Bagan - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Bagan formerly Pagan, is an ancient city in the Mandalay Region of Burma. Formally titled Arimaddanapura or Arimaddana (the City of the Enemy Crusher) and also known as Tambadipa (the Land of Copper) or Tassadessa (the Parched Land), it was the capital of several ancient kingdoms

Monarchy

A monarchy is a form of government in which the office of head of state is usually held until death or abdication and is often hereditary and includes a royal house. In some cases, the monarch is elected...

in Burma. It is located in the dry central plains of the country, on the eastern bank of the Ayeyarwady River

Ayeyarwady River

The Irrawaddy River or Ayeyarwady River is a river that flows from north to south through Burma . It is the country's largest river and most important commercial waterway. Originating from the confluence of the N'mai and Mali rivers, it flows relatively straight North-South before emptying through...

, 90 miles (144.8 km) southwest of Mandalay

Mandalay

Mandalay is the second-largest city and the last royal capital of Burma. Located north of Yangon on the east bank of the Irrawaddy River, the city has a population of one million, and is the capital of Mandalay Region ....

Architectural styles

The religious buildings of Bagan are often reminiscent of popular architectural styles in the period of their constructions. The most common types are:

Stupa with a relic-shaped dome
Stupa with tomb-shaped dome
Sinhalese
Sinhalese people
The Sinhalese are an Indo-Aryan ethnic group,forming the majority of Sri Lanka,constituting 74% of the Sri Lankan population.They number approximately 15 million worldwide.The Sinhalese identity is based on language, heritage and religion. The Sinhalese speak Sinhala, an Indo-Aryan language and the...

-styled stupa
North Indian model
Central Indian model
South Indian model
Mon
Mon people
The Mon are an ethnic group from Burma , living mostly in Mon State, Bago Division, the Irrawaddy Delta, and along the southern Thai–Burmese border. One of the earliest peoples to reside in Southeast Asia, the Mon were responsible for the spread of Theravada Buddhism in Burma and Thailand...

model

History

The ruins of Bagan cover an area of 16 square miles (41.4 km²). The majority of its buildings were built in the 11th century to 13th century, during the time Bagan was the capital of the First Burmese Empire. It was not until King Pyinbya moved the capital to Bagan in AD

Anno Domini

and Before Christ are designations used to label or number years used with the Julian and Gregorian calendars....

874 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

Anawrahta

Anawrahta Minsaw was the founder of the Pagan Empire. Considered the father of the Burmese nation, Anawrahta turned a small principality in the dry zone of Upper Burma into the first Burmese Empire that formed the basis of modern-day Burma...

. In 1057, King Anawrahta

Anawrahta

conquered the Mon capital of Thaton

Thaton

Thaton is a town in Mon State, in southern Myanmar on the Tenasserim plains. Thaton lies along the National Highway 8 and is also connected by the National Road 85.-Etymology:...

, and brought back the Tripitaka

Tripiṭaka

' is a traditional term used by various Buddhist sects to describe their various canons of scriptures. As the name suggests, a traditionally contains three "baskets" of teachings: a , a and an .-The three categories:Tripitaka is the three main categories of texts that make up the...

Pali

Páli

- External links :* *...

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. With the help of a monk from Lower Burma, Anawrahta made Theravada Buddhism a kind of state religion, and the king also established contacts with Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...

. In the 12th and 13th centuries, Bagan became a truly cosmopolitan centre of Buddhist studies, attracting monks and students from as far as India, Sri Lanka as well as the Thai and Khmer

Khmer people

Khmer people are the predominant ethnic group in Cambodia, accounting for approximately 90% of the 14.8 million people in the country. They speak the Khmer language, which is part of the larger Mon–Khmer language family found throughout Southeast Asia...

kingdoms. Among many other works, Aggavaṃsa

Aggavamsa

Aggavamsa of Arimaddana was the author of the Saddanīti, a grammar of the Pali language, specifically the text of the Buddhist scriptures, the Tipiṭaka. The work was completed in 1154, CE....

