Temple in Bagan Myanmar. The ancient temples of Bagan are the best place in Myanmar (Burma). Accommodation and hotels in Bagan

Oh Bagan. The first day.

While at Inle Lake, in Indein, we met Russian tourists who were already completing their trip to Burma. And when we asked what they liked more, they unanimously answered – BAGAN! So what is Bagan?

Now these are ruins occupying a vast area, ruins of temples and pagodas, ruins of religious buildings, most of which were built during the period of the 11th-13th centuries, when Bagan was the capital of the kingdom. It was in Bagan that the Golden Age of the Burmese Empire took place. In 1057, King Anoratha took possession of the capital of the Mon kingdom and confiscated ancient manuscripts, took away Buddhist monks, artists and artisans to turn Bagan into a cultural center. Bagan became a center of science, religion and culture, one of largest cities peace. Temples and pagodas were built over two centuries. It is difficult to say how many temples there were here. According to some sources, before the arrival of the Mongols there were about 5,000 of them. In 1287, the Bagan kingdom was occupied by the Mongols. This was preceded by a battle during which the Burmese army lined up its powerful war elephants. But the Mongols began to shoot with arrows at the eyes of the elephants, and they trampled their own infantry. The city was sacked, the golden pagodas were stripped, and numerous religious relics were stolen. Bagan fell into disrepair...

Now Bagan is like big village, it’s very quiet, calm, lazy here. After the crazy Mandalay, this was especially noticeable. Entry into the territory of Bagan costs $10 per tourist - after all, this is a historical site.

Having rested a little at the hotel after the move, we went out into the world. We rented two bicycles and went to explore Bagan. But first, three organizational points: currency exchange, breakfast and a map.

The card was issued at the hotel, but it’s quite mediocre, so it’s still better to buy it. They didn’t change money at the hotel, but they willingly changed it at the large Shwe War Thein souvenir shop; there is a sign to it from the road. The course is good, the store itself is also good. We had breakfast with traditional chicken curry in some local cafe without a name. The main tourist center of old Bagan is located in the area of the Ananda Temple - there are cafes and restaurants, almost supermarket-type shops, souvenir shops and horse-bicycle rentals. It takes 20 minutes to walk from the hotel, 7 minutes by bike.

On the first day we got the following route: Gawdapalin Temple - Mahabodi Temple - BuPaya Pagoda - Ananda Temple - Shwe San daw Pagoda.

Gawdawpalin Temple

This temple was the very first from our hotel. So naturally we started with him. Gawdawpalin was built in the 11th century. One of the oldest and most revered temples in Bagan. The temple is 60m high, square in shape, with images of Buddha on each side, there are 10 of them in the temple. The temple has two floors, but the entrance to the second tier is now closed, due to the fact that the structure is very ancient and the second floor is unsafe. The bans were established just a couple of years ago. Previously, you could climb everywhere.

This was our first temple, the first Buddhas in Bagan, so we looked around it for a long time.

It is worth noting one unpleasant moment - a huge number of people everywhere! And not the tourist people, but the local ones. Although there was also enough tourism. The fact is that we arrived in Bagan during school holidays and mass holidays, so there were probably even more locals than tourists. They were brought in whole truckloads, this all created a crowd in the temple, and spoiled all the sense of mystery of the place.

Mahabodi Temple
This temple is significantly different from all the temples in Bagan. It was built on the model of Indian temples in the 13th century. The whole is decorated with statues of a sitting Buddha. Although some niches are empty, the Buddha statues were knocked down by the Mongols during the capture of Bagan. Here and there you can see a remake - the statues have been restored.
On the territory of the temple, a sweet Burmese woman told us the basic rules of behavior in the temple: if you want to smoke, smoke, you can, if you want to sleep, relax, lie down and sleep, you can even drink if you want, the main thing is to take off your shoes and socks before entering the temple territory and not When you sit with your feet facing Buddha, you must either move them under you or put them on the floor, otherwise you end up with disrespect. And so anything is possible, Buddha will not be offended. A good religion is Buddhism)

On the way to BuPaya we were caught in the rain, from which we hid in this nameless pagoda, well, it probably still has a name, but it wasn’t on our map. The locals, despite the rain, lived their lives and went about their business.

Having passed the turn to BuPaya, we came across another “nameless” pagoda, which stood simply in the middle of the vegetable gardens. Here we were caught in the rain again. In general, the weather on the first day was cloudy, but on the one hand this was a plus - there was no extreme heat. The unknown pagoda was all decorated with carvings, with mythical animals in the corners and no one.

Having returned a little back, we finally reached BuPaya.

BuPaya is the oldest of the pagodas of Bagan, it was originally built in 1162, although according to some sources the stupa itself dates back to the third century. It is located on the banks of the Irrawaddy River. During the 1975 earthquake, the stupa collapsed into the water, but was completely restored. This place is also revered by the Burmese, so there were many of them here. There were also a lot of shops, beggars, and cafes. But not all cafes, especially those on the shore, inspired our confidence...

On the shore, near the stupa, there are a lot of boatmen who ride along the river for a fee. By the way, as an option, you can watch the sunset on the Irrawaddy.

Deciding that we had enough temples for today, we wanted to go to the hotel, especially since it was starting to rain again. But first I wanted to have lunch. We had lunch at a restaurant for tourists, right next to the ancient stone gate. Lunch cost 10 thousand kyat for two, but we ate pasta. In fact, it turned out to be just pasta, but after the chicken curry, the pasta had at least some variety.

After lunch, the rain stopped, and the desire to see the pagodas appeared again. And we went to the Ananda Temple, which our Mongol friend told us about on the train.

Ananda Temple
As Lonely planet says, if you have absolutely no time and you can explore one or two temples in Bagan, then one of these temples should be the Ananda Temple - the largest, most majestic, most beautiful and important and revered temple of Bagan. And indeed, this is so. The temple ranks first in my ranking of Bagan temples. And this is the only temple in Bagan that we visited twice.

