Bagan

Bagan formerly Pagan, formally titled Arimaddanapura (the City of the Enemy Crusher) and aka Tambadipa (the Land of Copper) or Tassadessa (the Parched Land), was the ancient capital of several ancient kingdoms in Myanmar. It is located in the dry central plains of the country, on the eastern bank of the Ayeyarwady River, about 90 miles southwest of Mandalay.

The ruins of Bagan cover an area of 16 square miles. The majority of its buildings were built in the 1000s to 1200s, during the time Bagan was the capital of the First Burmese Empire. It was not until King Pyinbya moved the capital to Bagan in 874 A.D that it became a major city. However, in Burmese tradition, the capital shifted with each reign, and thus Bagan was once again abandoned until the reign of Anawrahta. In 1057, King Anawrahta conquered the Mon capital of Thaton, and brought back the Tripitaka Pali scriptures, Buddhist monks and craftsmen and all of these were made good use of in order to transform Bagan into a religious and cultural centre.

Bagan then became the sole centre of religious studies, and the university in Bagan attracted students from as far as the Khmer kingdoms. In 1287, the kingdom fell to the Mongols, after refusing to pay tribute to Kublai Khan. The city was sacked, and many religious relics were stolen.

Major cultural sites in Bagan

The temple adapted Indian architectural styles. The temple houses four standing Buddhas, which are adorned with gold leaf, each facing a direction, from north to south. The temple itself is shaped similar to a cross, with several terraces leading to the top, which terminates with a small pagoda and an umbrella (hti).

Along the sides of the terraces and the base of the temple are terra cotta blue tiles illustrating scenes from the Takata. Also, there is a shrine of Kyanzittha and Shin Arahan.

Gawdawpalin Temple is the second tallest temple in Bagan. The temple is similar in layout to Thatbyinnyu Temple.

The temple was heavily damaged during an earthquake in 1975 and was reconstructed in following years.

Thatbyinnyu Temple is shaped like a cross, but is not symmetrical. The temple has two primary storeys, with the seated Buddha image located on the second storey. It is the tallest temple in Bagan at 61 metres.

Construction of the Shwezigon Pagoda began dring the reign of King Anawratha (1044-1077) and was completed during the reign of King Kyanzittha in 1102.

The pagoda is believed to enshrine a bone and tooth of Gautama Buddha. Within the compound of the Shwezigon Pagoda is a stone pillar containing Mon language inscriptions dedicated by King Kyanzittha.