The old premises of the potala palace. Potala Palace - the priceless treasury of Tibet

I knew roughly that in Tibet there was a huge palace on a mountain. I decided that I needed to get to know him better. Let's go together.

Potala is a unique ancient palace in Lhasa, located at an altitude of 3767 meters above sea level. No palace in the world is located as high as the Potala. The palace received its name from the name of the sacred mountain located in India, where, according to legend, the bodhisattva Avalokiteshvar (Guanyin) lives.

The first wooden Potala Palace on the slope of the Red Mountain was built in the 7th century for the niece of the Tang Emperor Wen Cheng, who came to Tibet to marry the Tibetan prince Sronzangambo (617-650). Wen Cheng captivated the ruler with her beauty and intelligence, and he ordered a palace to be built for her. The Tang princess is the most famous and revered woman in Tibet, who had a huge influence on the development of this region. She taught local residents grow vegetables, grind flour, distill wine and alcohol and, most importantly, introduced them to Buddhism, which was already widespread throughout China. With her help, Prince Srontsangambo created an administrative and military system in Tibet.

1939

However, already in the 8th century, the palace with 999 rooms was destroyed by lightning and internecine wars, and only in the 17th century, by order of the fifth Dalai Lama (1617-1682), the palace was restored, after which the layout of the building did not change. Since then, the Potala has served as the sacred residence of the Dalai Lamas, a religious center and the place from which Tibet is governed.

The area of ​​the palace occupies 360,000 sq.m., height - 119 meters. In total, the palace has 9 floors, although from the street it seems that there are 13, and more than 2000 rooms. The majestic trapezoidal structures of the palace were built directly on the mountainside and painted in white and red colors. The walls of the palace are made of granite, and the windows and roofs are made of wood. The interior is illuminated with oil lamps, and the halls are decorated with silk ribbons and sutras. The palace is designed in the architectural style typical of Tibet and is the most majestic and striking creation of Tibetan architects and craftsmen. The Potala Palace, the oldest and most famous palace in China, is called the “pearl on the roof of the world.”

The palace consists of two main parts - the Red Palace in the center and two pavilions of the White Palace.
The Red Palace, or as it is also called Potrang Marpo, mainly served for religious ceremonies and prayers. In its premises there are eight stupas containing a portion of the relics of the Dalai Lamas, numerous relics, and items made of valuable metals and stones. The palace is characterized by a complex layout of the halls, a large number of multi-level galleries, with winding and narrow passages.

The most spacious room of the Red Palace is the Great Western Hall, consisting of four temples. This magnificent hall is a clear testimony to the greatness and power of the Fifth Dalai Lama. The hall is famous for its unique paintings, reminiscent of Persian miniatures, which depict scenes from the life of the Fifth Dalai Lama. The columns in the hall are wrapped with special precious fabric from Bhutan.

At the northern end of the hall is a sacred shrine, on the door of which an inscription was engraved by the Chinese Emperor Tung Ji in the 19th century, proclaiming Buddhism as a “blooming field of wonderful fruits.” Here is ancient statue Avalokiteshvara and his two servants, carved from a precious stone. One floor below, a low, dark passage leads to Fa-vaan's cave.

On the fourth floor of the Red Palace in Western Temple There are 5 stupas of the Dalai Lamas, including the stupa of the fifth Dalai Lama. Its length is almost 15 meters. The stupa was built of sandalwood, covered with 3727 kg. pure gold, decorated with 18,680 pearls and precious stones. On the left is the stupa of the twelfth Dalai Lama, and on the right is the tenth.

The tomb of the 13th Dalai Lama is located west of the Great West Hall. You can only get here through the top floor with monks or palace guides. Built in 1933, the gigantic memorial stupa is covered with pure gold and priceless stones. The memorial stupa reaches 22 meters in height. Rich religious decorations include elephant tusks from India, porcelain vases, and miniature pagodas made from more than 200,000 pearls. The walls are decorated with traditional Tibetan paintings depicting events from the life of the 13th Dalai Lama.