The temple was built in 1090. It symbolically expresses the infinite wisdom of the Buddha. Its square perimeter (53 m each side) is surrounded by walls. Above them rise 17 stupas up to 51 m high. The temple is a classic religious building of early Bagan. For the 900th anniversary of the temple in 1990, the Ananda stupas were gilded. A long gallery leads to the temple on each side. In the central gallery, as usual, there are souvenir sellers.

In the temple itself there are hundreds of Buddha statues: 4 teak gilded 9.5 meter full-length statues (only two of the four statues are original, and the other two are just copies, the original ones were lost during a fire in 1600) and hundreds of small ones in niches of the high walls of the temple . The entrances to the temple are closed with huge teak doors. During the 1975 earthquake, the temple was badly damaged, but was completely restored. The upper tiers of the temple are closed to visitors.

Despite the huge number of people in the temple, there were practically no people in the courtyard. Here you could sit quietly on benches, looking at the stone statues decorating the temple, enjoy the silence and contemplate the beautiful world around. Free WiFi is expected to be available on the temple premises. We haven't tested how it works.

The silence was broken only by the ringing of the bell. Speaking of which. Almost every large temple has a bell (for some reason we called it a tambourine), which must be struck three times for good luck or a wish. Therefore, hitting the tambourine was a kind of ritual for us, without which not a single visit to the temple was complete.

The time was approaching sunset, and sunsets in Bagan are usually viewed at the top of some pagoda. The most popular and closest place to us is the Shwe San Daw Pagoda - Shwesando. One of the few pagodas now where you can climb and see the views around. It is only 500 meters from Ananda Temple to Shwesando. The literal translation of the pagoda is golden hair, since it was the hair of the Buddha that was placed in the pagoda as a sacred relic. It is believed that this pagoda is the architectural ancestor of all further stupas not only of Bagan, but also of Burma.

When we arrived, there were already a lot of people... We had to climb high up, up a rather steep staircase. People climbed up with cameras and tripods at the ready. The terrace of the pagoda itself is not so big and not rubber... Based on the amount of professional photographic equipment and, in general, all sorts of modern gadgets, it was possible to arrange a whole exhibition. I nervously smoked on the sidelines with my semi-professional DSLR. I have never met so many photographers in one place on one pagoda, except perhaps while watching the sunrise at Angkor Wat, but there the area was larger.

And people kept coming and coming, on bicycles, carts, cars...

But if you tune out the number of tourist people per square meter of the pagoda and look around, it will certainly take your breath away. Pagodas, pagodas, pagodas, temples, large and small, close and distant, barely visible on the horizon - some kind of cosmic and unreal landscape. We were unlucky with the sunset that evening; the whole day was cloudy and rainy, so the sky was overcast, the sun broke through only a couple of times to the enthusiastic oohs and aahs of tourists and hundreds of clicks of camera shutters.

When the sun had completely set, everyone moved down. To avoid creating a crowd, we remained at the top of the pagoda. There was some kind of blue mesmerizing fog spreading below...

Oh Bagan. Second day.

On the second day, we decided to take a horse-drawn cart and see the temples that were far away from us. They bargained the cart for 15 thousand kyat for the whole day (16 dollars), and went to the Shwezigon pagoda, which is located five kilometers from Old Bagan, almost in Nyang U.

Ancient chronicles record that King Anoratha placed the Buddha's headband on the back of a bejeweled white elephant and commanded, "Where the elephant kneels, a stupa will be built to house the sacred relics!" This is how the place was determined. Buddha's tooth, rib and headband are embedded in the base of the Shwezigon Pagoda. The pagoda took 7 years and 7 days to build by two rulers. Translated, it means – The Pledge of Victory. The pagoda is a huge gilded stupa with various pavilions and galleries around it. The pagoda is very revered among the locals; moreover, it is not located in an archaeological zone, so in the morning there were mainly locals here.

They brought Buddha morning gifts and delicacies, prayed and sang songs.

The weather was clearer today, the sun was shining brightly and the gold in the pagoda was simply blinding. Our attention was drawn to a small puddle in front of the stupa, near which there was a crowd of people. The locals took turns kneeling down and looking at something in this puddle. As they explained to us, it is in this place that the spire of the stupa is clearly visible in the reflection of the water.

As usual, the pagoda is approached by a gallery in which the market is located. We walked along the gallery to take a little break from the sun, which was working today and yesterday. As a result, we returned to the cart with T-shirts, three cans of thanaka, coins and other souvenirs; we were unable to avoid the merchants).

Htilominlo Temple

The temple is located between Nyang U and old Bagan. This large temple was built in the form of an even, regular square in 1218 by a king whose name I cannot even pronounce - King Nantaungmya. The king erected this temple in Bagan at this very place because at the moment when he was elected king among the other five brothers, he was located here.

Taking off our shoes, we entered the temple grounds. The temple is notable for the fact that in addition to the Buddha statues (four on each floor on each side of the world), frescoes depicting Buddha are also preserved on its walls. The passage to the upper floors is naturally closed.

In the temple we found a group of monks praying. The spectacle is very authentic and fascinating.

There were carved stone figures preserved on the outer walls of the temple, but going around the temple and looking at them was real torture: the red brick of the temple was simply hot under the midday sun. Therefore, somehow, galloping on one leg, we examined only one side of the temple.

Souvenirs and souvenirs around the temple, there were a lot of them: dolls, T-shirts, bells, paintings….

After Htilominlo Temple we returned to the center of Old Bagan to have lunch. On the way, I observed life around... Bagan is a real village, like Kalaw in Northern Burma. Incomprehensible jalopies, pedicabs, horse-drawn carts, tourists on bicycles - everyone was going about their own business... And all around were temples, pagodas and stupas...

We arrived at the Star Beans restaurant, founded by a chef who had worked in hotel restaurants for 15 years. That is, by definition, the restaurant must be cool and very touristy. And soon it should enter the top of Lonely Planet.

