A catalyst for purifying the exhaust gases of diesel engines, which catalyst contains at least one zeolite and, additionally, at least one of the support oxides aluminum oxide, silicon dioxide, titanium dioxide and aluminum silicate and at least one of the noble metals platinum, palladium, rhodium and iridium. In this catalyst the atoms of the noble metals have a mean oxidation number of less than +2.5, on average more than 3 metal ligands and less than 3 oxygen ligands and are present on the zeolites and support oxides in the form of crystallites having a mean particle size of from 1 to 6 nm.