The great fortresses known as "dzongs" are among the most striking examples of Bhutanese architecture. In Tibet, the word traditionally referred to large barrack-like buildings, which housed the local administration and army.

Dzongs first began to be built in Bhutan around the 12th century. They belonged to large, powerful families and were used for centuries as royal castles, from which the local lords ruled their lands.

To consolidate the role of the state and exercise fuller authority over the people, Ngawang Namgyel had a new set of fortresses built in the first half of the 17th century. These acted as relays for the central authority and helped it in running the country, while at the same time fending off any attacks from beyond its borders. But in addition to conferring these administrative and military functions on the dzongs, Ngawang Namgyel gave them the further role of acting as monasteries. Because of this, most of the dzongs also played an important role in the religious life of the people. Although these fortresses recall the ones that used to exist in Tibet, they are nevertheless much more elaborate from the architectural point of view.

Reflecting a certain view of religion, society and spatial organization, the dzongs symbolize the history and long independence of Bhutan. They rise proudly in strategic places, at the entrance to a valley, at the summit of a hill or at the confluence of two rivers. Most of them are built according to the same design, the oldest example being Simtokha, which dates from 1629, but there are regional variations due to the landscape and environment. Perhaps the most spectacular is Tongsa, which is built into the hillside in several stages, overlooking the river below. Constantly enlarged over the years, Tongsa now comprises no fewer than 20 temples and is a truly remarkable example of Bhutanese architecture.

Generally speaking, dzongs are square or oblong in plan. From the outside, they look mostly like defensive structures. Their great stone walls lean very slightly inwards, rising shear up to the roof. Massive and steep, only high windows that are totally inaccessible from outside break them. The windows are picked out in black paint, making a sharp contrast with the dazzling white of the walls. The lowest windows are very narrow and let in very little light. The upper rows are usually wider, and give into the living quarters. Just below the roof, a wide red stripe, the chimera, recalls the religious nature of the building. The gently sloping roofs are normally raised one or two meters above the last story and form broad overhanging eaves.

Inside these outer walls, the main courtyard is surrounded by two-or three-storey buildings. The courtyard itself is normally paved with large stone flags (dochen). In the middle of the courtyard stands a massive tower known as utse. It is much taller than the other buildings and resembles the keep of medieval castles in Europe. The upper floors of this tower house the various temples, known as lhakhangs or gonkhangs.

Most of the buildings surrounding the courtyard and abutting against the outer walls are half-timbered, with galleries, balconies and arcades. The pillars supporting the arcades are richly decorated, the main motifs being clouds, lotus flowers and the head of a sea demon named Makara. Behind the arcades are the monks' quarters and administrative offices. A precise boundary separates the religious buildings from the secular ones. Even so, this separation does not mean that there is any difference in the actual architecture.

Most of the buildings surrounding the courtyard and abutting the out walls of the Dzong are half-timbered with galleries, balconies and arcades. The pillars supporting the arcades are richly decorated.

Above: Chaksam gompa - Paro valley
Below: Kunga Rabten

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