The Jokhang, historically known as the Rasa Trulnang or Zuglagkang, is considered the spiritual heart of Lhasa. It comprises a Tibetan Buddhist temple, its surrounding temple complex, and a Gelug school monastery, and stands on Barkhor Square. It was built around the year 640 by King Songtsen Gampo to house the Jowo Mikyo Dorje, a statue of Akshobhya Buddha brought to Tibet by his Nepalese queen, Bhrikuti. A second statue, the Jowo Shakyamuni, brought by his Tang Chinese queen Wencheng, is housed in the temple today, while the Jowo Mikyo Dorje is kept at the nearby Ramoche.
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