's influential Saddanīti, a grammar

Grammar

In linguistics, grammar is the set of structural rules that govern the composition of clauses, phrases, and words in any given natural language. The term refers also to the study of such rules, and this field includes morphology, syntax, and phonology, often complemented by phonetics, semantics,...

of the language of the Tipiṭaka, would be completed there in 1154. In 1287, the kingdom fell to the Mongols

Mongols

Mongols ) are a Central-East Asian ethnic group that lives mainly in the countries of Mongolia, China, and Russia. In China, ethnic Mongols can be found mainly in the central north region of China such as Inner Mongolia...

, after refusing to pay tribute to Kublai Khan

Kublai Khan

Kublai Khan , born Kublai and also known by the temple name Shizu , was the fifth Great Khan of the Mongol Empire from 1260 to 1294 and the founder of the Yuan Dynasty in China...

. Abandoned by the Burmese king and perhaps sacked by the Mongols, the city declined as a political centre, but continued to flourish as a place of Buddhist scholarship.

After the earthquake in 1975, there are only 2,217 pagodas left in Bagan, in contrast to more than 5,000 during height of the political centre. Thus in order to preserve the original pagodas, only horse-driven carriage are allowed to travel among the pagodas.

Although an application was submitted, UNESCO

UNESCO

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...

does not designate Bagan as a World Heritage Site

World Heritage Site

A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by the UNESCO as of special cultural or physical significance...

. The main reason given is that the military junta (SPDC

State Peace and Development Council

The State Peace and Development Council was the official name of the military regime of Burma , which seized power in 1988. On 30 March 2011, Senior General Than Shwe signed a decree to officially dissolve the Council....

) has haphazardly restored ancient stupas, temples and buildings, ignoring original architectural styles and using modern materials which bear little or no resemblance to the original designs. The junta has also established a golf course

Golf course

A golf course comprises a series of holes, each consisting of a teeing ground, fairway, rough and other hazards, and a green with a flagstick and cup, all designed for the game of golf. A standard round of golf consists of playing 18 holes, thus most golf courses have this number of holes...

, a paved highway, and built a 200-foot (61 meter) watchtower in the southeastern suburb of Minnanthu.

Kings of Bagan

Apart from the 14 historically documented monarchs who ruled Bagan starting from Anawrahta, The Hmannan Yarzawin

Glass Palace Chronicle

The Glass Palace Chronicle of the kings of Burma is a historical work written in Burmese commissioned by King Bagyidaw in 1829, and compiled by scholars to consolidate and compile all works of the history of Burmese rulers...

provides a list of unverifiable legendary monarchs who continuously ruled the area of Bagan from 107AD - said to be the founding of Bagan by Thamudarit up to Anawrahta's ascension.

