung Monastery. Subsequently, construction began on the Red Palace, which was erected by 1694. An interesting fact, which is still the cause of various disputes and disagreements, is that until the completion of the construction of the palace, the death of the Fifth Dalai Lama was hidden from the people. According to data, the Fifth Dalai Lama died in 1682, but this news was kept in deep secret. There are many opinions about the reasons for concealing the death of the Fifth Dalai Lama. One version says that death was hidden from the people in order to complete the construction of the Red Palace. After all, the people building the palace were inspired by the deepest faith and respect for the Fifth Dalai Lama. The news of his death could stop the construction of the Palace, so his death was hidden for 12 years until the construction of the palace was completed.

The Potala consists of 13 floors with a total height of 118 meters. Inside there are one thousand rooms, in which there are more than one hundred thousand altars and two hundred thousand buddhist statues and images. Particular attention is paid to the stupas, which house the relics of the Fifth and Thirteenth Dalai Lamas. Currently, the Potala attracts thousands of Buddhist pilgrims. They walk kora (ritual walks) around the Palace, recite mantras and prayers, and make prostrations.

Opposite the Potala rises Mount Chakpo Ri. In the 15th century, a medical college was located on this mountain, which, unfortunately, was destroyed in 1959. Now Chakpo Ri attracts pilgrims and tourists with its rock paintings. Many of them have survived since the time of King Songtsen Gampo (7th century).

I want to return to this place of power again and again, to deeply breathe in this rarefied air with the aromas of incense, yak oil and crystal freshness, to slowly make kora around the Potala, absorbing its history and wisdom.

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Hidden from the bustle and noise of the world by a ridge of the most high mountains Tibet has been attracting travelers since ancient times. This is one of ancient states world with its unusual charter and order, rich history and cultural heritage. And it is not surprising that it is in Tibet that the highest castle complex in the world is located - the Potala Palace. It received its name in the 11th century thanks to the mountain on which it is located. It is called Puto; according to legend, it was here that Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara, who is considered the embodiment of the great compassion of all enlightened ones (Buddhas), first appeared.

History of the construction of the palace

The Potala Palace was first built in the second half of the 7th century at an altitude of almost four thousand meters above sea level by the Tufan ruler Sronzangamp as the main imperial residence for him and his newly-made wife Princess Wencheng. Before this, there were already meditation caves here. All palace complex, consisting of thousands of halls and rooms, was surrounded by a high fortress wall, and it was possible to enter it through four gates.

During a severe thunderstorm, most of the wooden buildings of the palace were incinerated by lightning.

Only in the mid-17th century did the V Dalai Lama Agwan Lobsan Jamtso decide to completely restore the palace to its former grandeur. As a result, a grandiose complex arose with courtyards, wide stone staircases, chapels, surrounded by high walls and occupying an area of ​​​​about three hundred and sixty thousand square meters.

Architecture and interiors

About seven thousand builders and another fifteen hundred sculptors and artists were involved in this reconstruction, creating unique statues and sculptural compositions. Central among them is the statue of the Potala, completely covered in gold and weighing half a ton. In addition, silver was widely used in the construction and decoration of the palace, gems and valuable wood.

The fact that the Potala Palace is one of the main symbols of Tibet, a treasury of the country's cultural and spiritual heritage, as well as the greatest architectural monument of the region, contributed to the fact that in 1994 this complex was included in the World Heritage List cultural heritage UNESCO. Today it is the residence of the Dalai Lama, the site of the most important religious ceremonies and one of the most interesting museums in the world.

How to visit

The palace is open to tourists from 9:00 to 17:00, and in the summer months from 7:30. A little more than two thousand people can see it a day, mostly groups of tourists who have purchased tickets in advance. As a rule, they sell out immediately after closing. entry tickets the next day, their cost is about $11 per person (June 2012).

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Potala Palace(named after the Potala, the so-called Pure Land of the bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara) is a world-famous palace in the city of Lhasa, which was the official residence of the Dalai Lama during the era of the central Tibetan government of Ganden Potrang (from 1642 to 1959). The huge palace is located on Mount Marpori (translated from Tibetan as “Red Mountain”) and rises 130 meters above the center of the capital of the Tibet Autonomous Region.

