This paper was first meant to deal with the study of the Itum Bahāl iconography. This institution is an urban Newar Buddhist monastery whose restoration is in progress as these lines are written. With regard to the recent situation in Nepal the author decided to rather present the notion of iconographic studies as a necessary requirement in the context of an ethic rehabilitation of heritage monuments. Archaeological surveys are also considered as a must, however their practice just “re-entered” the Kathmandu Valley after a long absence1.