Nara map and index  Nara, Japan

Nara emerged as the first permanent capital of Japan from 710-784.  Prior to that period, the location of the capital changed with the death of each Emperor (according to tradition, the death of an Emperor permanently defiled the site).  After 784, the Emperor transferred the capital to Kyoto in 784 to escape the intrigue of the growing Buddhist community in Nara.

Click here for an indexed map of Nara City

Visual Index of Nara Sites:
Site name and description
Horyuji Temple, (8th century onward)
The world's oldest wooden structures
Kasuga Shrine, (768 AD onwards)
A Fujiwara family shrine
Kokufuji Temple, (730 AD onwards)
Another temple of the Fujiwara family
Todaiji Temple, (8th century onward)
Prince Shotuku's headquarters of Japanese Buddhism

All Horyuji images copyright 2000-2002 Abe Ahn and Tim Ciccone
All Kasuga & Kokufuji images copyright 2002 Professor Kerk L. Phillips of Brigham Young University, Utah, USA.
Visit his webpage at www.pomosa.com
All Todaiji images copyright 2000-2002 Professor Robert D. Fiala of Concordia University, Nebraska, USA

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