A subtle reminder of the socio-cultural history of Ladakh

The Old Town of Leh bears testimony to the architectural heritage and socio-cultural history of Ladakh. Situated behind Lehs main market, the Old Town lies spread across the southern slope of the hill with the Palace at the top and extends as far as the Polo Ground to the south, the Balti bakeries in Chute Rantak in the west and the motorable road going up to the Palace in the east. All these areas are connected by a labyrinth of narrow, winding pathways past homes that are over four hundred years old. Many of the homes that still remain display some of the remaining examples of supreme domestic architecture of the 17th Century.