White tablecloths on the tables, fresh flowers in white vases, there is even a washbasin where a cute Burmese woman will pour water from a silver jug on your hands and offer you a white towel to dry your hands. Beautiful, but... not very tasty. The food is highly Europeanized and bland. Despite the varied menu, there was nothing sensible there except chicken curry. In general, we ordered chicken curry at exorbitant prices, brought boiled rice and unleavened chicken breast. That's all. No condiments, salads or appetizers for you. My husband refused to eat it and went to his favorite local cafe, but I ordered dessert - baked bananas. Beautiful, but very cloying.

While my husband was waiting in line with the locals to have lunch, and there was a decent line, I went to see the pagoda, which was located next to Star Beans. Unfortunately, I don't remember the name of the pagoda. But I really liked her.

There was no one inside, just me. The whole pagoda is carved, some carved ornaments, flowers and unknown creatures. There is only one Buddha and a mirrored corridor led to him. There was a lot of shade in the pagoda, so you could walk calmly, without jumping)

After our lunch, it was time for our horse's lunch, so we headed back to the hotel for an hour and a half to chill in the pool.

By the middle of the day I was already confused about the temples and their names. Therefore, I began to simply photograph temple signs (if there were any). After lunch we went to the largest temple, Dhammayangyi Temple. Built in 1167 by King Narathu. The temple is visible from anywhere in Bagan, it is so big. Inside the temple there are huge long dark corridors with high arches. The Buddhas here are not like everywhere else - not golden, but colored. The temple has many different carved windows, entrances and exits. Overall, a beautiful temple.

In one place there was an open staircase to the top. Despite the prohibitory sign, we climbed there, but didn’t see anything interesting except thousand-year-old mouse shit... and we climbed barefoot...

The time was approaching sunset. The driver invited us to meet him at the Shwesando pagoda, but we were already there, so he brought us to some other place, the name of which I did not remember...

We arrived early, people were still gathering to watch the sunset, so we took the trump seats, in the stalls. It was a two-story mini-temple with Buddhas, of course. To get to the top and get the best seats, you need to squeeze into these narrow turrets.

At the top, local kids were already waiting for tourists with postcards and paintin. Didn’t I tell you about paintin? In general, these are sand paintings: a sketch is made on a piece of fabric, then covered with glue, then sand is sprinkled along the lines of the drawing and then paint is added. And the paintin, that is, the painting, is ready! The motifs of the paintings are the same, as is the text of the traders. They first ask just look, just look, then they tell you that in Burma there are 8 days of the week, that Wednesday is divided into two days and this is shown in the picture. They also show a painting with monsters and mutants of elephants and other animals, and then there is a story that the painting costs only 8-10 dollars. You can listen to it once, two or three times, but then the “paintin” began to bother you... By the way, we naturally bought paintin, but my picture didn’t make it to Moscow... I lost it somewhere (((

By the way, the children at this pagoda turned out to be unobtrusive; they realized that we ourselves already knew a lot about paintin, so we simply smiled at the cameras.

However, the sun was slowly setting, buses and hundreds of carts were rushing to the temple, cyclists abandoned their bikes without really parking them, taking off their shoes as they went. Everyone ran to watch the sunset. We were lucky with the sunset today. As with the views around.

Oh Bagan. Day three.

On the third day of our stay in Bagan, the pagodas, temples and Buddhas were already so boring and did not evoke such wild delight that we simply took bikes and rode around Bagan without a clear route, stopping only where we were interested. I no longer rushed from pagoda to pagoda, trying to photograph all, all, all the temples from all, all, all sides, all the statues and every Buddha. And this particular day was the most interesting, we visited the most beautiful pagodas of Bagan with stunning views.

Thatbinyu Temple was the last major temple in Bagan that we did not cover in the previous two days. We need to complete the mandatory program. We approached the temple not from the main entrance, but from the side. The main one had too many merchants. I only glanced briefly inside the temple. In principle, nothing new, well, except for the Buddha statues. And this was my fatal mistake; sellers of precious stones followed me from the temple. Ruby, ruby, ruby - they whispered like a conspiracy, chasing us as we walked around the temple.

I remembered Cambodia, where they also sell cheap precious stones, mainly sapphires. A local merchant, to prove the authenticity of his $20 stones, burned them with a special burner. We even have the expression “let’s go burn glass,” which means let’s go look at the jewelry. Burmese traders naturally offered rubies. But here they did not have gas burners at hand, so they simply placed stones on a brick and hit them with all their might with another brick, proving that these were not glass. So we came up with another expression: “let’s go break glass.” The cost of rubies started at $100 and quickly dropped to $10.

There are a lot of pagodas and stupas around Thatbinyu. It was possible to climb one such stupa, which is what I did. As usual, you need to take off your shoes, as usual, the stupa stands in the sun and, of course, it is made of red brick. But the views are beautiful.

From the stupa, Tatbinya is very clearly visible, the highest temple of Bagan, by the way - 61 m. The tiers of the temple are clearly visible. Unfortunately, the temple was badly damaged during the earthquake, therefore, as almost everywhere else, access to the upper tiers in Tatbinya is closed.

But access is open in the neighboring temple with the unpronounceable name Shwegugyi, which means Big Golden Cave. The temple was built in just seven months. We no longer went inside the temple; we would not have seen anything except Buddhas, flowers and paintings. We were exclusively interested in the second tier. And he didn't disappoint. The views around were unearthly. It's like from another planet. Stupas, pagodas, a green carpet of trees and bushes, in some places with crimson spots from flowers. And as far as the eye can see, stupas stick out. And the main temples of Bagan, which we visited over these three days, rise like giants among this.

The temple itself is beautiful, with turrets at the corners, decorated with decorative green tiles and stone carvings.

Then we decided to go towards New Bagan. On that side, as the Russian tourists we met at one of the pagodas told us, is the most beautiful pagoda of Bagan, simply the coolest place. They didn’t remember what it was called; it wasn’t on our map, but they showed its approximate location. And so we drove towards New Bagan in search of an unknown, but very beautiful pagoda.

