Kathmandu Valley Preservation Trust (KVPT), founded in 1991, remains the only international private non-profit dedicated to safeguarding Nepal’s architectural heritage. Our presence on the ground during the catastrophic 2015 earthquakes allowed our team to spearhead the rescue and protection of thousands of historic architectural fragments from the debris, and to shore up shaky structures to prevent collapse.
 
Today, our mission continues and expands as we work to rebuild and restore more than 20 historic structures using this treasure trove of rescued carvings - to step up planning, education, and advocacy to improve our projects and support the local professionals, craftsmen, laborers, and scholars who work with us.
 
The historic temples, palaces, and monasteries of the Kathmandu Valley are a world-class artistic and cultural treasure as well as a significant economic engine supporting tourism, Nepal's most important industry.
 
The Trust is celebrating a track record of over 90 historic buildings restored in cooperation with the Nepal Department of Archaeology, and supported by a diverse mix of local, international, private, public, and institutional donors.
 
The before-and-after images below compare 2015 earthquake damage with work-in-progress on KVPT’s uniquely successful Earthquake Response Campaign and Master plan for the Patan Darbar World Heritage Site.

See images below illustrating both recent earthquake damage as well as our work in progress on our 8-year Earthquake Response Campaign to restore the Patan Darbar, Nepal's most important cultural attraction and one of the finest historic urban ensembles in South Asia.