**Rulers of Bagan**
Name	Relationship	Reign (AD)	Notes
Thamudarit		107-152	founder of Bagan^†
Yathekyaung	Preceptor of Pyusawhti	152-167
Pyusawhti	Son-in-law of Thamudarit	167-242
Htiminyin	Son	242-299
Yinminpaik	Son	299-324
Paikthinli	Son	324-344
Thinlikyang	Son	344-387
Kyaungdurit	Son	387-412
Thihtan	Son	412-439
Thuyai	Usurper	439-494
Tharamunhpya	Grandson of Thihtan	494-516
Thaiktaing	Son	516-523
Thilikyaungnge	Son	523-532
Thinlipaik	Brother	532-547
Hkanlaung	Brother	547-557
Hkanlat	Brother	557-569
Htuntaik	Son	569-582
Htunpyit	Son	582-598
Htunchit	Son	598-613
Popa Sawrahan	Usurping Priest	613-640
Shwe Onthi	Son-in-law	640-652
Peitthon	Brother	652-660
Peittaung	Son	660-710
Minhkwe	Brother	710-716
Myinkywe	Usurping son-in-law	716-726
Theinkha	Court nominee of blood	726-734
Theinsun	Son	734-744
Shwelaung	Son	744-753
Htuntwin	Son	753-762
Shwemauk	Son	762-785
Tun Lat	Brother	785-802
Sawkhinhnit	Son	802-829
Khelu	Son	829-846
Pyinbya Pyinbya Pyinbya was the king of Pagan dynasty of Burma , who founded the city of Pagan. Although Burmese chronicles state that he reigned from 846 to 878, the actual reign, deduced from King Anawrahta's year of ascension, 1044, was likely between 874 and 906...	Son of Khelu	846-878	moved capital from Tampawadi (modern Pwasaw) to Bagan
Tannet Tannet of Pagan Tannet was king of Pagan dynasty of Burma from 906 to 934. Although Burmese chronicles state that he reigned from 878 to 906, the actual reign, deduced from King Anawrahta's year of ascension, 1044, was likely between 906 and 934. Tannet was king of Pagan dynasty of Burma (Myanmar) from 906 to...	Son	878-906
Sale Ngahkwe Sale Ngahkwe Sale Ngahkwe was a king of Pagan dynasty of Burma . Although Burmese chronicles state that he reigned from 906 to 915, the actual reign, deduced from King Anawrahta's year of ascension, 1044, was likely between 934 and 943...	Usurper of the blood	906-915
Theinhko Theinhko Theinhko was a king of Pagan dynasty of Burma who reigned for 16 years. Although Burmese chronicles state that he reigned from 915 to 931, the actual reign, deduced from King Anawrahta's year of ascension, 1044, was likely between 943 and 959...	Son	915-931
Nyaung-u Sawrahan Nyaung-u Sawrahan Nyaung-u Sawrahan was a king of the Pagan dynasty of Burma . Although Burmese chronicles state that he reigned from 931 to 964, his actual reign, deduced from King Anawrahta's year of ascension, 1044, was likely between 959 and 992... (Taungthugyi)	Usurper	931-964
Kunhsaw Kyaunghpyu Kunhsaw Kyaunghpyu Kunhsaw Kyaunghpyu was a king of Pagan and father of Anawrahta who founded the Pagan Empire. Although Burmese chronicles state that he reigned from 964 to 986, the actual reign, deduced from his son Anawrahta's year of ascension, 1044, was likely between 992 and 1014...	Son of Tannet	964-986
Kyiso Kyiso Kyiso was a king of Pagan dynasty who reigned for about six years. Kyiso was a son of King Nyaung-u Sawrahan but raised by King Kunhsaw Kyaunghpyu. Although Burmese chronicles state that he reigned from 986 to 992, the actual reign, deduced from King Anawrahta's year of ascension, 1044, was...	Son of Nyaung-u Sawrahan	986-992
Sokkate Sokkate Sokkate was a king of Pagan dynasty. The king lost his life in a single combat with Anawrahta, who succeeded him and went on to found the Pagan Empire. Historical sources do not agree on the duration of his reign, given as c. 986–1010 by Arthur Phayre, c. 992–1044 by GE Harvey, and 992-1017 by the...	Brother	992-1017
Anawrahta Anawrahta Anawrahta Minsaw was the founder of the Pagan Empire. Considered the father of the Burmese nation, Anawrahta turned a small principality in the dry zone of Upper Burma into the first Burmese Empire that formed the basis of modern-day Burma...	Son of Kunsaw Kyaunghpyu	1044–1077	founder of Bagan and the First Burmese Empire^†
Sawlu Sawlu Sawlu was king of Pagan dynasty from 1077 to 1084. He inherited from his father Anawrahta the Pagan Empire, the first ever unified kingdom of Burma but proved an inexperienced ruler. In 1084, he faced a rebellion in Lower Burma, and was captured and killed.-Early life:Sawlu was born in 1039 to...	Son	1077–1084