On the way we stopped at Manuha temple. This temple was built by the captive Mon king Manuha. Manuha was captured during the Burma invasion of the Mon kingdom of Thaton. Then the Mon kingdom was plundered and destroyed. Ancients Buddhist relics and manuscripts were taken to Bagan, artisans and monks were also taken out to build a new cultural, spiritual and religious center. For the same purpose, the king of the Mons himself was captured. He was brought to Bagan in a special position, and was even allowed to build a temple. The temple is interesting because in a small room lies a huge Buddha. It barely fits into the cramped space of the temple.

In front of the temple there is a certain golden vat, apparently for some religious purposes. But what kind of vat is this, after three days of complete immersion in pagodas and stupas, we were no longer interested.

Immediately after the temple, we turned off the road onto a dirt road and drove across rough terrain in search of a pagoda. The drive took a long time, an hour and a half. Some roads were marked on our map, and some were not. They tried to ask the locals for directions, saying, where is the beautiful pagoda, but since there are many pagodas here, the locals sent us in different directions. But we stubbornly moved on.

And then something red and gold appeared on the horizon. Approaching closer, this red and gold took on the outline of a pagoda. Without a doubt, this is most likely the wonderful pagoda we are looking for. The pagoda was called Dhamma-ya-zi-ka.

Having taken off our shoes before entering the territory, we walked through. There is naturally a Buddha inside. Small, modest, but in flowers.

We climb up a steep, long and very hot staircase. This was my most difficult staircase. The sun was at its zenith and heated the brick so much that I jumped in small dashes from shadow to shadow, because only there it was possible to step on the bricks.

But what opened up to our eyes when we got up was worth all the searching and wasted effort. Can't be expressed in words.

The pagoda stands far away from all the main temples of Bagan, so from it the whole of Bagan opened up to us. All the temples and stupas seen and visited during these three days. From here you can see the entire scale of Bagan. Everywhere the eye can see there are pagodas, pagodas, pagodas. There are truly thousands of them. And it’s good that we visited it last; it became, as it were, the summation of all of Bagan.

Bagan is often compared to Angkor in Cambodia. It's hard for me to compare them. They are different. Bagan amazes with its size and number of temples and pagodas. And Angkor - because it was lost in the jungle. And the tourist flow is at different levels. For now, getting to Bagan is more difficult.

The pagoda itself is unusual, it is red and gold, we have not seen anything like it in Bagan. The pagoda is decorated with various figures and mythical statues, and squirrels jump around. And below, raspberry bushes grow like a carpet, of which there are a lot here in Bagan.

We sat on top of the pagoda in the shade for quite some time. Relaxed and enjoyed Bagan. Tomorrow we fly to Ngapali. And even if it was not the pagoda that our compatriots told us about, then Dhamma-ya-zi-ka is without a doubt the best of the pagodas (not temples) that simply must be visited.

There is another interesting temple in Bagan, which I did not talk about. I don’t know the name, but it’s easy to find, it’s located on the road on the right side right before the center of old Bagan, if you’re driving from Nyaung U. The temple is very remarkable, you can’t pass by. It is decorated with statues of monkeys, elephants and Buddha.

We decided to watch the third sunset in Bagan on the river. We drove towards the Bu Paya Pagoda, where there are a lot of cafes. In one of these cafes, we ordered chicken curry and watched the sunset over the Irrawaddy. Another stage of our great Burmese journey was coming to an end. And Bagan is its main pearl.

Bagan (Bagan) - the main attraction of the state Myanmar (Burma), which is a must-see when traveling around the country. Thousands of ancient Buddhist temples and pagodas, like sprouted seeds scattered in a field since ancient times, appear for many kilometers, immersing you in mysterious world and delighting tourists from all over the world. A paradise for historians and pilgrims, positive energy, one of the most interesting and unique places not only in Myanmar, but also beyond its borders.

History of Bagan

Bagan until recently, it was not as famous in the world as, for example, the temple complexes in Cambodia or on the Indonesian island of Java, but in terms of its artistic value it is on a par with them. In 850, a prince named Pyinbu (his ethnic origin is unknown) founded the capital of his domain on the site of the small fortress of Pagan. The favorable location - at the intersection of trade routes - naturally gave impetus to the development of the city. By the 11th century. The entire territory of modern Myanmar was under his rule. When in 1057 King Anoratha (1044-1077) annexed the neighboring Mon state to his possessions, the Pagan kingdom became one of the largest and most influential in South-East Asia.

Anoratha confiscated the sacred Buddhist Pali manuscripts stored in the capital of the Mons - the city of Thaton, and resettled Buddhist monks, artists and artisans to Pagan. Theravada Buddhist teachings became the state religion. Anoratha then asked for help from Sri Lanka, also Theravada, and monks came from there too. Anaratha was also a great connoisseur of everything beautiful and intelligent. Gradually, Bagan turned not only into a religious center, but also into one of largest centers trade, culture, science and art, the city had a university and several libraries. Folklore theater, ethnic musical genres, and painting, including fresco painting, developed, wonderful examples of which can be seen in the temples of Pagan. Historical chronicles of Myanmar were kept.

Under King Chanzitha (1084-1113), Pagan experienced its heyday: grandiose temple construction was underway. Each new king considered it his duty to add several temples and pagodas to the existing ones. Those close to the king, and just rich people, tried to keep up; everyone wanted to build at least one stupa, albeit a small one. But internal strife weakened the country, from the 13th century. The period of decline of the kingdom begins, it rapidly loses its territories and falls into decay under the blows of the Mongols who came from the north. In 1369, the Pagan king was mentioned in historical chronicles for the last time. Residents of the capital are gradually leaving it.

The streets of the city have long been overgrown, wooden buildings have collapsed, but Buddhist temples and stupas have survived. For many years, Myanmar was a closed country for internal political reasons, and Bagan, accordingly, is also terra incognita. Now the situation is changing, there are more and more tourists from abroad and pilgrims here. No to Pagan railway, only one small airport is located near it, so residents of Myanmar also have difficulties visiting the city, but nevertheless it is now one of the most revered places in the country. According to some sources (although many historians have doubts), the first European to see Pagan was Marco Polo (1254-1324), his notes contain descriptions of the city, the war with the Mongols, but perhaps this is a summary of other people’s stories .