Construction of the original palace building on Red Mountain began in 637 by King Songtsen Gampo, who ordered it to be built in Lhasa for his wife Wen Cheng. The structure was completed in 641. In the 8th century it was almost completely destroyed by Chinese troops.

In the 17th century, the V Dalai Lama ordered construction on the mountain new palace. At the same time, ruins remaining from the time of Songtsen Gampo were integrated into its design. The construction of the first part (Potrang Karpo, i.e. “White Palace”) of the current Potala Palace was completed in 1648 under the V Dalai Lama, and the second part (Potrang Marpo, i.e. “Red Palace”) was completed only in 1694 after his death, under his 5th viceroy, Desi Sangye Gyatso. A detailed report from the governor has been preserved about this stage of construction with an extensive list of Newar artisans employed in it. The last major reconstruction was undertaken in 1922. Under the Dalai Lama XIII, several rooms were restored, and 2 more floors were added to the Red Palace.

After the construction of the Norbulinka Palace, which began to be used as a summer residence, Potala received the status of a winter residence.

During the Chinese Cultural Revolution, the Potala Palace complex was one of the few Tibetan cultural monuments that was relatively well preserved, as the Chinese occupation army was stationed here. Nowadays it is used as a museum, but along with the Jokhang Temple it is still one of the most important pilgrimage sites for Tibetan Buddhists.

The 13 floors of the palace are visible from the outside. The structure was built entirely of wood and stone. Its walls, up to 5 meters thick, are entirely made of granite. The foundation of the walls descends deep into the rock layer, and the outer walls are reinforced with reinforcement made by pouring molten iron into special channels. The reinforcement was supposed to strengthen the structure of the building and its resistance to earthquakes. The Potala Palace was decorated with rich golden decorations, which also served as lightning rods. Numerous lightning strikes that struck him over the past several centuries did not cause him any harm.

In the mountains of Tibet, at an altitude of 3700 meters, in the middle of the Lhasa Valley, the Potala Palace rises on a hill. For several centuries it was the residence of the Dalai Lamas and the Tibetan government.

The history of the palace goes back to the distant past. According to legend, there is a sacred cave here where the bodhisattva Chenrezig (Avalokiteshvara), who is represented on Earth by the Dalai Lamas, lived. The Emperor of Tibet, Songtsen Gempo, often meditated in this cave. Since the place was considered sacred, the emperor decided to build a palace on the hill and declare this place his capital. And this happened back in the 7th century AD. Unfortunately, many buildings were built of wood, so in the 8th century they burned down due to lightning. Little remains of the former palace. But the cave was well preserved, and this place, as before, was considered holy.

In the middle of the 17th century, on the initiative of the 5th Dalai Lama, construction began on the palace, which has survived to this day. In 1645-1648, the White Palace was built, which became the residence of the Dalai Lamas.

The White Palace contains the personal chambers of the Dalai Lama, the living quarters of the regent and mentor of the Dalai Lama, government offices and a library containing Buddhist scriptures. The seminary and printing house are also located here. Official ceremonies were held in the Great Eastern Pavilion.

The second component of the Potala Palace is the Red Palace, which was built in 1690-1694. They pray and perform religious rituals there.

The Red Palace houses eight memorial stupas in which the Dalai Lamas are buried. In addition, there are many large and small halls. They are dedicated to Buddhas, Bothisattvas and Dalai Lamas. There are halls for audiences and various ceremonies. They display jewelry and relics, statues of deities and Dalai Lamas, books and ritual objects.

The Potala Palace was the residence of the Dalai Lamas until 1959 - that is, until the Chinese invasion of Tibet. The 14th Dalai Lama was forced to leave Tibet and seek asylum in India. We can say that the palace was very lucky. Unlike most Tibetan monasteries and temples, it was not destroyed by the Red Guards in the 1960s and 1970s. Probably because the Chinese government included the palace on the list of cultural monuments that require special state protection.