Bagan is an ancient city and a UNESCO World Heritage Site in the Mandalay Region of Myanmar. From the 9th to 13th centuries, the city was the capital of the Bagan Kingdom, the first kingdom that unified the regions that would later constitute Myanmar. During the kingdom's height between the 11th and 13th centuries, more than 10,000 Buddhist temples, pagodas and monasteries were constructed in the Bagan plains alone, of which the remains of over 2200 temples and pagodas survive.
A pagoda is an Asian tiered tower with multiple eaves common to Thailand, Nepal, China, Japan, Korea, Myanmar, Vietnam, and other parts of Asia. Most pagodas were built to have a religious function, most often Buddhist but sometimes Taoist, and were often located in or near viharas. The pagoda traces its origins to the stupa while its design was developed in ancient Nepal.
Mingun is a town in Sagaing Township of Sagaing Region, north-west Myanmar (Burma), located 11 km up the Ayeyarwady River on the west bank from Mandalay. Its main attraction is the ruined Mingun Pahtodawgyi.
Amarapura is a former capital of Myanmar, and now a township of Mandalay city. Amarapura is bounded by the Irrawaddy river in the west, Chanmyathazi Township in the north, and the ancient capital site of Ava (Inwa) in the south. It was the capital of Myanmar twice during the Konbaung period before finally being supplanted by Mandalay 11 kilometres (6.8 mi) north in 1859. It is historically referred to as Taungmyo in relation to Mandalay. Amarapura today is part of Mandalay, as a result of urban sprawl. The township is known today for its traditional silk and cotton weaving, and bronze casting. It is a popular tourist day-trip destination from Mandalay.
The Shwedagon Pagoda ; Mon: ကျာ်ဒဂုၚ်; officially named Shwedagon Zedi Daw and also known as the Great Dagon Pagoda and the Golden Pagoda is a gilded stupa located in Yangon, Myanmar.
The Mahamuni Buddha Temple is a Buddhist temple and major pilgrimage site, located southwest of Mandalay, Myanmar (Burma). The Mahamuni Image is enshrined in this temple, and originally came from Arakan. It is highly venerated in Burma and central to many people's lives, as it is seen as an expression of representing the Buddha's life.
Bagyidaw was the seventh king of the Konbaung dynasty of Burma from 1819 until his abdication in 1837. Prince of Sagaing, as he was commonly known in his day, was selected as crown prince by his grandfather King Bodawpaya in 1808, and became king in 1819 after Bodawpaya's death. Bagyidaw moved the capital from Amarapura back to Ava in 1823.
Bupaya Pagoda is a notable Buddhist 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, Pyusawhti who ruled from 168 to 243 AD. It is one of the most notable shrines among the thousands of new or ruined Pagodas in Pagan, which is located about 90 miles (140 km) south of Mandalay.
Bodawpaya was the sixth king of the Konbaung dynasty of Burma. Born Maung Shwe Waing and later Badon Min, he was the fourth son of Alaungpaya, founder of the dynasty and the Third Burmese Empire. He was proclaimed king after deposing his nephew Phaungkaza Maung Maung, son of his eldest brother Naungdawgyi, at Ava. Bodawpaya moved the royal capital back to Amarapura in 1782. He was titled Hsinbyumyashin, not to be confused with his older brother Hsinbyushin. However, he became known to posterity as Bodawpaya (Grandsire) in relation to his successor, his grandson Bagyidaw, who in turn was given this name in relation to his nephew Mindon Min. He fathered 70 sons and 67 daughters by about 54 consorts.
The Shwemawdaw Pagoda is a stupa located in Bago, Myanmar. It is often referred to as the Golden God Temple. At 114 metres (374 ft) in height, the Shwemadaw holds the record for the tallest pagoda in the country although the Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon is usually credited as the tallest pagoda in Myanmar. Shwemadaw, along with the Shwedagon and Kyaiktiyo, are famous Mon pagodas. The annual pagoda festival is a 10-day affair that takes place during the Burmese month of Tagu.
The Mingun Bell is a bell located in Mingun, Sagaing Region, Myanmar. It is located approximately 11 km (6.8 mi) north of Mandalay on the western bank of the Irrawaddy River. It was the heaviest functioning bell in the world at several times in history.
The Hsinbyume Pagoda is a large pagoda on the northern side of Mingun in Sagaing Region in Myanmar, on the western bank of the Irrawaddy River. It is approximately 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) northwest of Mandalay and is located in the proximity of the Mingun Pahtodawgyi. The pagoda is painted white and is modelled on the physical description of the Buddhist sacred mountain, Mount Meru.
The Mingun Pahtodawgyi is an incomplete monument stupa in Mingun, approximately 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) northwest of Mandalay in Sagaing Region in central Myanmar. The ruins are the remains of a massive construction project begun by King Bodawpaya in 1790 which was intentionally left unfinished. The Pahtodawgyi is seen as the physical manifestation of Bodawpaya's well-known eccentricities. He set up an observation post on an island off Mingun to personally supervise the construction of the temple.
The 1956 Sagaing earthquake occurred on July 16, 1956, at 15:07 UTC. The earthquake was located near Sagaing, Burma. This earthquake had a magnitude of 7.1.
Mahazedi Pagoda is a prominent Buddhist pagoda in Bago, Myanmar.
The Kyauk Ka Lat Pagoda is a Buddhist temple in the Kayin State, Myanmar. The temple complex is built onto prominent limestone rock formation surrounded by an artificial lake, and houses an active community of monks.
The Pon Daw Pagoda is a small pagoda in Mingun, Myanmar. Built in 1799, the temple is a miniature version of the larger, incomplete Mingun Pahtodawgyi, which was abandoned due to cost overruns. The Paw Daw Pagoda resembles what the Pahtodawgyi was intended to look like when it was complete.
Princess Hsinbyume was crown princess of Burma from 1808 to 1812, and first wife of King Bagyidaw of Konbaung dynasty. She married Bagyidaw when he was Prince of Sagaing on 9 February 1803. Hsinbyume and the King Bagyidaw were cousins, as they both were the grandchildren of King Bodawpaya.
The 1839 Ava earthquake, also known as the Amarapura earthquake or Inwa earthquake, was a disastrous seismic event that struck central Burma on the morning of March 23. This earthquake with a moment magnitude as high as 8.3, was one of the biggest in the country since 1762. Shaking reached XI (Extreme) on the Modified Mercalli intensity scale, and was felt in Rangoon and Bhamo.
