Houses in Kagbeni village, Nepal

A cluster of houses in Kagbeni, a village in the Mustang district of Nepal. The houses are rectangular with flat mud-plastered roofs and are built adjoining each other. Worn-down Tibetan prayer flags are flown at different points. Erosion of the flags is believed to carry the blessing of the mantras once printed on them throughout the surrounding area.

Houses like these are typical for the semi-desert, trans-Himalayan region. The region receives very little rainfall and it is extremely cold during most of the year, with temperatures dropping significantly at night. The mud roofs help to maintain the temperature balance inside the houses, and tend to last for a long time because there is so little rain.