Then the city fell out of sight of Europeans until the 18th century, when the Englishman Syme reached it, saw the already collapsing Pagan and sketched it. English officers and missionaries begin to visit the city, but do not stay here. Myanmar (then called Burma) was the farthest border of the British Empire. In 1885, Burma officially became a British colony under the name British Burma. For Pagan, the era of adventurers and greedy robbers began, trying to take away everything, even entire fragments of frescoes, and first of all, of course, gold.

Scientists - archaeologists, historians, art historians - came to Pagan only at the beginning of the 20th century, but the real study of Pagan began only after Burma gained independence from Great Britain, and this happened in 1948.

Bagan, Myanmar archaeological site

The archaeological site of Myanmar - the ruins of the city of Bagan (Bagan) is located in the center of the country, 145 km southwest of the city Mandalay, on the plateau of the western, left bank of the deep and most large river Myanmar Irrawaddy, the sources of which are located on the southeastern slopes of the Himalayas. The territory of Bagan stretches for approximately 13 km along the river bank.

In Bagan, you won’t find two identical temples - each is unique in its own way. Almost every major temple has a bell. If you make a wish and ring the bell three times, your wish will certainly come true.

Now the inhabited part of Bagan is just a small village, while temples and pagodas spread over an area of more than 40 km 2. Temples are scattered without any system. Some are overgrown with bushes, others stand in the open, and others are hidden under the canopy of palm trees. Most of them are made of red brick and white stone, the most significant ones are covered with gold leaf.

The approaches to the most famous temples are paved, and around these stupas there are always a lot of merchants and people who want to be guides: to help climb the stairs for a modest fee, to shine a flashlight. However, a huge number of abandoned temples have been preserved, lost in the endless fields of Bagan. Many of them have been destroyed, some are being restored, and some are still sites for archaeological research. Below are photographs of finds discovered by the author of this article during his stay in this amazing city.

Most often, temples have a symmetrical shape, four altars and four exits, oriented to the cardinal points. There is “gubyauzhi” - cave temples with labyrinths of corridors covered with frescoes. From huge amount pagodas and stupas of all sizes and shapes are the brightest, largest, most memorable in Bagan - Manuha.

Sights of Bagan

Ananda Pahto

One of the first great temples of Bagan, it remains to this day one of the most attractive and often photographed. This masterpiece of the Mon architectural style, with some North Indian influences, reflects the transition from the early to middle period of Burmese architecture. Situated to the east of the old city walls, the imposing white structure dominates the surrounding area. The temple was heavily damaged during the devastating earthquake of 1975 and was carefully restored.

The temple was built between 1090 and 1105 during the reign of King Kyanzittha and is intended to symbolize the endless wisdom of the Buddha. The temple inspired subsequent rulers to build beautiful structures. It is distinguished by perfect proportions and symmetry of shapes. The perimeter of the temple is a square, each side of which is 53 m.

The main mass of the building consists of terraces with windows. The central tower reaches a height of 51 m. It has the largest number of terracotta tiles in Bagan, as well as 4 impressive 9.5 meter high gilded statues of a standing Buddha, made of teak and facing the 4 cardinal directions. However, only 2 statues (directed to the north and south) are authentic and are the same age as the building. The other two are replicas created to replace those destroyed in a fire of ca. 200 years ago. In the western part of the sanctuary there are statues of the founder and abbot of the Ananda temple. The footprints of Buddha are visible on the pedestal of the western portal. Initially, the walls of the temple were decorated with wall paintings and frescoes, but little has survived to this day. In January, the annual festival (Ananda Paya Festival) is held for 3 days during the full moon.

Sulamuni Pahto

The temple was built in 1181 by order of King Narapatisithu and is a combination of two styles of Burmese architecture: early and medieval style. The first is characterized by horizontal and planar exterior objects, while the second is characterized by a vertical direction. This combination makes the temple very unusual and interesting for tourists.

The temple stands on a terrace and has two floors, which gives it the appearance of a pyramid; its brickwork is considered one of the best in Bagan. Temple complex surrounded by a high wall; once hundreds of monastic cells were adjacent to its inner side, but they have not survived to this day. The pagodas are located at the corners of the main terrace.

Inside, the Sulamani Temple exemplifies the decorative traditions of Bagan, with carved cornices, pediments and painted walls. All this has now been restored by craftsmen to its original form.

Dhammayangyi Pahto

A gigantic temple similar to one of the ancient pyramids Dhamayanji- one of the largest Buddhist temples in Burma, the largest temple in Bagan by area, built in the second half of the 12th century.

The Dhammayanji Temple was built in 1167 by King Narathu (1167-1170), known for his cruel temper - he killed his father and strangled his brother. By an evil irony of fate, Narathu died in his temple, killed by the conspirators. Dhammayanji is visible from almost anywhere in Bagan; it resembles a stepped pyramid and from a distance appears to be a powerful fortress. Inside there are many gloomy corridors, and the Buddhas are not golden, as usual, but painted in different colors.

Shwezigon Paya

The ensemble is one of the largest and most revered Buddhist complexes in Burma. The Shwezigon sanctuary contains the great relics of Buddhism: the frontal bone of Buddha and his tooth (however, it is possible that this is a copy of the sacred tooth kept in the Temple of the Tooth Relic in Kandy). These relics are gifts to Shwezigon from the Sinhala ruler Vijayabahu I (1059-1144), a zealous defender of the Hinayana teachings - one of the interpretations of Buddhism that became widespread in Burma during the time of King Anoratha. According to legend, King Anoratha ordered the headband of the Buddha himself to be placed on the back of a white elephant, saying: “Where the elephant falls to its knees, a stupa will be built to store the sacred relics.” The elephant knelt down in the place where Shwezigon now stands. This is the only temple that has preserved its golden decoration from ancient times. On the outside it is bright and light, but on the inside it is dimly lit and full of mystery.

