Leh, the historical capital of Ladakh

Leh, the historical capital of the Himalayan kingdom of Ladakh, served for centuries as a vital trade hub along the Indus Valley on the Silk Route, connecting Tibet, India, and Central Asia. Established as a royal seat in the 17th century by King Sengge Namgyal, it developed into a center for pashmina wool, silk, and spice trading, before becoming part of Jammu and Kashmir in 1947.
Early Inhabitants: The region was likely first settled by the Brokpas from Dadarstan and later by the Mons, an Aryan group from Kulu.
Kingdom : The Kingdom of Ladakh was established in the 10th century by Skyid lde nyima gon, a Tibetan prince who conquered Western Tibet.
Cultural: Buddhism spread from India to Tibet via Ladakh, while Islamic influences entered in the 16th century.
Royal Capital: King Sengge Namgyal moved the capital to Leh and built the nine-story [Leh Palace], a major architectural landmark resembling the Potala Palace in Tibet.
Leh sprawls from the foot of a ruined Leh palace - a maze of mud-brick and concrete flanked on one side by cream-coloured desert, and on the other by a swathe of lush irrigated farmland.
The old Leh town is also known as Kharyog (Khar means “palace” and yog means “below” in Ladakhi) as it is situated below the Leh Palace.
This part of Leh was added to the World Monuments Fund's list of the 100 most endangered sites due to increased impact of climate change, rapid urbanisation, and unplanned settlement patterns. The old town has many secrets and stories of its interesting past to share with the tourists.