Palace potala emphasis. Potala Palace - ancient architecture. Potala Palace in Lhasa with a rich collection of exhibits in photographs and pictures

In the city of Lhasa in Tibet - royal palace and Buddhist temple complex, was the main residence of the Dalai Lama.
Until the flight of the 14th Dalai Lama to Darmasala (India) after the Chinese invasion of Tibet in 1959.
Situated on a high hill dominating the city. Total area palace complex is 360 thousand sq. m.

Now the Potala Palace is a museum actively visited by tourists, remaining a place of pilgrimage for Buddhists and continuing to be used in Buddhist rituals.
Due to its enormous cultural, religious, artistic and historical significance, it was included in the list in 1994 World Heritage UNESCO.

Name "Potala" comes from a Sanskrit word meaning "mountain of Buddha". On this site in the 7th century AD stood the palace of Songsten Gampu, dedicated to the Buddhist ruler of Tibet.

The Potala is located at 3700 meters above sea level, its height is 115 meters, divided into 13 floors, total area which are more than 130,000 square meters. There is no exact data on how many rooms and halls there are in the Potala. Their number is "somewhere over a thousand," and there are very few people who have been able to get around them all.

The palace in its modern form began to be built in 1645 on the initiative of the V Dalai Lama. In 1648, the White Palace (Potrang Karpo) was completed, and the Potala began to be used as the winter residence of the Dalai Lamas. The Red Palace (Potrang Marpo) was completed between 1690 and 1694.

The palace is located at an altitude of 3,700 m on the Red Hill (Marpo Ri) in the middle of the Lhasa valley. Because of the terraces, rooftop areas and temples, it does not give the impression of a fortress (dzong). The general appearance of the palace, stretched on a mountain ridge, with towers, walls, stairs, temples and annexes, is a unique artistic solution; its majesty and beauty are appreciated by Buddhists, architects and artists, and amaze travelers.
Numerous pilgrims walk around the hill with the palace, making a kora - a ritual circumambulation of the holy place. Along the bark there are numerous prayer wheels and shopping arcades.

To get inside the palace, which is shaped like a truncated pyramid or trapezoid, you need to walk through a wide area located on all sides of the building. Only after passing through them can you approach the slope, along the entire surface of which are scattered many zigzag stairs connecting all parts of the palace.

The White Palace consists of a large eastern pavilion, a sun pavilion, the residential quarters of the regent and mentor of the Dalai Lama, and government offices. The large eastern pavilion was used for official ceremonies; in the Solar Pavilion, the Dalai Lama actually lived and worked, read sacred texts, and was engaged in administration.

The Red Palace served largely as a place of prayer and religious rituals; it contains pavilions. Eight memorial stupas, including those of the Fifth and Thirteenth Dalai Lamas, are of great importance.

In addition to stupas, the palace consists of a string of large and small halls (temples) dedicated to Buddhas, Boddhisattvas, Dalai Lamas, as well as for audiences and ceremonies. Jewels and relics are displayed in the halls - spatial mandalas for contemplation, funeral stupas, statues of Dalai Lamas and teachers, statues of deities and yidams, books, ritual objects, a complex system of painting on the walls.

Excerpt from the book of His Holiness the Dalai Lama XIV "My Country and My People"

"They say this is one of the largest buildings in the world. Even if you live there for many years, it is impossible to know all the secrets of this building. It completely covers the top of the hill. It is an entire city.

However, in addition to the fact that this building was used as an office, temple, school and home, the Potala was also a huge warehouse. There were rooms filled with thousands of priceless icon scrolls and thangkas. Some of them were written a thousand years ago. There were rooms filled with the golden regalia of the ancient kings of Tibet, also over 1,000 years old, and various gifts received from the Chinese and Mongol emperors, as well as the treasures of the Dalai Lamas who ruled the country after the kings. Armor and weapons from throughout Tibetan history were also kept here.

The libraries contained chronicles Tibetan culture and religion, about seven thousand huge volumes. Some are said to weigh about 80 pounds, and others were written on palm leaves brought from India 1,000 years ago. Two thousand enlightening volumes of sacred scriptures were written with ink composed of powders of gold, silver, iron, copper, mother-of-pearl, lapis lazuli and coral. Each line was written in a different color of ink."

