Central Asian Museum

The Central Asian Museum Leh has a rich collection of artefacts and manuscripts collected from Central Asia, Tibet and Kashmir. Some date back further, but most are from 18th and 19th centuries. The museum looks at Leh's role in Silk Road trade, with rooms focused on Ladakh, Chinese Turkestan and Tibet. The tapered four-storey stone tower is a modern construction based on a historic Lhasa mansion and built on the site of an old caravan camp. The museum hides in a courtyard that also contains Leh's oldest mosque and a traditionally styled Ladakhi show-kitchen where you can order lunch. Access is via the lane next to the SBI Bank ATM on Main Bazaar.