The spectacular Potala Palace is located on a hill which dominates the city. Although the Potala dates back to the 8th century, construction of the present palace began in 1645 during the reign of the Fifth Dalai Lama. The Potala was completed in 1694, twelve years after the Dalai Lama’s death. Built of wood, earth and stone, the Potala has 13 storeys containing a maze of rooms, over 1,000 of them, with 10,000 shrines. The Potala has served as the home of successive Dalai Lamas and their monastic staff, from the time of the Fifth until that of the present Fourteenth Dalai Lama.