Palace potala emphasis. Potala Palace in Tibet: the highest ancient castle in the world. Magnificent Works of Art
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Hidden from the bustle and noise of the world by a ridge of the most high mountains globe Tibet has been attracting travelers since ancient times. This is one of the oldest states in the world with its own 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. The entire palace complex, consisting of thousands of halls and rooms, was surrounded by a high fortress wall, and it was possible to enter 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 one and a half thousand sculptors and artists were involved in this reconstruction. unique statues and sculptural compositions. Central location Among them is a statue of the Potala, completely covered in gold and weighing half a ton. In addition, silver, precious stones and valuable wood were widely used in the construction and decoration of the palace.
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 UNESCO World Cultural Heritage List. Today it is the residence of the Dalai Lama, the site of the most important religious ceremonies and one of the most interesting museums peace.
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, immediately after closing, tickets for the next day are sold out immediately, their cost is about $11 per person (June 2012).
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.
The Potala Palace appears first in the list of the group of most important cultural historical monuments Tibet, protected by the state. Potala is a palace-castle unique in the world in terms of its alpine location and size; its image is the emblem of Lhasa and all of Tibet. Potala Palace is an imperishable and magnificent monument of ancient Tibetan architecture. In December 1994, the Potala Palace was officially included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
The Potala Palace was built on the southern slope of the Red Mountain in the capital of Tibet, Lhasa. The back side of the Potala Palace rests on the mountainside, has a trapezoidal shape, tapering at the top; against the background of the blue sky and white clouds of Tibet, the palace, painted in white and red, looks like a majestic, fairy-tale castle.
What does the name of the Potala Palace mean? In Tibetan, “potala” is translated as “the habitat of Avalokiteshvara”; in India, “potalaka”. And the mountain on which the Potala Palace is located is called Puto in religious literature, and is considered sacred because, as legend says, the bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara appeared on this mountain. Interestingly, in China, in the Zhejiang province, there is a second mountain, Putuo (普陀山, Putuoshan), which is sacred for the same reason.
The Potala Palace from the base rises 119 meters in height, the length from east to west is 350 meters, the width from north to south is 270 meters, the construction area is 130 thousand square meters, and together with the front courtyard and the pond behind the palace, total area palace complex The Potala is 360 thousand square meters!
The construction of the Potala Palace began in the 30s of the 7th century AD. According to historical sources, the Tufan leader Srontsangampo decided to make Lhasa his capital. First of all, he ordered the construction of a royal palace on the top of the Red Mountain in Lhasa, where his meditation caves already existed. After the betrothal to Tang princess Wencheng took place and Wencheng arrived in Tibet, Sronzangampo built 999 rooms on Red Mountain. Together with the previously built palace, the result was a complex of thousands of rooms! In addition, a wall was erected around it with a length of 500 meters on each side. There were 4 gates in the wall, decorated with turrets, and a bypass channel was dug. Unfortunately, in the second half of the 8th century, due to lightning, the wooden buildings of the Potala Palace burned down. In addition, at the end of the existence of the Tufan kingdom, an internecine war of local tribes broke out, which led to the destruction of the original Potala palace. Only the Favan Cave and the Pabalakan Hall have survived.
The Potala Palace we see today was built over several centuries, starting in the 17th century. Dalai Lama 5th Agwan Lobsan Jamtso, in 1645, gave the order to restore the destroyed Potala Palace. In 1652, the 5th Dalai traveled to Beijing. Upon returning to Tibet, the 5th Dalai moved from his former abode - Drepung Monastery to the now completed White Palace of the Potala. It is interesting that after the reincarnation of the 5th Dalai Lama, no one dared to inform the people about this, as the rulers were afraid that the people would rebel and stop working on the construction of the Potala Palace. The power of the 5th Dalai Lama was so strong that his reincarnation was hidden for more than 10 years in order to complete the construction of the palace.
