Architecture in Kashmir was inspired by the Buddhist structures of neighboring Gandhara. Local artisans, however, adapted the foreign forms and developed a unique style with regional characteristics. In the early centuries of the Common Era a typical Kashmiri temple consisted of a tall, sturdy stone building, set upon a high plinth facing east. The temples often included Greco-Roman architectural elements including rounded arches, triangular pediments, and most notably Classical Greek fluted columns.

Though only stone structures survive from early Kashmir, most early buildings were made of wood. No Buddhist structures have survived, although there is textual evidence of stupas in the region until the seventh century. Terra-cotta tiles excavated from the Buddhist site at Harwan are decorated with images of stupas.

The Islamic dynasties from the fourteenth to the nineteenth century introduced the dome to Kashmiri architecture. They also introduced structures such as tombs and mausoleums. The Islamic emperors created beautiful gardens in Kashmir that are still renowned today. Gardens held a special meaning in the Islamic understanding of paradise and emphasized the beauty of Kashmir's landscape.