Book excerpt: A unique part of India that is associated with the best living traditions in craft, cuisine, houseboats and shikaras, rushing mountain streams, and snow-clad mountains, Srinagar is a garden of paradise. Srinagar: An Architectural Legacy explores the history and architectural heritage of this 500-year-old city bringing to life its rich past, with its different eras of rulers who made the Valley a part of their empire. To understand the present context of the city, the book takes on a series of walks giving readers a chance to get a sense of the architectural culture, as well as the dynamic interplay of civic life, religion, and trade in the city.