Built in the 7th century, seat of a government, place of religious pilgrimage, residence of the Dalai Lama, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and located twelve thousand feet above sea level, the Potala Palace is an extraordinary architectural work and the most important building in Tibet. The palace is admired as the symbol of Tibet and as an example of the religious struggle for purification. Influences, ancient and unexpected, relate this sacred stone symbol to the rest of the world, both new and ancient, with a classical architectural language, which is fundamental to any social or political society. Construction of the Potala Palace began in 637, using rammed earth and stone construction techniques. The original building on the site of the Potala Palace was the home of Tibet's founder, Songtsan Gampo. The palace was built to welcome the arrival of his wife. The marriage was part of a move to consolidate an alliance with China's Tang dynasty. The architectural tradition of buildings such as pyramids, ziggurats and a palace like this suggests a combined sensibility from Europe to East Asia to Africa, this meeting is no more evident than in a place like the Potala Palace, as well as other places in Tibet. The Potala Palace has seen its fair share of controversies, as Tibet is a very controversial part of the world. When Communist China invaded Tibet in 1950 with over eighty thousand soldiers, massive protests were held in the palace. An estimated one million people were killed following the Chinese occupation and exile of Tibetan government officials. During this period, the Potala treasures were stolen and priceless and irreplaceable historical documents and artifacts......half of paper......ace inside from becoming too permanent, also allowing flexibility for the palace's uses according to the times change.Works citedBernier, R.M. (1997). Himalayan architecture. Madison: Fairleigh Dickinson University Press; Buckley, M. (2012). Tibet. Bradt: Bradt Travel Guides.Heller, A. (2007). Discoveries in Western Tibet and the Western Himalaya essays on history, literature, archeology and art: PIATS 2003, Tibetan Studies, proceedings of the tenth seminar of the International Association for Tibetan Studies, Oxford, 2003. Leiden: Brill.Stratton, E. ( 2002). The evolution of Indian stupa architecture in East Asia. New Delhi: Vedams.Tucci, G., & Swaan, W. (1967). Tibet, land of snow. New York: Stein and Day. Tung, R. J. (1980). A portrait of lost Tibet. New York: Holt, Rinehart, and Winston. Xiong, W. (2005). Tibetan arts. Beijing: China Intercontinental Press.