In the pavilion of the Red Palace of Shushensanjiedian there is an amazing statue of the thousand-armed Guanyin with 11 faces.
The main buildings of the White Palace, the color of which symbolizes tranquility and peace, are the Great Eastern Pavilion, the Sun Pavilion, as well as living quarters for teachers of the Dalai Lamas, trusted monks and officials. The spacious premises of the Great Eastern Pavilion were used for important ceremonies and receptions. The throne of the Dalai Lama is also located here.
The Sun Pavilion, located above the Great East Pavilion, served as the living quarters for the Dalai Lamas. This is where they worked.

In addition, two buildings from the 7th century have been preserved in the palace, the only ones not destroyed during civil strife - the Fa-vana cave and the Pabalakan pavilion. According to legend, King Srontsangambo meditated and studied sacred texts in the cave. To this day, a hearth and a stone vat, which were used by the king himself, have been preserved in the cave.

A large-scale reconstruction of the palace, on which more than 6.6 million dollars was spent, was carried out in 1989 - 1994. At the same time, an expensive premises monitoring system was installed to prevent fires. On December 7, 1994, the palace was included in the UNESCO heritage list. In 2002-2006, more than $40 million was spent on the restoration of the palace. Now the palace is open to tourists and partially works as a museum.

The Potala Palace is built almost entirely of wood. It is illuminated using oil lamps. And the halls are decorated with silk ribbons with sutras. All this creates a fire hazard. The administration of the Potala Palace pays great attention to preventing accidents. Therefore, in 1994, 4.7 million yuan (USD 566,000) was invested in installing a 24-hour monitoring system. Thanks to the measures taken, there has not been a single fire in the palace since 1988. On December 7, 1994, the palace was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. It has never been previously calculated how many rooms are in the 13-story palace. And only in 1994 the administration finally decided to establish the exact number of premises. It took specialists five whole years to thoroughly examine the palace, longer than the restoration of the building itself. The Potala is a huge treasury of ancient relics. The sacred stupa of the 5th Dalai Lama (1617-1682) is kept here, made of 5.5 kg of gold and a huge amount precious stones.

The Chinese government has invested 4.9 million yuan in the palace's fire protection system. During the first phase of the project, from 1989 to 1994, 53 million yuan (6.4 million US dollars) and several tons of gold were spent to restore the appearance of the Potala. Before this, for 300 years, there had been no full-scale reconstructions of the palace. Tibet is home to many cultural treasures. Since the 1950s, the Chinese government has spent 200 million yuan to preserve cultural monuments in Tibet. Historians, experts in ancient architecture and geologists conducted research to draw up plans for the preservation of the Potala.

The second phase of the restoration project was completed in 2006. The focus of this phase will be on the “snow town” at the foot of Red Hill. By 2001, more than 300 families had settled in the snowy town that was once home to Tibetan nobility. At the first stage, the Red and White Palaces of the Potala were restored, the premises were cleared of rats, and a sewerage system was installed. To preserve the appearance of the palace, experts turned to traditional construction techniques. For example, they coated the roof with a layer of oil to make it waterproof. This technology has been used by Tibetans for centuries. However, even when using oil, roofs leaked during rainstorms when the compacted earth from which they were made began to dissolve. In the second stage, a special chemical was added to the compacted earth to prevent the roof from leaking water. Particular attention was paid to wooden structures. They were treated with a substance that repels rats. But new technologies did not harm the ancient structure of the palace. The purpose of the reconstruction was not to change the original appearance. Special measures were taken to preserve statues, manuscripts and other valuables. Huge statues in multi-layered robes, wooden frames, canvases and sheets of metal were taken out of the palace. During construction they were kept under the supervision of monks. Not a single one of the 100,000 pieces of art was damaged during the work. During the second phase of the project, which began in 2002, specialists abandoned the use of cement for the roof, instead using chemicals. Thus, they avoided the destruction of ancient structures.

The first buildings appeared here in the 7th century, but the Potala acquired its current appearance only in the 16th-17th centuries. The palace was built from 641 to the 17th century. In 1645, construction began on the first, lower part of the Potala - the White Palace (Potrang Karpo). The nine-story structure was completed 3 years later, and in 1649 the Fifth Dalai Lama moved from Drepung to his new residence.

White Palace was a place where courtiers previously lived, there were reception halls, storerooms, etc. They say that treasures, weapons, as well as sacred books and archives that Tibetan kings and Dalai Lamas have collected for centuries are kept here. However, this cannot be verified - tourists are only allowed into a few rooms. In addition, photography inside these premises is strictly prohibited.

