Nestled in the desert foothills of the rugged Franklin Mountains, The University of Texas at El Paso evokes the image of an ancient and mysterious kingdom.

UTEP's architecture has been shaped by just such a place: Bhutan, the last of the three Forbidden Kingdoms hidden deep in the Himalayas between the great Tibetan plateau and the plains of India.

The history of this vibrant, multicultural educational institution dates back to April 1914, when local residents and business owners pledged $50,000 to The University of Texas Board of Regents to create a mining school in El Paso.

In September of that year, 27 students arrived at the new Texas State School of Mines and Metallurgy, located in the desert east of Fort Bliss just north of the Rio Grande.

By 1916, enrollment had grown to 39 - and for the fi rst time included women. But the year also delivered tragedy - the school's main building burned down. Discouraged by the fi re and a water shortage at Fort Bliss, Dean Stephen Howard Worrell began searching for a new location for the school.

Civic leaders soon donated land overlooking Sunset Heights and Downtown for the new campus set against the mountainous backdrop where UTEP is located today.

The inspiration for the school's architecture is credited to Kathleen Worrell, the dean's wife, who was fascinated with a photo essay on Bhutan that appeared in the April 1914 issue of National Geographic Magazine.

Titled "Castles in the Air," the article recounted the travels across Bhutan of British diplomat and engineer John Claude White. Accompanying the article were 74 of White's photographs - among the fi rst ever published of the ancient and isolated Kingdom.

Persuaded by his wife that Bhutanese "dzongs" would be a good fi t for his mining school, Dean Worrell had the fi rst campus building, Old Main, constructed in this style in 1917.

In 1920, the school's name changed to the College of Mines and Metallurgy, El Paso. 1949 brought another name change: Texas Western College; and in 1967, the college became The University of Texas at El Paso.

Steeped in tradition through decades of growth and name changes, UTEP has continued to follow its architectural theme, offering to students, faculty, staff and visitors alike a glimpse of the beauty and serenity of Bhutan itself.

The architecture features massive sloping walls, high inset windows and overhanging roofs. Dark bands of brick with mosaic-tiled mandalas - the symbols of unity and wholeness - adorn the buildings.

Inspired by its architecture, UTEP has greatly strengthened its ties to Bhutan during the past two decades through initiatives that foster understanding and appreciation of its people, culture and tradition.

Today, UTEP is a large public urban university serving more than 20,400 students in the El Paso/Juarez metropolis of 2.4 million residents on the U.S.-Mexico border. Nearly 89,000 students have graduated from UTEP since 1914, including a number of Bhutanese students.

UTEP is home to many beautiful Bhutanese cultural artifacts, including tapestries and intricate wood carvings. The University sponsors bi-annual "Bhutan Days," which bring performers and artisans from Bhutan to campus and the Paso del Norte community.

In 2008, the beauty and pageantry of Bhutan's traditional folk and mask dance provided more than 6,000 guests to UTEP's Don Haskins Center with an evening of inspiration and entertainment.

Bhutan Festival 2008 brought dancers and musicians from Bhutan's Royal Academy of Performing Arts to El Paso to perform an array of traditional dances. His Royal Highness Prince Jigyel Ugyen Wangchuck of Bhutan attended the festivities.

UTEP's special relationship with Bhutan has become more than just our architectural history and narrative. It is deeply embedded within the hearts of all who learn, teach and visit here.