One of the main attractions of the palace is the many frescoes depicting various everyday and ritual scenes. Some of the frescoes were not available for public viewing for a long time. Only in the late 90s they were hung in the halls, and now they can be seen by all pilgrims and tourists who come to the Potala.
Many of the frescoes depict the twelve-armed god Avalokitersvara and his wife goddess Tara. The fact is that these deities are considered the main patrons of Tibet. To make these frescoes, Tibetan craftsmen used agate, amber, gold and silver powder

Potala Palace in Tibet

Potala Palace - 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 it's sacred place attracts thousands of pilgrims and tourists. Located on the Red Mountain in the center of Lhasa, the Potala is the largest monumental structure in all of Tibet, an ancient palace of peace. 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 as a UNESCO World Heritage Site 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

Situated on the Red Mountain in the center of Lhasa, the Potala is not only the largest monumental structure in all of Tibet, but also the tallest ancient one.

Myths and facts

The palace is named after the legendary Mount Potala in the South, where the bodhisattva Chenrezig (Avalokiteshvara), who is represented on earth by the Dalai Lama, lives. Legend has it that in the 7th century, to welcome his bride Princess Wen Cheng, Tibetan Emperor Songtsen Gampo built a 9-story palace with 999 rooms. After the collapse of the Songtsen Gampo Dynasty, the building was struck by lightning and the wooden buildings burned down. Subsequent wars practically destroyed the ancient structure.

Construction of the current palace began 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.

The Potala was the main residence of the Dalai Lama until the invasion of Tibet in 1959. The 14th Dalai Lama was forced to leave and received political asylum in India. The remaining monks were expelled and the palace was sacked by Chinese soldiers. Unlike most Tibetan sites, the Potala was not destroyed by the Chinese army, and most of the artifacts are well preserved. Today, only a few monks are allowed to stay there under strict supervision. The Chinese government uses the complex as a museum to attract foreign tourists.

What to see

The Potala Palace is located at an altitude of 3,700 m on the Red Hill (Marpo Ri) in the middle of the Lhasa Valley. The total area of the complex is 360 thousand m² and consists of two parts: the Red Palace as the center, and the White Palace as two wings.

The heart of the complex is the Red Building (Potrang Marpo) - 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 Great Western Hall located here has an area of 725 sq. m. is the largest hall in the Potala. The walls of the hall are decorated with beautiful frescoes and paintings. 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 White Palace (Potrang Karpo) once served as the office building for the local government of Tibet and the living quarters of the Dalai Lama. White walls symbolize peace and quiet. The Great East Hall on the fourth floor has an area of 717 square meters. was the site of important religious and political ceremonies.

The Potala also 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 Lhasa are also open to the public.

Potala Palace is open from 7.30 to 16.00 summer time and from 9.00 to 16.00 in winter.
Cost: 100 yuan (about 11.7 €).
Excursions to the palace are limited, tickets are sold in advance (1 day in advance) after 17:00 the next day. They give 4 tickets per person. Only after registering can you use your documents to buy an entrance ticket, where the time will be set for visiting the palace.

Tibet, Lhasa (which in Sanskrit means “land of the gods”), the ledge of the Marproi rock (“Red Hill”) - right here, above holy city, there is a palace called Potala. It was built specifically for the spiritual and political ruler of Tibet, the founder of Lamaism, the V Dalai Lama (1617 - 1682).

The palace building seems like an impregnable rock. It's hard to imagine, but this structure, which has more than 30 floors, was built in 1694, when high-rise buildings were not built. At one time, it was perhaps perceived in the same way as skyscrapers are today.

The Potala Palace, towering over the entire city, impresses even a sophisticated person of the 21st century with its appearance. The building on a rock ledge with countless windows carved into a snow-white wall creates a feeling of something majestic and almost fabulous.

Location of Potala Palace in Lhasa

Tibet is perhaps the most mysterious country on our planet. The policy of self-isolation used to be characteristic of many, but only Tibet embodies it to this day. This, of course, is facilitated by the unique geographical position. Large Tibetan cities are located at an altitude of more than 3,000 meters above sea level, and some at more than 4,000. Steep passes and thin air make travel to Tibet very difficult.

The city of Lhasa was built in rarefied airspace, at an altitude of more than 3,650 meters. Until the Chinese occupation in 1951, the monks here made up most population.