Kyanzittha	Brother	1084–1113
Alaungsithu Alaungsithu Alaungsithu or Sithu I was king of Pagan Dynasty of Burma from 1113 to 1167. Sithu's reign was a prosperous one in which Pagan was an integral part of in-land and maritime trading networks...	Grandson	1113–1167	1113-1160(?)
Narathu Narathu Narathu was king of Pagan dynasty of Burma from 1167 to 1170. Narahthu ascended to the throne by murdering his father King Alaungsithu and his elder brother Min Shin Saw. In atonement for his many cruelties, Narathu built the largest of all the Pagan temples, the Dhammayangyi.Narathu's conduct...	Son	1167–1170	1160-1165(?), aka Kala-gya Min (king fallen by Indians)
Naratheinkha Naratheinkha Naratheinkha was king of Pagan dynasty of Burma from 1170 to 1173. When Naratheinkha succeeded his father Narathu, the new king was greeted with multiple rebellions by the Kudus in the Tagaung region in the north and the Mons of Tenasserim coast in the south...	Son	1170–1173
Narapatisithu Narapatisithu Narapatisithu was king of Pagan dynasty of Burma from 1173 to 1210. He is considered the last important king of Pagan. His peaceful and prosperous reign gave rise to Burmese culture which finally emerged out of the shadows of Mon and Pyu cultures. The Burman leadership of the kingdom was now...	Brother	1174–1211
Htilominlo Htilominlo Htilominlo was king of Pagan dynasty of Burma from 1210 to 1234. His 24-year reign marked the beginning of the gradual decline of Pagan dynasty. It was the first to see the impact of over a century of continuous growth of tax-free religious wealth, which had greatly reduced the potential tax base...	Son	1211–1234	aka Nandaungmya (one who often asked for the throne)
Kyaswa Kyaswa Kyaswa was king of Pagan dynasty of Burma from 1234 to 1250. Kyaswa succeeded his father Htilominlo and was even more devout. Kyaswa's reign like his father's was largely peaceful but the depletion of the royal treasury due to large tax-free religious landholdings became more pronounced...	Son	1234–1250
Uzana of Pagan Uzana of Pagan Uzana was king of Pagan dynasty of Burma from 1250 to 1254. Although his actual reign lasted only four years, Uzana was essentially the power behind the throne during his father Kyaswa's reign, 1234–1250. His father, a devout Buddhist and scholar, had given Uzana full royal authority to govern...	Son	1250–1255
Narathihapate Narathihapate Narathihapate was the last king of Pagan dynasty of Burma from 1254 to 1287. The king is unkindly remembered for two things: his gluttonous appetite which supposedly required all his dinners to have 300 varieties of dishes; and his panic flight from Mongol invasions. He is forever remembered as ...	Son	1255–1287	lost the kingdom to the Mongols and known as Tayoke Pyay Min (king who fled from the Chinese) to posterity
Kyawswa Kyawswa of Pagan Kyawswa was a king of Pagan dynasty of Burma from 1287 to 1298. Son of the last sovereign king of Pagan Narathihapate, Kyawswa was one of many "kings" that proliferated after the collapse of the Pagan Empire. Though still styled as King of Pagan, Kyawswa's effective rule amounted to just the area...	Son of Narathihapate	1287–1298	Mongol vassal
Sawhnit Sawhnit Sawhnit was a viceroy of Pagan from 1298 to 1325 under the suzerain of Myinsaing Kingdom in central Burma . He was a son of the Mongol vassal king Kyawswa, and a grandson of Narathihapate, the last sovereign king of Pagan dynasty. Sawhnit succeeded as "king" after his father was forced to...	Son	1298–1325	Viceroy of Pagan to Myinsaing Myinsaing Kingdom The Myinsaing Kingdom was a kingdom that ruled central Burma from 1298 to 1313. Founded by three brothers of Shan and Burman descent, it was one of many petty kingdoms that emerged following the collapse of Pagan Empire in 1287....
Uzana II Uzana II of Pagan Uzana II of Pagan was a viceroy of Pagan from 1325 to 1364 under the suzerain of Pinya Kingdom in central Burma , and from 1364 to 1369 under the Ava Kingdom. He was also the last of the Pagan dynasty which dated back to mid-9th century...	Son	1325–1369	Viceroy of Pagan