The center of the temple ensemble is Shvezigon-chetiya - a stupa erected on three large terraces built on an octagonal multi-stage plinth. The terraces and base of the golden stupa originally served for processions of pilgrims who had to walk around the stupa, rising and moving from terrace to terrace. Similar processions were organized in Borobudur. This clockwise circumambulation of the stupa - pradakshina - was a way for Buddhist pilgrims to pay respect to this place dedicated to the memory of the Buddha. Especially for these processions, a wide detour, paved stone slabs. In the corners, on the parapets of the terraces, there are small brick temples - smaller copies of the top of the stupa. The three terraces are surrounded by glazed terracotta slabs depicting religious Buddhist scenes.

The central stupa is surrounded by numerous stone and wooden buildings, temples and pavilions for various purposes - for prayers, rest, etc. The wooden temples are crowned with carved multi-tiered roofs - pyatta. On the territory of the ensemble there are many statues of demon guardians of the temple. The objects of worship are 37 statues of nat - ancient Burmese pagan deities, intricately mixed in Shwezigon with Buddhist shrines.

Thatbyinnyu Pahto

The massive and majestic Tatbinyu Temple is the tallest temple in Bagan. It is located west of the Ananda Temple, within the city walls, north of the Tog Gate. The height of Tatbinyu is 61 meters, the length of each side is 58 meters. It was built around 1150 during the reign of King Alauncitu. The distinctive features of the temple are its multi-level Indian-style architectural design and artistic brickwork.

In the Middle Ages, Tatbinyu was not just a temple, but a whole religious complex. There was a monastery on the first floor, and a library on the second. The upper part of the building was occupied by a sanctuary and a stupa. The building was badly damaged during the earthquake in 1979, so entry to the upper terraces is now prohibited for tourists.

Htilominlo Pahto

It is a 46-meter-high temple that has a similar architectural style to Sulamani. It was built by King Htilominlo, also known as Nadaungmyar. Legend has it that when King Narapatisitu thought about choosing a successor, he decided to cast lots, placing his five sons around a white umbrella in the center. Untwisting his umbrella, he trusted fate. The umbrella pointed to Htilominlo, who was chosen to become the next king.

The temple was built on the site where King Htilominlo was chosen, who probably built it as a sign of gratitude to the gods for his election. The outside of the temple is covered with bas-reliefs of various mystical creatures. Inside, visitors will be able to see four large Buddha statues located on each side of the temple.

Shwesandaw Paya

It was built in 1058 under King Anoratha in order to place here the hair of Buddha donated by the king of the Bago state. The pagoda itself is not as architecturally sophisticated as the others, but it offers stunning views of Bagan.

In order to see the sunset from it, you will have to climb the steep steps. And the higher, the steeper the steps. During sunset, all the temples and pagodas in the area turn pinkish-golden, which simply cannot be captured in photographs.

Gawdawpalin Pahto)

- one of greatest temples in Bagan, built by King Narapatisitu and completed by his successor Htilominlo. It is a two-story building with a height of 55 meters, but although the scale of the temple is quite impressive compared to others, its architectural style is not so refined.

There is a legend that during his reign, King Narapatisitu, having imagined himself, arrogantly proclaimed himself a divine person, whose merits surpassed the merits of his ancestors.As punishment, the gods sent him blindness, and he managed to regain his sight.only after he, having built a temple, atoned for his sins.

Pagan's most extraordinary temple was built by Manuha, the captive king of the defeated Mons. Manuha was an honorary prisoner; he was left with servants and part of the treasury and was allowed to build a temple. It consists of three cubes placed next to each other, devoid of any decorations. But there is no emptiness inside, the entire space is occupied by a statue of a sitting Buddha; his head rests on the ceiling, his elbows on the walls; in order to go to the next room, you need to squeeze between the wall and the palm of the statue.

In the following halls there are again statues, for which there is clearly not enough space. The reclining Buddha is especially impressive, and he is so cramped that it seems as if the room serves as his coffin. This Buddha, squeezed by the walls, is as if Manuha himself, thus expressing a protest against bondage.

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Bagan is another former capital of another kingdom that once existed in what is now Myanmar. Near the coast of the Irrawaddy, on an area of 40 m2, about four thousand Buddhist religious buildings have been preserved: temples, stupas, man-made caves. Almost all of them were built from the 11th to the 13th centuries during the heyday of the kingdom. Soon, when the Mongols came to these lands, the city was plundered and fell into decay. Now only a few villages scattered around the area remain. There is an airport near the village of Nyaung U, from which we will fly to Yangon in the evening of the next day.

In Bagan, Myanmar // gur-095.livejournal.com

Trains

A year and a half ago, I already experienced the joy of traveling by train in Southeast Asia. Then we drove about 250 kilometers overnight from east to west of the island of Ceylon. Now we had something similar to do, only in 8 hours we had to cover an even smaller distance - only 150 kilometers separating Mandalay and the city of Bagan temples. Having estimated the average speed and remembering the condition of the Sri Lankan first class carriages with greasy seats and cyclopean-sized cockroaches, I decided not to even think about the Myanmar carriages, but to accept them as a necessity. There are three alternatives - either fly by plane, which will cover one and a half hundred kilometers in twenty minutes and empty your wallet by $100, or travel by bus - five to six hours off-road in a cramped cabin. The third option is to take a boat down the Irrawaddy River. There is a “high-speed” boat - the journey will take about 9 hours and will cost 40 dollars, and twice a week there is a “galosh” for locals - without any amenities, with mats on the deck, but in a colorful company - 12 hours and 10 dollars. The train, which cost $15 in upper class, seemed like the best option. And in general, I love trains.