The central part of the complex - Red Palace(Potrang Marpi) is red-brown, like the clothes of lamas. Here were the apartments of the Dalai Lama, the main Lamaist shrines, tombs (suburgans) of the Dalai Lamas, starting from the Fifth.

The circumstances of the construction of the larger, upper Red Palace remain the subject of controversy to this day. It is known for certain that the Fifth Dalai Lama died in 1682, and the fact of his death was hidden until the completion of the construction of the Red Palace in 1694, that is, for 12 years. According to some sources, the work was started by the regent who ruled Tibet from 1679 to 1703. According to other sources, the Red Palace was conceived by the Fifth Dalai Lama as a mausoleum, and by the time of his death work was already in full swing. In any case, the death of the Fifth Dalai Lama was not announced until his body was placed in the newly completed Red Palace.

There are also several opinions regarding the name of the palace. The most likely explanation is that it came from a Tibetan name adopted to designate Pure World Avalokiteshvara, also known as Potala. Taking into account the fact that both Songtsen Gampo and the Dalai Lama are considered the earthly incarnation of Avalokiteshvara, the Bodhisattva of Compassion, this explanation seems quite acceptable.

In total, both palaces have more than 1000 rooms and 13 floors. On the territory of the Potala, in Phakpa Lhakhang Temple there is a statue of Ariya Lokeshvara, sacred to Buddhists. The Dalai Lama’s personal monastery, religious school, monks’ cells, treasury and storage rooms are also located here.

Since its construction, the Potala has served as the home of each of the subsequent Dalai Lamas, although since the summer palace at Norbulingka was built in the 18th century, it has served only as a winter residence. The Potala also housed the Tibetan government, and with all the chapels, halls, philosophical and religious schools, and tombs of the Dalai Lamas, the palace was a world of its own. The Thirteenth Dalai Lama undertook some renovation work on the palace in the early 20th century, removing some sections of the White Palace in order to expand some of the cells.

The Potala also came under fire during the popular uprising against the Chinese in 1959. Fortunately, the damage was not significant either during the uprising or in the subsequent years of the Cultural Revolution.

For many years after the Chinese occupation, the palace was closed to the public, and only in 1980 it was reopened. In 1985, restoration work was completed, on which about $4 million was spent.

In 1645, the Potala Palace was rebuilt by the Fifth Dalai Lama. The reconstruction process lasted 50 years. After that, over the course of three hundred years, the palace was partially rebuilt and completed. The Potala Palace today has 9 tiers (although there are 13 in appearance) and rises 110 meters along the mountainside. This is a mixed structure made of stone and wood. The walls are built of granite. The greatest thickness of the walls is 5 meters. Molten Gougong was also poured into the front of the walls to strengthen the structure and increase its resistance to earthquakes. At the same time, gold decorative details were made, which made it possible to ingeniously solve the lightning rod problem. Over hundreds of years, the Potala Palace has been tested by lightning, thunder and earthquakes. However, as before, it rises in all its glory. The Potala Palace consists of the White Palace (residence of the Dalai Lamas) flanked by a central Red Palace (Buddhist pavilions and halls of the Dalai Lamas) and the western white Buddhist halls. In front of the Red Palace rises the white Saifotai tower, where large thangkas hang - woven icons (or appliques) with the image of Buddha. All the buildings of the Potala were erected in different periods, but during construction they cleverly used mountainous terrain and used excellent design solutions. The Potala Palace has reached a high aesthetic level. The Red Palace is the main object of the entire ensemble. It contains halls of Dalai Lamas of different generations and various memorial and prayer halls. Including the most famous hall with the stupa of the fifth generation Dalai Lama Losanjiatso. The stupa is almost 15 meters high. It has a square foundation and a round roof. The body of the stupa can be divided into three parts: the foundation, the body-“decanter” and the roof. The body of the fifth generation Dalai Lama, with incense and red flowers, was buried in a "decanter". The stupa is lined with 3724 kg. gold leaf and decorated with more than 15 thousand precious stones such as diamonds, rubies, emeralds, green jade, pearls, agates. Vessels for sacrifices are installed on the foundation of the stupa. The western hall is called Xiangtan. This is the largest hall in the palace of the fifth generation Dalai Lama. The roof of the structure is supported by 48 large wooden columns 6 meters high. During construction, the architects used an arched structure, which is often used in buildings of Han architecture. There are many wooden sculptures of Buddha, lions, elephants and various animals. During the reconstruction and expansion of the Potala Palace in the 17th century. Famous Tibetan masters have created tens of thousands of beautiful wall paintings, which are displayed in the halls and galleries. The content of the paintings is varied. They depict historical characters, plots of tales and legends, moments in the history of Buddhism, and also reflect everyday life, folk customs, sports entertainment and games. All these paintings are priceless works of art of the Potala Palace.