In 1690, on the 8th year after the death of the 5th Dalai, Disa Sanjie Jamtso, in the name of the 5th Dalai Lama, undertook the construction of the Red Palace and memorial stupas in the Potala complex, for which part of the dilapidated buildings was demolished. 7 thousand craftsmen and workers were employed in the work, 2,134 thousand liang (1 liang = 150 grams) of silver were spent, by order of the Qing Emperor Kangxi, 114 Han and Manchu masters were sent to the construction, and Nepalese craftsmen also took part in the work. In 1693, the work was completed, and on the 20th day of the 4th month according to the Tibetan calendar, the consecration of the Red Palace took place. A memorial pillar was erected in front of the facade of the Potala Palace to commemorate the completion of construction. Since then, there have been no major changes in the layout of the Potala Palace.
When you enter the gates of the palace from the square in front of the Potala Palace, you find yourself inside a courtyard, fenced on three sides by a high wall. Directly to the north is a wide stone staircase. From here you can see the eastern entrance and the western entrance. The main one is the eastern entrance (pintsodolan in Tibetan). Entering it and passing through a dark stepped corridor, you find yourself in Deyanxia. This is a flat area measuring 1600 square meters at the entrance to the White Palace. Here theatrical performances were organized for the Dalai Lama, high clergy and officials. There are galleries on the southern and northern sides of the site, rooms on the eastern and western sides served as classrooms for titled monks, and the entrance directly facing west is the main entrance to the White Palace of the Potala.
White Palace Potala
The White Palace of the Potala is located east of the Red Palace; the White Palace contains the Great Eastern Pavilion, the Solar Pavilion, the living quarters of the regent and mentors of the Dalai, and government offices.
Great Eastern Pavilion(Tsotsinxia in Tibetan) is the largest pavilion of the White Palace. Important events of a political and religious nature were held here, in particular the enthronement ceremonies of the Dalai Lamas. In the center of the pavilion, near the northern wall, is the throne of the Dalai Lama. There are many frescoes on the walls of the pavilion, two groups of frescoes are of particular interest: the murals on the theme of “the transformation of a monkey into a man” and the murals telling the story of Princess Jincheng.
Solar Pavilion located at the top of the Great East Pavilion. There are two solar pavilions: eastern and western. They served as the living quarters of the Dalai Lamas. The Western Solar Pavilion was built in the later years of the 13th Dalai Lama. Most The Dalai Lama spent the year (summer and autumn) in the summer residence of Norbulingka, and the Potala Palace served as his winter Palace.
It was in this pavilion that the Dalai Lama spent time reading sacred texts, administrative affairs and vital functions. The western solar pavilion contained the living quarters of the 13th Dalai Lama, and the eastern solar pavilion contained the chambers of the 14th Dalai Lama. The pavilion contains a golden statue of Buddha, a figure of Avalokiteshvara made of jasper, scrolls of sacred sutras, porcelain, tea set made of gold and jasper, brocade blankets, etc.
Red Potala Palace
The Red Palace served as a place of prayer in the name of Buddha and other religious functions; the main premises of the Red Palace are pavilions with memorial stupas of the Dalai Lamas and religious premises for other purposes. In total, there are 8 memorial stupas in the Red Potala Palace, the most luxurious of which are the stupas of the 5th Dalai Lama and the 13th Dalai Lama. The size and splendor of the stupa symbolizes the contribution to the development of the country and society made by this Dalai Lama. In addition, the Red Potala Palace houses numerous religious monuments and skillful items made of precious stones and metals, skillfully made carvings, rare editions of sacred texts, as well as sculptures of Buddhist saints, thangka icons, religious attributes, sacrificial utensils, and so on. In the fresco gallery on the fifth floor of the Red Potala Palace there is a whole group of frescoes reproducing episodes from the construction of the Potala Palace.
Stupa of the 5th Dalai Lama occupies the 4th floor, but the height itself is equal to a 5-story building! At 14.85 meters high, this stupa, made of pure gold, is the tallest of the stupas of the Potala Palace. They say that the design and contents of this stupa are equal to half the wealth of all mankind.
The second tallest stupa is Stupa of the 13th Dalai Lama. The start of construction of the stupa dates back to 1934; construction took 3 years. The height of the stupa is 14 meters, on the inner wall of the pavilion there is a fresco dedicated to the life of the 13th Dalai Lama, including an episode of the Dalai Lama's trip to Beijing, where he was received by Emperor Guangxu and Empress Dowager Cixi.
