Gartar has been a place of great significance in Minyak since the Tibetan Empire. According to Minyak Oser, the name comes from both mgar dar as the place where the family of General Gardampa (mgar) of Imperial Tibet originated (dar) and gha hag due to a connection to the Minyak gha (Tangut Empire). The place name Gartar covers a larger geographical territory than the current administrative township named Gartar (or Zhidé, officially). Within Gartar, the monastery, Gartar Jampa Ling (byams ba gling) was established for/by the 7th Dalai Lama, is the biggest monastery in the area, and the nearby Gyalwa Zamkhang, a temple at the birthplace of 11th Dalai Lama, is an important site.