^† Although Anawrahta

Anawrahta

is accounted for the founding of Bagan, Thamudarit is listed as the "traditional" founder of Bagan in The Glass Palace Chronicle
Glass Palace Chronicle
The Glass Palace Chronicle of the kings of Burma is a historical work written in Burmese commissioned by King Bagyidaw in 1829, and compiled by scholars to consolidate and compile all works of the history of Burmese rulers...

(Hmannan Yazawin).

Cultural sites

Ananda Temple
Ananda Temple
The Ananda Temple , located in Bagan, Myanmar is a Buddhist temple built in 1105 AD during the reign of King Kyanzittha of the Pagan Dynasty. It is one of four surviving temples in Bagan...

, c.1090, built by Kyanzittha
Bupaya Pagoda
Bupaya Pagoda
Bupaya Pagoda is a notable pagoda located in Bagan , in Myanmar, at a bend on the right bank of the Ayeyarwady River. The small pagoda, which has a bulbous shaped dome, is widely believed to have been built by the third King of Pagan Pyusawdi who ruled from 168 to 243 AD...

, c.850, demolished by the 1975 earthquake and completely rebuilt
Dhammayangyi Temple
Dhammayangyi Temple
Dhammayangyi Temple is a Buddhist temple located in Bagan, Myanmar. Largest of all the temples in Bagan, the Dhammayan as it is popularly known was built during the reign of King Narathu...

, c.1165, the biggest temple in Bagan, built by Alaungsithu but never finished
Dhammayazika Pagoda
Dhammayazika Pagoda
The Dhammayazika Pagoda is a Buddhist temple located in the village of Pwasaw in Burma. It was built in 1196 during the reign of King Narapatisithu. The pagoda is circular in esign, and is made of brick. Its three terraces contain terra cotta tiles illustrating scenes from the Jataka.-External...

, 1196–98, built by Narapatisithu (Sithu II)
Gawdawpalin Temple
Gawdawpalin Temple
Gawdawpalin Temple is a Buddhist temple located in Bagan, Burma. Construction of the pagoda began during the reign of Narapatisithu and completed during the reign of Htilominlo . Gawdawpalin Temple is the second tallest temple in Bagan. The temple is similar in layout to Thatbyinnyu Temple...

, started by Narapatisithu and finished by Nandaungmya, the superstructure destroyed by the 1975 quake and rebuilt
Htilominlo Temple
Htilominlo Temple
Htilominlo Temple is a Buddhist temple located in Bagan , in Burma/Myanmar, built during the reign of King Htilominlo in 1211. The temple is three stories tall, with a height of 46 metres , and built with red brick. It is also known for its elaborate plaster moldings...

, 1218, built by Htilominlo
Lawkananda Pagoda
Lawkananda Pagoda
Lawkananda Pagoda is a Buddhist zedi located in Bagan, Burma . It was built during the reign of King Anawrahta, and contains a replica of a Buddha tooth relic. On 24 May 2003, a bejewelled umbrella was hoisted to the top of the pagoda....

, built by Anawrahta
Anawrahta
Anawrahta Minsaw was the founder of the Pagan Empire. Considered the father of the Burmese nation, Anawrahta turned a small principality in the dry zone of Upper Burma into the first Burmese Empire that formed the basis of modern-day Burma...
Mahabodhi Temple, Bagan
Mahabodhi Temple, Bagan
The Mahabodhi Temple is a Buddhist temple located in Bagan, Burma. It was built in the mid-13th century during the reign of King Htilominlo, and is modelled after the Mahabodhi Temple, which is located in Bihar, India. The temple is built in an architectural style typical during the Gupta period,...

, c. 1218, a smaller replica of the temple in Bodh Gaya, India
Manuha Temple
Manuha Temple
Manuha Temple is a Buddhist temple built in Myinkaba , by captive Mon King Manuha in 1067, according to King Manuha's inscriptions. It is a rectangular building of two storeys. The building contains three images of seated Buddhas and an image of Buddha entering Nirvana...

, built by the captive Mon king Manuha
Mingalazedi Pagoda
Mingalazedi Pagoda
Mingalazedi Pagoda is a Buddhist stupa located in Bagan, Burma. It was built in 1284 during the reign of King Narathihapate. The pagoda is one of few temples in Bagan with a full set of glazed terra cotta tiles depicting the Jataka. The pagoda was built in brick and contains several terraces...

