BEGAN, in central Myanmar, was the site of a powerful empire between the 11th and 13th centuries CE Bagan is on a verdant plain, in a bend of the Irrawaddy River (now Ayeyarwady) Framed by silvery-grey mountains in the distance and located amidst groves of palm and tamarind trees are hundreds of Buddhist temple, stupas and monasteries. They range from just a few meters in height to over 60 metres. Many are shaped like bells and others, like pyramids with stepped sides. Forscoes, carvings and sculptures add to their beauty.
One of the world’s greatest archaeological sites, rivalling Manchu Picchu and Angkor Wat, some 4450 temples were built by the kings in the Buddhist belief that building temples earned merit. Today barely 2230 of these structures stand as mute survivors of the earthquakes and Mongol invasions that swept the kingdom away.
Most of the temples have been superbly preserved or restored and the site is a great tourist attraction. Nearly 25 years after it was nominated, UNESCO inscribed Bagan as a World Heritage site in July 2019.
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