There can surely be a sustainable means of restoring Nuwakot to its original glory Kathmandu Nuwakot is situated on the old trade route to Kerung in Tibet just northwest of the Kathmandu valley, once referred to as the ‘Nepal Valley’. The ruins of the old fort of Rasuwa Gadhi are testimony to many battles fought against Tibetans, but also the importance of the trade that the city states within the ‘Nepal Valley’ controlled. The legendary highlight of this cross boarder relationship was surely the marriage of Songtsen Gampo with the Licchavi Princess Bhrikuti, possibly the daughter of King Amshuvarma, who was said to have been instrumental in bringing Buddhism to Tibet. This relationship developed both culturally as well as economically. During the height of Malla period in the 17th century, a treaty was signed to allow Nepali traders and artisans to establish themselves in Lhasa. Newari crafts in building, metallurgy and painting spread far into Asia. This was clearly an extension of what was later referred to by western romantics as the Silk Road. The relationship with Tibet was so important that Malla Kingdoms of Kantipur, Lalitpur and Bhaktapur each had their own palaces built in Nuwakot to ensure their representation in this lucrative trade. Nuwakot is, however, better known for the role it played in Prithvi Narayan Shah’s conquest of the ‘Nepal Valley’. The newly crowned ruler of the small Kingdom of Gorkha conquered Nuwakot in 1744 and from this strategic vantage point he plotted the subjugation of the ‘Nepal Valley’. It took him another quarter century of patience, guile and ruthlessness. He went on to lay the foundation stone for a unified nation along the Himalayas. With the closure of the roads into Tibet over half a century ago led to depravation and stagnation of trade. The prospects have, however, changed with the agreement with China to open the border from Kerung and construct a new road. Though impacting the historic Rasuwa Gadhi fort, the new road will help bring about development. The earthquake devastated Nuwakot was cate-gorised under most severely hit districts. The historic site of Nuwakot is strung along a ridge between the palace ensemble to the north and the Bhairab Temple to the south. The impact on Nuwakot was critical with major damage to the monuments and with total collapse of most houses in the ancient settlement. The main seven-storey palace has major cracks towards the northwest with part of the western facade having fallen off. The structure that is said to have been built as early as 1762 is, however, still in remarkable condition and can surely be saved with some targeted interventions. A short visit to Nuwakot with Anie Joshi and Anthony Jones from the Famous Farm provided an inspirational insight of the significance of the historic Nuwakot ensemble. We arrived on the day of Janai Purnima with Gai Jatra on the following day. People singing and dancing despite the destruction provided the image of resolve to overcome the circumstances. Govinda Baniya, local staff of the Department of Archaeology provided us with an inspirational tour of the seven-storey palace. The ward chairperson Shova Dongol who had lost her house invited us to her shelter constructed of metal sheeting. The Chinese government has signed an MOU to support restoration. All committed and potential stakeholders must work together. Nuwakot is a heritage site on the World Heritage tentative list and could possibly be included in a future Silk Road serial World Heritage inscription. This, however, requires the rehabilitation of the monuments and traditional settlement to be carried out in an acceptable manner. There can surely be a sustainable means of restoring Nuwakot to its original glory. The author is an architect and can be contacted through paharnepal@hotmail.com