Namgyal Tsemo Gompa was founded in the early 15th century, around the year 1430. The first recorded royal residence at Leh was Tashi Namgyal`s fort at Namgyal Tsemo, the peak above the town. It is no longer inhabited, but the temples associated with the fort are maintained by a lama from Sankar Gompa. The Namgyal Tsemo Gompa of Ladakh was founded by King Tashi Namgyal. The complex consists of the gonkhang and fort of Tashi Namgyal. The Maitreya temple of Namgyal Tsemo is of uncertain date, and has a large and rather undistinguished image. The temple`s walls have recent paintings of figures including Sakyamuni, Avalokiteswara, Pad-masambhava, Tson-ka-pa and Green Tara. In subsidiary positions is Sron-tsan-gam-po, the strong man of ancient Tibet, with various manifestations of the White Tara.

The gonkhang built by Tashi Namgyal in the mid-sixteenth century is much more interesting. The temple is dedicated to the wrathful deities and the murals contain representations of gods and Bodhisattvas, mostly in their benevolent aspect. There is a sweetly smiling Tara, a Tson-ka-pa and a Sakyamuni among others. To the left of the entrance, at about waist level, is the famous presumed portrait of Tashi Namgyal. There seem to be two Tashi Namgyals, right next to the portrait which has been accepted as Tashi`s. The style of painting and the sitter`s face call to mind Persian, rather than Tibetan art. The narrow slanting eyes are perfectly appropriate to the Persian style. The dress and turban are in the Mughal style. Just to the right of this miniature court scene is a mounted figure, dressed and turbanned in the same way, smiling, and with blunt and coarse features, very different from the fine face of the king. In addition to these, the treasure trove of this monastery is a three-story high solid gold idol of Maitrieya Buddha (future Buddha, also known as the laughing Buddha). Even this monastery possesses a statue of Avaloketesvara and Manjushri, approximately one storey high.

At the back of Tashi`s fort are walls, the remains of even more ancient fortifications, which according to Francke used to be locally known as the Dard Castle. If this name is an authentic reflection of historical fact, it means that they are the remains of a fort dating from before the establishment of a Tibetan ruling class in Ladakh i.e. from more than 1000 years ago.