The main building of Tibet is the Potala Palace. This huge structure is clearly visible from afar from different points of the city and especially clearly from the top of the Chagpo Ri hill. While in Lhasa, you catch yourself thinking that it is impossible to take your eyes off this building. The Potala is located at 3,700 meters above sea level, its height is 115 meters, and its total area is more than 130,000 square meters. There is no exact data on how many rooms and halls there are in the Potala. Their number is “somewhere over a thousand,” as the guides say. Until now, no one has ever walked through all the rooms in this palace.

History of the Potala Palace in Lhasa

The name "Potala" comes from the Sanskrit word meaning "mountain of Buddha". On this site in the 7th century AD stood the palace of Songsten Gampu, dedicated to the Buddhist ruler of Tibet.

Centuries later, in 1645, the V Dalai Lama, also the ruler of Tibet, ordered the construction of a palace on the site of the destroyed residence. Construction began on the first, lower part of the Potala - the Palace (Potrang Karpo). The nine-story structure of the upper part was completed 3 years later. In 1649, the Fifth Dalai Lama moved from Drepung to his new residence.

The circumstances of the construction of the upper Palace (Potrang Marpi), the second, larger building, remain the subject of much controversy to this day. When the Dalai Lama died in 1682, construction was not yet completed. The death of the Dalai Lama was kept silent until 1694, when the palace was finally built. According to some sources, the Red Palace was conceived as a mausoleum.

The Thirteenth Dalai Lama at the beginning of the 20th century undertook some renovation work, removing some sections of the White Palace in order to expand part of the chapels. Until the 50s of the 20th century, the palace remained the seat of the Tibetan government.

The Potala came under fire during the popular uprising against the Chinese in 1959. Luckily, the damage was minor both during the uprising and in the subsequent years of the Cultural Revolution.

The palace remained the winter residence of the Dalai Lamas until 1959, when the current Dalai Lama XIV emigrated to. For many years after the Chinese occupation, the palace was closed to the public, and only in 1980 it was reopened. In 1985, the last restoration work was completed, on which about $4 million was spent.

Features of the Potala Palace in Lhasa

The palace was built from earth, stone and wood using the most basic means. All Construction Materials people delivered on themselves or on donkeys. It is not difficult to guess that the work was extremely difficult.

The Potala Palace is divided into two parts - Pozhangabo and Pozhangmabo (Red and White Palace). Pozhangabo is the place where the personal chambers of the Dalai Lama are located and solemn ritual ceremonies are held. Pozhanmabo is the abode of monks and servants. There are Buddhist halls and funeral pagodas-stupas located here.

In the main part of the building, government premises, rooms for the staff, consisting exclusively of monks, and a monastic school were built. Previously, there were also meditation rooms, libraries, armories, granaries, storerooms, torture chambers and a punishment cell.

Inside the building there are more than 1,000 different rooms, where 10,000 shrines and at least 20,000 statues are hidden. Numerous chapels and sanctuaries are filled with statues, silk-embroidered paintings, incense vessels and other ritual objects. The gold-covered roofs of the palace, granite walls, elegant cornices with gilded decorations give architectural ensemble splendor and grandeur.

Many of the frescoes depict the twelve-armed god Avalokitersvara and his wife goddess Tara. The fact is that these deities are considered the main patrons of Tibet. To make these frescoes, Tibetan craftsmen used agate, amber, gold and silver powder

On the roof of the Red Palace are the main shrines of the palace - tombs, which are richly decorated with gold and precious stones. The tallest tomb belongs to the 18th Dalai Lama, who died in 1933. It reaches a height of 10 meters and is richly decorated with bas-reliefs depicting figures of Lamaism. The Dalai Lama's sarcophagus is made of silver.

The oldest part of the palace is the lower room, made of rough and unhewn stone. In the center of the room there is a hill with a sacred casket (“chorten”) placed on it. It is this room that thousands of pilgrims who come to the Potala Palace strive for.

The sacred building of the Potala is visited every year by a great number of pilgrims and tourists. The premises of the palace are open to everyone. It’s true that you won’t be able to see the entire palace - the Potala is open only 2 days a week and only 2 hours a day.

The ancient kings of Tibet were mostly mystics, and many of them had strong ties with the wonderful country of Ergor, or Shambhala.

I don’t know exactly what influenced King Songtsen Gampo’s decision to choose Red Mountain for his palace, but it is known that he built the Potala on the site of his meditation. This cave of his meditations is still intact and unharmed, despite the various periods of Tibetan history that did not spare the Potala.