In addition, the Potala Palace contains tens of thousands of scroll paintings, stone and wood carvings, clay sculptures, historical treasures such as the Beiejing (Buddhist shell canon), and traditional art pieces such as Tibetan carpets, Jingfan (Canon on silk or wool), ceramics, porcelain, jade products, etc. They not only have high artistic value, but also reflect the ancient thousand-year history of friendly contacts and cultural ties between the Han Chinese and Tibetans. Being the “pearl of the Roof of the World”, the Potala Palace is known throughout the world for its palace buildings, clay and wooden statues, metalwork, drawings and paintings, as well as various carvings. It showcases the finest techniques of Tibetan, Han, Mongolian and Manchu masters, as well as the magnificent achievements of Tibetan building art. In 1994, the Potala Palace was officially included by UNESCO in the List of World Cultural Heritage.

Potala Palace is 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 this sacred place attracts thousands of pilgrims and tourists. Situated on the Red Mountain in the center of Lhasa, the Potala is the largest monumental structure in all of Tibet, ancient palace world. 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 big 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, while significantly smaller in size, are also decorated with huge amounts of 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 most high 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 World Heritage UNESCO 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

The structure, 320 m long and 110 m high, around which eagles soar, is divided into the White and Red Palaces. The white Potala Palace with a defensible plinth in its current form arose under the 5th Dalai Lama starting in 1645 with the participation of large number serf workers. Almost nothing remains of the more ancient fortress that existed on this mountain since the time of Songtsen Gampo (7th century) - although legend says that the relics of that time are the meditation cave (see below) and the Phagpa Hall. The White Palace contains rooms that serve purely practical functions, including sleeping quarters, study rooms and an audience hall for the Dalai Lama. In addition, there is a monastery route, administrative premises and warehouses. The most important shrines are located in the Red Palace, built under the regent of the 6th Dalai Lama until 1694. Since then, the appearance of the Potala has remained almost unchanged.

Inspection

The main entrance to the Potala Palace, through which pilgrims proceed, leads up the side of the fortress mountain (the so-called Red Mountain) that faces the Old City, to the eastern part of the White Palace. Tourists on a booked program are taken along a road from the west to the north side of the Red Palace to enter the inner sanctum through the back door, so to speak. From there one follows a viewing route leading to all the important rooms with an unusually large number of magnificent objects of art.

Great West Hall

The center of the Red Palace is the Great Western Hall, the enthronement hall. Its walls are decorated with paintings depicting episodes from the lives of the Dalai Lamas, Tibetan kings and incarnations of the bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara. The four rooms surrounding the western hall can, based on their religious meaning, be considered as the history of Tibetan Buddhism: the Padmasambhava hall tells the story of its origins; it is dedicated to that Indian saint who arrived in Tibet in the 8th century, subjugated the demons of the local religion and instructed them to henceforth stand guard over Buddhism. The next room is the hall of the reformer Tsongkhapa, whose heir later became the 1st Dalai Lama. The third room is dedicated to him and his four subsequent incarnations. The fourth contains tomb stupas with the bodies of the 5th, 10th and 12th Dalai Lamas. We are talking about 14-meter high, lavishly gilded and bejeweled pagodas with relics. The central stupa of the 5th Dalai Lama is the most luxurious decoration of the Potala. In similar caskets in the Red Palace lie the mortal shells of eight Tibetan priest-kings. From the outside, their exact location is shown by the gilded roofs of the Red Palace.

Top floor

The stairs in the northeast of the western hall lead through an intermediate floor with wall paintings that, among other things, depict the construction of the Potala, to reach the upper floor with other significant halls and remarkable images. Here in the northeast corner is also the meditation hall of King Songtsen Gampo. This room with models of rocks, designed like a grotto, dates back to the founding of Lhasa and the origins of the Potala Palace, as well as Tibetan Buddhism in general. Plastically, the king is depicted between the thirty-eight-armed Avalokiteshvara and the 5th Dalai Lama; further on you can see statues of the wives of Songtsen Gampo, Padmasambhava and other persons.