The train is night, but there are no sleeping cars. People here are accustomed to such travel times, and apparently they are not supposed to sleep comfortably. Although there are steel seats on the Bagan-Yangon train. But it’s a nineteen-hour drive there, and we’re only eight. The carriages turned out to be relatively good for Southeast Asia, better than those in Sri Lanka. Two wide soft seats on each side, windows that close with difficulty, a toilet that doesn’t close at all, looking like a “hole in the floor,” a shabby, shabby table - that’s the whole interior. But overall it's clean.

Soon after departure you become a real Buddhist. He realizes that even in a sleeping car it would be problematic to fall asleep - the car confidently rocks in all planes. In moments you fly up five centimeters, so much so that it seems as if you are in the saddle on a horse. From right to left, the cars sway relative to each other so much that if you look at the door of the next car, at some moments it will overlap the body of our car by almost a third. Before the most dangerous section, when it seemed that the carriage was about to capsize, inspectors walked through the salons and asked to remove all heavy things from the upper shelves. I wonder what laws of physics are being violated in Myanmar that the train remains on the tracks at such amplitudes. Anton called this phenomenon “Myanmar Shake,” which greatly amused our fellow travelers.

Along with us in the carriage were Airy from New York, who has been traveling around the world for several months, and a young couple from the Basque Country. Anton got bourbon from Kentucky, bought at Domodedovo duty-free and started in Bangkok. Airy perked up and the conversation began. Cup after cup, our American travel companion talked about his adventures in Europe and the Middle East. He was particularly impressed by the world's tallest skyscraper, the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, which he said was "so f*cking tall!"

Soon the bourbon ran out and we all fell asleep in extreme positions. Bask slept in a sleeping bag right on the floor. I settled into two empty seats, extending the sleeping surface with my suitcase. The train dragged slowly through the wild darkness. Tree branches scraped along the body of the carriage and fell into the open windows. At rare stops, I heard in my sleep how passengers were talking among themselves, how the boys on the platform were shouting repeated phrases in their round tongue, offering to buy some kind of food. I remembered these phrases for a long time, without knowing what they meant. And to this day, sometimes these Burmese voices overheard at unknown stops suddenly come to mind. At five in the morning, when it was still barely light, the train arrived in Bagan.

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lost World

A light rain was falling. In the half-asleep dawn, silhouettes of pagodas were visible. There were dozens of them. No, there were hundreds of them around! Before going to see one of the most unusual places in the world, we decided to sleep for a couple of hours at the hotel after an overnight drive. But I couldn't sleep. I couldn't wait to see Bagan. I also remembered Tin Zu and Maa Zee and the boy Ni-Ni from Inva. I kept imagining how they were there, day after day, on the pier. Probably, if you come there in a couple of years, you can easily find them in the village, in the same place. And give them photographs.

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A little practical information: You can stay either in the new Bagan or in the Old. The latter is located in the heart of the archaeological zone, close to all the most interesting sights. New Bagan is a settlement three and a half kilometers south of the old one, a small village whose residents make money from tourism and cattle breeding. There are few hotels; during the season, demand exceeds supply, so prices are quite high, and you need to book a room in advance - through booking or agoda.com (there are very few budget offers), or through a local travel agency. It is more expensive to stay in Old Bagan than in New Bagan.

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The correct way to get around Bagan is by bicycle or carriage. I had almost resigned myself to the rain, but suddenly the weather cleared and the sun came out. It was decided to take a bicycle. Rental cost $2 per day. As a big fan of cycling tourism, it was very interesting for me to test myself in the vastness of Myanmar. Anton had not ridden a bicycle for many years, and it was clear that at first he was not very happy about the idea, looking warily at the battered two-wheeled vehicle. The bikes were indeed ancient, with handlebars bent by horns and brakes that were almost non-functional. But by the time we got to New Bagan, we got used to it.

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Provincial Bagan, unlike noisy Mandalay, is a paradise for tourists. Everything that exists around is essentially made for them and for the numerous pilgrims who come to these places of worship from all over Buddhist Asia. There are many tourists, most of them came on elite individual tours, but there are also backpackers from Western Europe and America. No compatriots were seen, except for one man interested in local culture in the evening bar, but he knew why he came here.

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Tourism does not develop the best traits in the local population. Such naive and sincere people from Mandalay are already active businessmen here who, by hook or by crook, are trying to win the favor of your wallet and overtake their competitors in this. Of course, they still have time to grow up to become Arab merchants, but the girls selling souvenirs are no longer more interested in you, but in how much money you have with you. Although here, too, in markets, human relationships do happen. I gave one girl several ruble coins as a souvenir, she smiled, ran away somewhere and brought me postcards from Bagan in return, wishing each other good luck. But I didn’t like it at all in the most famous Shwezigon pagoda here, a completely gilded huge stupa. Already on the approaches to it there is a lively competition for foreigners. Older women traders attack the traveler like vultures, playing subtle psychological games, handing him some trinket and calling it a gift. Then they almost force you to sit across from the counter and offer you a bunch of unnecessary things. Getting rid of them turned out to be difficult. And inside the courtyard of the pagoda, crooks also operate: posing as temple workers, they lure uncomprehending foreigners into some cubicle with Buddha, supposedly to look at the statue, pretend that they are performing a certain ritual, and then demand money for it. They were sent successfully. Yes, here are not at all those naive beautiful girls and boys with kind eyes that we met in Mandalay. No wonder I feel that mass tourism does not bring any good. Although it improves the economy well.

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Tourists with guides walk mainly along the beaten path around the most famous and ancient temples. But if you are on a bicycle, this gives you a huge scope for exploring Bagan. Just turn onto any dirt road, moving away from the main road, and you will see all the same splendor, only there won’t be a soul around.

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Some stupas can be reached by steps. Their cramped terraces offer cosmic views. A big tourist attraction here is watching the sunset from one of these stupas. It is written about in all the guidebooks, and usually in the evening it is full of people who want to see the light show, which does not contribute to its correct perception. But there are several such stupas with steps, you just have to look for them.