, 1268–74, built by Narathihapate
Narathihapate
Narathihapate was the last king of Pagan dynasty of Burma from 1254 to 1287. The king is unkindly remembered for two things: his gluttonous appetite which supposedly required all his dinners to have 300 varieties of dishes; and his panic flight from Mongol invasions. He is forever remembered as ...
Myazedi inscription
Myazedi inscription
Myazedi inscription , inscribed in 1113, is the oldest surviving stone inscription of the Burmese. "Myazedi" means "jade stupa" , and the name of the inscription comes from a pagoda located nearby...

, c. 1113, described as the "Rosetta Stone of Burma" with inscriptions in four languages: Pyu
Pyu
Pyu city states were a group of city-states that existed from c. 2nd century BCE to late 9th century CE in present-day Upper Burma . The city-states were founded as part of the southward migration by the Tibeto-Burman-speaking Pyu, the earliest inhabitants of Burma of whom records are extant...

, Mon
Mon language
The Mon language is an Austroasiatic language spoken by the Mon, who live in Burma and Thailand. Mon, like the related language Cambodian—but unlike most languages in Mainland Southeast Asia—is not tonal. Mon is spoken by more than a million people today. In recent years, usage of Mon has...

, Old Burmese and Pali
Páli
- External links :* *...

, dedicated to Gubyaukgyi Temple by Prince Rajakumar, son of Kyanzittha
Nanpaya Temple
Nanpaya Temple
The Nanpaya Temple is a Hindu temple located in Myinkaba in Burma. The temple is adjacent to the Manuha Temple and was built by captive Mon King Manuha. It was built using mud mortar, stone, and brick, and was used as the residence of Manuha. The temple contains intricate carvings of Brahma, and...

, c.1060-70, Mon style, believed to be either Manuha's old residence or built on the site
Nathlaung Kyaung Temple
Nathlaung Kyaung Temple
The Nathlaung Kyaung Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to Vishnu, located in Bagan, Burma. It is located west of the Thatbyinnyu Temple, and is the only remaining Hindu temple in Bagan. The temple is one of the oldest temples in Bagan, and was built in the 11th century, during the reign of King...

, mid 11th.C., Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...

deities "confined" to this temple
Payathonzu Temple
Payathonzu Temple
The Payathonzu Temple is a Buddhist temple located in the village of Minnanthu in Burma. It is unique in the sense that the temple consists of three temples conjoined through narrow passages. The interior of the temple contains frescoes, believed to be Mahayana and Tantric in style. However, the...

, probably around 1200
Sein-nyet Ama & Nyima (temple and pagoda, 13th century)
Shwegugyi Temple
Shwegugyi Temple
Shwegugyi Temple is a Buddhist temple built during the reign of King Alaungsithu in 1131. The temple itself is built on an expansive brick foundation 3 metres tall. The temple is known for its arched windows, and its history, which is inscribed in two stone slabs in Pali. According to its...

, 1131, built by Alaungsithu and where he died
Shwesandaw Pagoda
Shwesandaw Pagoda
The Shwesandaw Pagoda is a Buddhist pagoda located in Bagan, Burma. The pagoda contains a series of five terraces, topped with a cylindrical stupa, which has a bejewelled umbrella . The pagoda was built by King Anawrahta in 1057, and once contained terra cotta tiles depicting scenes from the Jataka...

, c.1070, built by Anawrahta
Anawrahta
Anawrahta Minsaw was the founder of the Pagan Empire. Considered the father of the Burmese nation, Anawrahta turned a small principality in the dry zone of Upper Burma into the first Burmese Empire that formed the basis of modern-day Burma...
Shwezigon Pagoda
Shwezigon Pagoda
The Shwezigon Pagoda or Shwezigon Paya is a Buddhist temple located in Nyaung-U, a town near Bagan, in Burma . It is a prototype of Burmese stupas, and consists of a circular gold leaf-gilded stupa surrounded by smaller temples and shrines...

, 1102, built by Anawrahta
Anawrahta
Anawrahta Minsaw was the founder of the Pagan Empire. Considered the father of the Burmese nation, Anawrahta turned a small principality in the dry zone of Upper Burma into the first Burmese Empire that formed the basis of modern-day Burma...