West Great Hall(in Tibetan "Sysipintso") is located to the east of the stupa pavilions, its area is 680 square meters. This is the most spacious hall of the Red Palace in the entire Potala Palace. In this hall, the 5th Dalai Lama held receptions, sacrifices, etc. The western hall also houses a pair of brocade panels woven from gold threads, which were presented by the Chinese Emperor in 1696 on the occasion of the completion of the Red Potala Palace. There is also a banner donated by Emperor Qianlong with the emperor's autograph and the inscription "A place that exudes paradise." This banner is located above the throne of the Dalai Lama.
In the highest pavilion of the Red Potala Palace in the hall near the western wall there is Statue of eleven-faced and thousand-armed bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara, which was made of pure gold and silver by order of the 13th Dalai Lama.
Of the earliest buildings of the Potala Palace, only the Favana Cave (“Jujiezhupu”) and the Pabalakan Pavilion have survived. Favana Cave with an area of 27 square meters, it is distinguished by modest decoration. According to legend, the Tufan king Srontszamgambo himself comprehended sacred texts in this cave. In the cave there are statues of Sronzangambo, Princess Wencheng, Princess Chizul, Ludongzang - persons famous from the time of the Tufan kingdom. In addition, utensils (hearth, stone vat, stupa), which, according to legend, were used by Srontsangambo, have been preserved. Pabalakan Pavilion also called the Avalokiteshvara Pavilion, it is located above the Favana Cave.
The pavilions with the stupas of the 7th, 8th, 9th Dalai Lamas, as well as the pavilions with the stupas of the 5th and 13th Dalai Lamas, have roofs completely covered with gilding. The same golden roofs crown the Pabalakan and Ramlakan pavilions. All together they form a brilliant ensemble of golden roofs. Most roofs have the traditional Chinese roof shape with soaring corners. On the roof ridges there are decorations in the form of bell-shaped monasteries, which rest on lotus pedestals. The soaring corner roof structures are decorated with figures of mythical Buddhist animals.
The Potala Palace is a treasure trove of priceless artefacts and works of art, as well as historical monuments. Even for frescoes, dyes made from precious metals and stones were used. These frescoes amaze with their brightness and freshness. The Potala Palace houses about 10 thousand tanka icons, most of which were created by prominent artists of antiquity. A rich collection of editions of sacred texts, many of which are executed at a high artistic level and are truly considered a work of art. Quite a few publications are unique. There are about 100 canon scrolls made on palm leaves and brought from ancient India and other places. The earliest text on palm leaves goes back thousands of years. The technique of publishing sacred texts includes handwriting with gold and silver ink, applying gold coating to the text, made in raised font. For example, there is an edition of “Ganchzhur”, made with dyes made from gold, pearls, silver, corals, iron powder, copper dust and seashells. The paper on which the text is written is resistant to moisture, rotting and damage by insects, durable and at the same time elastic.
The Potala Palace is a great creation of the Tibetan people and the center of their culture. It embodied the achievements of the Tibetans in architecture, sculpture, painting, metalworking and other fields of science and art. It can well be called a museum of science and culture of Ancient Tibet. In addition, the Potala Palace captures the history of economic and cultural contacts between Tibetans and other nationalities of China, Nepal and India. The Potala Palace is the pride of the Tibetan people and the world cultural heritage of all humanity. Also, the palace is often seen by foreigners who go on a tour of Tibet.
- priceless treasure Tibet, sami th tall ancientpalace in China, and throughout the world, whose height reaches 3,767 m (12,359 ft). It is located on Red Hill – Marpo Ri to the center e Lhasa – and historical capital of Tibet. The Potala gets its name from a holy mountain in South India in Sanskrit, “The Abode of Avalokiteshvara (Buddha of Mercy).”
The palace was built on the spot where the ruler of Tibet, Songtsen Gampo, used to meditate. The first structure was built here in 637. Later, he decides to make Lhasa the capital of Tibet and, as legend has it, in honor of his betrothal to Princess Wen Cheng of the Chinese Tang Dynasty (618 - 907) in the 7th century, Songtsen Gampo built a 9-story building - a palace with thousands of rooms.
Later, with the collapse of the Songtsen Gampa dynasty, ancient palace was almost destroyed in the wars. The image we see today is the architecture of the Qing Dynasty (1644 – 1911). The Potala Palace consists of 2 parts, the Red Palace - the center and the White Palace, located as two wings. 
