Tibet treasury: 84,000 new manuscripts found

Lilly Ravenwood, History Enhanced; Dhr. Seven, Amber Larson (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

Tibet used to be a Himalayan empire with many treasures, spiritual/temporal (Richard Mortel)

Just Beyond the Wall of the Buddhist monastery (©Source: Richard Mortel/flickr.com)

Unseen: 84,000 unread manuscripts discovered in Tibetan lamasery (©Richard Mortel/flickr)

The Dalai Lama finishes a sand yantra

In the heart of Tibet stands the Sakya Monastery, a silent witness to centuries gone by. This special place held a secret.

For years, behind old walls, lay a library filled with ancient manuscripts. These papers tell tales from long ago, and they waited patiently, hidden from the world, to share their stories, until now.

Many had walked the Buddhist monastery's halls, unaware of the treasures that lay just out of sight.

JUST BEYOND THE WALLS: The old books and scrolls have seen empires rise and fall. They've captured the wisdom and adventures of people from ages past.

They know about ancient kingdoms and great adventures. When discovered, it was like finding a map to another time.

• More: Unveiling the Unseen: 84,000 unread manuscripts discovered at Tibetan Buddhist monastery