About the Image(s)

The city of Leh, capital of Ladakh, is at an altitude of 3,500 meters (11,500') above MSL, in the broad Indus river valley. This view of Leh was photographed from a window of the 500-year-old Royal Palace, which was constructed between 1590-1635 of stone, sun-dried mud bricks and wood, in Tibetan architectural style by the Namgyal dynasty. It was occupied by the Ladakhi royal family until the Dogra invasion in 1834-40. The palace is in nine levels, and has been lovingly restored from near dilapidation by the Archaeological Survey of India. The lowest level is constructed of rock, with outer walls 6 feet thick, higher levels are built of mud brick, with walls gradually tapering down to 1.5 feet in thickness, while the top level is built of wood, making the structure resistant to earthquakes. Photographed with my Vivo V23e 5G phone @ 4mm, f/1.8, 1/1148 sec. ISO: 106.