Nepal reopens all 7 previously closed historic sites

Nepal has opened the historic sites that had hitherto remain closed in the wake of the deadly earthquake that killed almost 9,000 people.

According to Department of Archaeology data, 443 archaeological monuments, including temples, in three districts throughout Kathmandu Valley were affected by the quake.

Sites reopened include the three Durbar Squares of Bhaktapur, Kathmandu and Lalitpur, ancient cities and home to centuries-old, unique pagoda-style temples.

The country is still however suffering aftershocks from the 7.8-magnitude quake, and not all areas of the heritage sites have been opened, since there is still a danger of collapse in some areas of the temple complexes.

This was made known by the Department of Archaeology spokesperson Ram Bahadur Kunwa.

The government plans to reconstruct, renovate and conserve all monuments damaged in the quake within five to seven years, at a cost of $70 to 100 million.

The three Durbar Squares, along with the other four Hindu and Buddhist monuments which make up the seven UNESCO world heritage sites, attract hundreds of thousands of tourists each year which the government hopes will be the case this year as they look forward to a return of a boost in tourism, which is what the country depends heavily on.