Phagpa Hall

A circular corridor leads further to the hall of peaceful and wrathful gods, as well as two halls filled with many valuable metal sacrificial gifts. Above them is the Phagpa Hall. At the left entrance there are footprints and handprints allegedly left by Padmasambhava, Tsongkhapa and the 12th Dalai Lama. The main statues in the room are three sandalwood statues of Avalokiteshvara, which supposedly emerged as natural formations from a split tree trunk; Therefore, believers see in these figures a manifestation of the otherworldly, and the veneration shown to them is correspondingly great.

Stupa of the 13th Dalai Lama and private quarters

If you go to the left, you can reach the tomb stupa of the 13th Dalai Lama, who died in 1933. Next are the private chambers of the 6th Dalai Lama, a life-loving man who disobeyed monastic vows and was later allegedly assassinated. Amitayus, the Buddha of Longevity, is today venerated in this room. The staircase leads to the attic floor with the Maitreya Hall, in which stands the throne of the 8th Dalai Lama. Opens from the roof platform beautiful view to the city. Next, a circular corridor leads to the private chambers of the 13th and 14th (current) Dalai Lama. Since the latter fled Tibet in 1959, the premises allocated to him have practically retained their original appearance. Through the courtyard and extremely luxurious portals you can go up the stairs on the south side of the palace and go down into the city. Opening hours: daily. 9.30-12.00, 15.00-17.00.

Page 1 of 2

Potala Palace(named after the Potala, the so-called Pure Land Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara) is worldwide famous palace in the city of Lhasa, which was official residence The Dalai Lama during the era of the central Tibetan government of Ganden Potrang (from 1642 to 1959). The huge palace is located on Mount Marpori (translated from Tibetan as “Red Mountain”) and rises 130 meters above the center of the capital of the Tibet Autonomous Region.

Construction of the original building of the palace on Red Mountain began in 637 by King Songtsen Gampo, who ordered it to be built in Lhasa for his wife Wen Cheng. The structure was completed in 641. In the 8th century it was almost completely destroyed by Chinese troops.

In the 17th century, the 5th Dalai Lama ordered a new palace to be built on the mountain. At the same time, ruins remaining from the time of Songtsen Gampo were integrated into its design. The construction of the first part (Potrang Karpo, i.e. “White Palace”) of the current Potala Palace was completed in 1648 under the V Dalai Lama, and the second part (Potrang Marpo, i.e. “Red Palace”) was completed only in 1694 after his death, under his 5th viceroy, Desi Sangye Gyatso. A detailed report from the governor has been preserved about this stage of construction with an extensive list of Newar artisans employed in it. The last major reconstruction was undertaken in 1922. Under the Dalai Lama XIII, several rooms were restored, and 2 more floors were added to the Red Palace.

After the construction of the Norbulinka Palace, which began to be used as a summer residence, Potala received the status of a winter residence.

During the Chinese Cultural Revolution, the Potala Palace complex was one of the few Tibetan cultural monuments that was relatively well preserved, as the Chinese occupation army was stationed here. Nowadays it is used as a museum, but along with the Jokhang Temple it is still one of the most important pilgrimage sites for Tibetan Buddhists.

The 13 floors of the palace are visible from the outside. The structure was built entirely of wood and stone. Its walls, up to 5 meters thick, are entirely made of granite. The foundation of the walls descends deep into the rock layer, and the outer walls are reinforced with reinforcement made by pouring molten iron into special channels. The reinforcement was supposed to strengthen the structure of the building and its resistance to earthquakes. The Potala Palace was decorated with rich golden decorations, which also served as lightning rods. Numerous lightning strikes that struck him over the past several centuries did not cause him any harm.

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 received its name from the name of the 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- a sacred place of Tibetan Buddhism, every year it is visited by a great many 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, to make these curtains, Emperor Kangxi ordered the construction of a special workshop; it took a whole year to weave them. 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 Sun Pavilion, the living quarters of the regent and Dalai's mentors, office premises government.

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) in summer residence Norbulinka, 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 cult 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 whole group 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. 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 the 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.