The name "Potala" is borrowed from Sanskrit, and in Tibetan it sounds like "Potola" or "Puto", which means "mystical mountain". It consists of 2 parts - the Red Palace and the White Palace.

The White Palace surrounds the Red Palace, as if with a protective wall. It is very symbolic: after all, the white palace is the residence of the administrative, secular power of Tibet. The head of the Tibetan administration was the Dalai Lama. But few people mention that in addition to the head of the Government, for some time the Tashi Lama, the spiritual Head of Tibet approved by the Lords of Shambhala, also lived in the Red Palace.

The last Tashi Lama was forced to flee from the Potala after the conspiracy of the penultimate Dalai Lama. Thus, the penultimate Dalai Lama rejected the great Patrons of Shambhala. And soon after this tragic event, Chinese troops entered Tibet. Karma. The young Dalai Lama, the heir of the traitor Lama, our contemporary, had to move to India, where his residence is still located.

And Shambhala closed its gates to the Tibetan people. But not very densely, the invisible Hand is still there, and the Teaching of Kalachakra, which came from the Tower of Shambhala, finds ways to live in the world. And that's good.

Below is an excellent account of the modern Potala.

Original taken from anton_ermachkov to the Potala Palace

The Potala Palace, located on the Red Mountain in the center of Lhasa, is not only the main attraction, the shrine, the largest monumental structure in all of Tibet, but also the tallest palace in the world. This palace is a one-of-a-kind monument of culture and art and truly an architectural masterpiece.
I don’t remember where and when I first saw a photograph of the Potala Palace, but since then I wanted to come to Tibet and see this miracle live!

Photo 2. The palace is located at an altitude of 3,700 m on the Red Hill (Marpo Ri) in the middle of the Lhasa valley. Numerous pilgrims walk around the hill with the palace, making a kora - a ritual circumambulation of the holy place. Along the bark there are numerous prayer wheels and shopping arcades.

In 637, the king of Tibet, Songtsen Gampo, erected the first building here in the place where he used to meditate. When he decided to make Lhasa his capital, he built a palace. After his betrothal to the Chinese princess, Wen Cheng expanded the palace to 999 rooms, erected walls and towers, and dug a bypass canal. In the second half of the 8th century, the palace was struck by lightning and the wooden buildings burned down; then, due to internecine wars, the palace collapsed. Now only the Fa-Vana cave and the Pabalakan hall have been preserved.

The palace in its modern form began to be built in 1645 on the initiative of the V Dalai Lama. In 1648, the White Palace was completed, and the Potala began to be used as the winter residence of the Dalai Lamas. The Red Palace was completed between 1690 and 1694.

Photo 3.

Photo 4. The heart of the complex is the Red Palace (Potrang Marpo) - the highest part in the center. This part is entirely devoted to religious education and Buddhist prayers:

Photo 5. 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:

Photo 6. The White Palace consists of a large eastern pavilion, a sun pavilion, the residential quarters of the regent and mentor of the Dalai Lama, as well as government offices:

Photo 7. The large eastern pavilion was used for official ceremonies; the Dalai Lama actually lived and worked in the Solar Pavilion:

Photo 8.

Photo 9. Rising:

Photo 10. Interesting material for walls:)

Photo 11. The palace was the main residence of the Dalai Lama, until the forced departure of the XIV Dalai Lama in 1959 to India and receiving political asylum there. The Chinese government uses the complex as a museum. In 1994, the complex was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Photo 12. Since the Chinese comrades give the tourist one hour to visit the palace, inspection interior spaces I practically run through it, but I still don’t understand how it happened that this is the only photo I took inside the palace:

Photo 13. On one of the tiers of the complex:

Photo 14. From the upper tiers of the Potala there is a good view of Lhasa:

Photo 15.

Photo 16. Potala at dusk:

Photo 17. And with backlight:

Photo 18. A little closer:

Photo 19. On the square in front of the palace, the Chinese built an excellent fountain, which attracts crowds of tourists and townspeople every evening. Tourists, having laid out their tripods, are trying to capture the beauty of the Potala at night, children are running under the streams of water, parents are running after their children, couples are secluded on benches, and the Chinese military and firefighters are vigilantly watching everything that happens :))

Photo 20.

Photo 21.