The beautiful Kathmandu Valley, surrounded by green hills and towering mountains, among which are the majestic Himalayas in the north-east is the heart of the Kingdom of Nepal. The Valley is the home of three cities, Kathmandu, Patan and Bhaktapur- the 3 queen cities. Kathmandu, capital of Nepal as well as the principal city of the kingdom of Nepal was once called Kantipur, the present name is derived from "Kasthmandap" an imposing pagoda found in the famed Durbar Square. The city boasts of numerous temples and places of interest. Swayambhunath stupa, the oldest Buddhist stupa in the world.