Red Palace or Potrang Marpo- the highest part of the Palace, it is dedicated to teaching and religious Buddhist prayers.
As intended, it represents majesty and strength. The Red Palace consists of a complex arrangement of various halls, chapels and libraries on many levels with many small galleries and winding corridors: The Great West Hall, the Dharma Cave, the Saint's Chapel, the Tomb of the Thirteenth Dalai Lama, etc.
The Great West Hall - the largest hall of the Potala Palace , with beautiful frescoes on its interior walls. Around it are three chapels, the chapels of the East, the chapels of the North, and also the chapels of the South. Dharma Cave and the Saint's Chapel are the only two surviving 7th-century structures with statues of Songtsen Gampa and Princess Wen Cheng inside.
White Palace or Potrang Karpo once served as the local government office building as well as the living quarters of the Dalai Lama. Its walls are painted white to convey peace and quiet. Big hall East on the fourth floor was the venue for special political and religious events.
The fifth and sixth floors are used as living quarters and offices for the regents while the seventh floor, the top one, is the living quarters of the Dalai Lama, consisting of two parts called the East Sunshine Chamber and the West Sunshine Chamber due to the abundance of sunlight.
The Potala Palace has other structures, including schools of Buddhist logic, seminaries, printing houses, gardens, courtyards and even prisons. For over 300 years, the palace has housed many cultural relics such as frescoes, stupas, statues, thangkas and rare sutras.
Potala Palace today
- the center of Tibetan religion, politics, history and art, and today - a large-scale museum of local history. It houses more than 2,500 square meters of frescoes, about 1,000 stupas, more than 10,000 sculptures and about 10,000 thangka paintings. The collection also includes paintings, wood carvings, classical scriptures, gold items, jade and local handicrafts that reflect the wisdom and intelligence of the Tibetans. Funeral stupas here are built to preserve the remains of the Dalai Lamas at the time of their death.
There are currently eight luxurious stupas, one for each Dalai Lama except the sixth, who was removed from that service. Funerary stupas differ in size, but have the same structure, consisting of an upper part, a body and a base. All stupas are decorated with gold and precious stones. The most majestic of all is the stupa of the fifth Dalai Lama.
It stands almost 15 meters (about 49 feet) in height, and is decorated with 15,000 pearls, carnelian and precious stones. Murals in the corridors depict historical figures, religious legends, Buddhist stories, folk customs and architecture.
Potala Palace V Lhasa city V Tibet — royal palace And Buddhist temple complex , was the main residence of the Dalai Lama. Located at an altitude of 3767 meters above sea level. No palace in the world is located as high as the Potala. The palace got its name from the name sacred mountain, located in India, where, according to legend, the bodhisattva Avalokiteshvar (Guanyin) lives.
According to legend, the Potala Palace was built in the 7th century by the Tufan king Sronzangambo for his future wife, the Tang princess Wencheng. Stretching along the mountainside from the foot to the top, it unites 1000 buildings of Tibetan architecture. After the fall of the Tufan dynasty from military invasions, most of the halls of the palace were destroyed; their reconstruction began in 1645, when the Qing government established the Fifth Dalai Lama as the ruler of Tibet. His successors continued to work on expanding the Potala Palace, and this is how it appears today.
The palace is divided into two parts - Pozhangabo and Pozhangmabo. Pozhangabo in the east serves as the residence of the Dalai Lamas. Pozhangmabo in the center houses Buddhist halls and funerary pagoda stupas. The white houses in the west are inhabited by monks and servants. In front of Pozhangmabo there is a place to display the image of Buddha in holidays. The main building of the Potala Palace has 13 floors.
Potala Palace - sacred place Tibetan Buddhism, every year it is visited by a great number of pilgrims and tourists. The ascent to the Potala usually begins from a gap stele at the foot of the mountain; along a winding stone path you can reach the eastern gate with the image of four alohans and through a 4-meter palace wall you can get into a magnificent pavilion. In the middle of the mountain, a grandiose terrace of 1600 square meters opens up to your eyes. m, where the Dalai Lama addressed the believers. From here you go up the corridor to the largest pavilion in Pozhangabo, Tsoqinxia. According to historical records, since 1653, when the Qing Emperor Shunzhi awarded the Fifth Dalai Lama with a gold letter and seal and the central government approved his elevation to the rank of saint, solemn religious ceremonies have been held here.