, finished by Kyanzittha
Sulamani Temple
Sulamani Temple
The Sulamani Temple is a Buddhist temple located in the village of Minnanthu in Burma. The temple is one of the most-frequently visited in Bagan. It was built in 1183 by King Narapatisithu, and is similar to the Thatbyinnyu Temple in design. The Sulamani Temple also shows influence from the...

, 1183, built by Narapatisithu
Tan-chi-daung Paya, on the west bank, built by Anawrahta
Anawrahta
Anawrahta Minsaw was the founder of the Pagan Empire. Considered the father of the Burmese nation, Anawrahta turned a small principality in the dry zone of Upper Burma into the first Burmese Empire that formed the basis of modern-day Burma...
Tharabha Gate
Tharabha Gate
Tharabha Gate is the primary gateway to Bagan , located to the east. It is one of the few remaining gates to the ancient city boundaries of Bagan. It consists of two brick-walled shrines, each opposing one another, of two guardian nats, named Min Mahagiri and Hnamadawgyi , who were executed by...

, c.850, built by King Pyinbya
Thatbyinnyu Temple
Thatbyinnyu Temple
Thatbyinnyu Temple is a famous temple located in Bagan , built in the mid-12th century during the reign of King Alaungsithu. It is adjacent to Ananda Temple. Thatbyinnyu Temple is shaped like a cross, but is not symmetrical. The temple has two primary storeys, with the seated Buddha image located...

, the tallest temple at 200 feet (61 m), 12th century, built by Alaungsithu
Tu-ywin-daung Paya, on the eastern boundary of Bagan, built by Anawrahta
Anawrahta
Anawrahta Minsaw was the founder of the Pagan Empire. Considered the father of the Burmese nation, Anawrahta turned a small principality in the dry zone of Upper Burma into the first Burmese Empire that formed the basis of modern-day Burma...

Neighbours

Thaton
Thaton
Thaton is a town in Mon State, in southern Myanmar on the Tenasserim plains. Thaton lies along the National Highway 8 and is also connected by the National Road 85.-Etymology:...

(to the south, in modern-day Burma) until subdued in 1057
Nanzhao (to the north, in modern-day Yunnan Province, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...

)

Sister cities

Luang Prabang

Luang Prabang, or Louangphrabang , is a city located in north central Laos, where the Nam Khan river meets the Mekong River about north of Vientiane. It is the capital of Luang Prabang Province...

Siem Reap

Siem Reap is the capital city of Siem Reap Province in northwestern Cambodia, and is the gateway to Angkor region.Siem Reap has colonial and Chinese-style architecture in the Old French Quarter, and around the Old Market...

, Cambodia

Cambodia

Cambodia , officially known as the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia...

http://www.myanmar.gov.mm/myanmartimes/no192/MyanmarTimes10-192/19202.htm

External links

Myanmar (Burma) - Photo Gallery
All about Bagan (english version)
All about Bagan (spanish version)
All about Bagan (mobile version)
The Life of the Buddha in 80 Scenes, Ananda Temple Charles Duroiselle, Archaeological Survey of India, Annual Report, Delhi, 1913–14
The Art and Culture of Burma - the Pagan Period Dr. Richard M. Cooler, Northern Illinois University
Northern Illinois University
Northern Illinois University is a state university and research institution located in DeKalb, Illinois, with satellite centers in Hoffman Estates, Naperville, Rockford, and Oregon. It was originally founded as Northern Illinois State Normal School on May 22, 1895 by Illinois Governor John P...
Asian Historical Architecture: Bagan Prof. Robert D. Fiala, Concordia University, Nebraska
Buddhist Architecture at Bagan Bob Hudson, University of Sydney
University of Sydney
The University of Sydney is a public university located in Sydney, New South Wales. The main campus spreads across the suburbs of Camperdown and Darlington on the southwestern outskirts of the Sydney CBD. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in Australia and Oceania...

, Australia
Images from Bagan and Burma
Temples of Bagan Photo Gallery Alan Ingram
Old Bagan Photo Gallery
MyanmarBagan Travel Informatin
Bagan Photo Gallery

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Architectural styles

History

Kings of Bagan

Cultural sites

Neighbours

Sister cities

See also

External links