The main building of the Pozhangmabo part form 8 tombs - funeral pagodas-stupas. The largest and most luxurious is the funeral pagoda of the Fifth Dalai Lama. It is covered with gold leaf, for which 3,721 kilograms were spent, and inlaid with precious stones. The largest pavilion, Pozhangmabo, displays a plaque with the inscription of the Qing Emperor Qianlong and magnificent curtains donated by the Qing Emperor Kangxi. According to legend, in order to make these curtains, Emperor Kangxi ordered the construction of a special workshop; whole year. From here, through the gallery you can get to the most ancient part of the palace - the Snoyagal Pavilion, where sculptures of King Srontsangambo, Princess Wencheng and dignitaries are kept. In the highest pavilion, Sasronlanjie, sacrifices were made to the image and memorial tablets of the Qing Emperor Qianlong. After the death of the Fifth Dalai Lama, his successors performed sacrifices here on New Year's days according to the Tibetan calendar.
White Palace Potala located east of the Red Palace, the White Palace has the Great Eastern Pavilion, the Solar Pavilion, the living quarters of the regent and mentors of the Dalai, and government offices.
Great Eastern Pavilion(Tsotsinxia in Tibetan) is the largest pavilion of the White Palace. Important events of a political and religious nature were held here, in particular the enthronement ceremonies of the Dalai Lamas. In the center of the pavilion, near the northern wall, is the throne of the Dalai Lama. There are many frescoes on the walls of the pavilion, two groups of frescoes are of particular interest: the murals on the theme of “the transformation of a monkey into a man” and the murals telling the story of Princess Jincheng.
Solar Pavilion located at the top of the Great East Pavilion. There are two solar pavilions: eastern and western. They served as the living quarters of the Dalai Lamas. The Western Solar Pavilion was built in the later years of the 13th Dalai Lama. The Dalai Lama spent most of the year (summer and autumn) at the summer residence of Norbulingka, and the Potala Palace served as his winter Palace.
It was in this pavilion that the Dalai Lama spent time reading sacred texts, administrative affairs and vital functions. The western solar pavilion contained the living quarters of the 13th Dalai Lama, and the eastern solar pavilion contained the chambers of the 14th Dalai Lama. The pavilion contains a golden statue of Buddha, a figure of Avalokiteshvara made of jasper, scrolls of sacred sutras, porcelain, tea set made of gold and jasper, brocade blankets, etc.
Red Palace served as a place of prayer in the name of Buddha and other religious functions; the main premises of the Red Palace are pavilions with memorial stupas of the Dalai Lamas and religious premises for other purposes. In total, there are 8 memorial stupas in the Red Potala Palace, the most luxurious of which are the stupas of the 5th Dalai Lama and the 13th Dalai Lama. The size and splendor of the stupa symbolizes the contribution to the development of the country and society made by this Dalai Lama. In addition, the Red Palace of the Potala houses numerous religious monuments and elaborate items made of precious stones and metals, skillfully made carvings, rare editions of sacred texts, as well as sculptures of Buddhist saints, thangka icons, cult attributes, sacrificial utensils, and so on. In the fresco gallery on the fifth floor of the Red Potala Palace there is a whole group of frescoes reproducing episodes from the construction of the Potala Palace.
Dalai Lama Stupa The 5th occupies the 4th floor, but the height itself is equal to a 5-story building! At 14.85 meters high, this stupa, made of pure gold, is the tallest of the stupas of the Potala Palace. They say that the design and contents of this stupa are equal to half the wealth of all mankind.
Granite walls, golden roofs, graceful cornices with their gilded decorations make the Potala Palace indescribably magnificent and majestic. The colorful wall paintings in it depict Buddhas and alohans, truthfully reproduce the life and work of the Fifth Dalai Lama, the ceremonial entry of Tang Princess Wencheng into Tibet, reflect the development of Tibetan Buddhism, and ancient Tibetan culture. The ancient architectural ensemble - the Potala Palace - is the fruit of the mind and talent of the people, evidence of cultural ties between the Tibetans and Han Chinese, an indestructible symbol of Tibet.
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.