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Now thousands of pagodas, huge and very tiny, with strange artifacts, are buried in the grass among tropical woodlands. Most are not supported in any way and continue to be destroyed by time and earthquakes. Some temples are being restored and even added to, which, in my opinion, is not always beneficial to the atmosphere of the place. It’s probably worth protecting them from extinction, but not renovating them with gilding and marble - then the mystical essence of the ancient abandoned city will not be lost.

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And a week would not be enough to enjoy this place. Having examined the main temples from the guidebooks, you can go deeper, go wherever your eyes look and find no less interesting temples there: study, be surprised, feel like a real discoverer.

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In the evening in Old Bagan it is pleasant to sit in some restaurant with a plate of rice and a glass of beer. Finding a place in Bagan that is comfortable for the European stomach is not difficult. Unlike Mandalay, where in a city of a million people you can find restaurants with European conditions (not even talking about food) with only a couple of large hotels, there are cafes at every turn. Mostly served, of course. local cuisine, but adapted - not so sharp, not so specific. We tried the tea salad - an outlandish dish that I had never even heard of. The fact is that Burma is the only country where tea leaves are not only brewed, but also eaten. I never would have thought that it would even be delicious! As for beer, the local Myanmar beer seemed to us very similar to a real intoxicating drink: dense, foamy, aromatic. No matter how wary I am of Asian beer brands, Maynmar beer is a completely unexpected discovery. Either the colonial traditions of the British were confidently preserved after their departure, or they have not yet realized that beer can be diluted to obtain greater profits, but the quality is truly surprising. There is also a less pleasant Mandalay Beer, with an unusual sweetish aftertaste.

You can sit in these establishments until late, but if you are on a bicycle and live in New Bagan, you are out of luck. Three and a half kilometers in pitch darkness were difficult for us. The roads here are illuminated only by the stars and the moon, and on a cloudy day you can’t see them at all. After nine, there is no traffic on the roads, and driving is scary. Halfway through the journey, a police patrol even became interested in us. Having inquired about who we were and where we were going, the police settled down behind us and began to accompany us and illuminate the path with their headlights until we turned onto the dirt road to our hotel.

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In fairness and for those especially doubtful, it must be said that security in Myanmar is good. Many of my friends, who once heard something about Burma, assured me that there was martial law, shooting and banditry. Firstly, you need to understand that there is very little objective information from there: the majority of Western, and not only, states are negatively disposed towards the existing regime in Myanmar, so the events taking place there will be presented accordingly, in the form of an elephant blown out of proportion. And secondly, all the events from the recent spring reports of unrest in Burma took place only in the Rakhine state bordering Bangladesh, and concerned interfaith and everyday tensions between Buddhists and Rohingya Muslims, which had nothing to do with tourists or the larger parts of the country as a whole. To correctly assess the current situation in the country, it is better to use insider sources. Here, for example, is the blog of a Russian resident of Yangon, who used to live in Perm.

The crime rate, especially against foreigners, is steadily approaching zero. There are no pickpockets, missing things from hotel rooms and other minor problems: for the people living here, Buddhism is not just a word. Most of these people will not do harm to others, so as not to cause problems for their karma. We felt absolutely safe in Myanmar, much safer than we feel in Moscow. But, of course, you shouldn’t forget about reasonable safety rules.

Fly with local airlines

The airport is located about seven kilometers from Old Bagan, near the village of Nyaung-U. In all schedules it will be listed as Nyaung-U Airport. The building, stylized as Buddhist temple architecture, looks serious. I expected to see here something like a dilapidated hangar with an old runway located nearby, which would compete in squalor with the record holder of my personal rating - the airport of the Serbian city of Nis, but I saw it alive new terminal, full of foreign tourists.

The building is new, but we are in Myanmar. In the departure hall, the employees do not have a single computer in sight. Although recently the wi-fi has been working with difficulty. The flight schedule is written with a marker on a white board. At the check-in counters they hand-write boarding passes and luggage tags. They solemnly announce to us that the seating in the cabin is free. The baggage handler takes the suitcase, and we are sent to wait for the flight announcement. The employee smiles from ear to ear and, without hiding his emotions, points to the new, apparently just recently installed LG monitors - our flight will appear on them!

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Aviation in Myanmar consists of several airlines operating mostly older ATR turboprop aircraft. The routes between the main airports of the country for all companies are built the same way - the plane flies from Yangon in a circle - either clockwise or counterclockwise - landing at intermediate points, disembarking and picking up passengers and after 15 minutes taking off again, like an air minibus. Yangon-Inle Lake-Mandalay-Bagan-Yangon. Planes also fly north - to the mountainous provinces at the foot of the Himalayas; V new capital Myanmar Naypyitaw; on the coast in Ngapali Beach and somewhere to the south, in small towns. But in Myanmar you have to be on your guard, flights are often canceled or rescheduled, so the day before departure you should check with a travel agency about the situation.

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Just before boarding, people are driven into a storage area in front of the gate. There, passengers wait for the bus to arrive, and a special person with the flight number in his hands announces that they are ready to board. He runs around the hall, waving a sign and loudly calling the destination and the airline.

We flew with AirBagan. The planes, contrary to expectations, were not destroyed, they were good. The interior is clean and the level of service is quite normal. On the way, however, we encountered a thunderstorm and some serious turbulence. There was sparkle outside the window. The small plane, like a small boat during a storm, was thrown by powerful currents in all directions, and I had to get nervous. But a little over an hour later we landed in Yangon.

gur_095
19/02/2014

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Bagan, Bagan, Kingdom of Pagan- the most large cluster temples (not only Buddhist) in the world. Bagan -the ancient capital of the kingdom of the same name on the territory of modern Myanmar. The city is located on a dry plateau along the eastern bank of the Ayeyarwaddy River, 145 km southwest of Mandalay.

Currently on site ancient city There is an archaeological zone with thousands of pagodas, temples, stupas, and monasteries. Pagan is still not an object world heritage for political reasons.Most of the temples, pagodas and stupas were built during the heyday of the Pagan kingdom in the 11th-13th centuries. Bagan became the capital for the first time at the end of the 9th century under the kingPyinbya, and flourished during the re-transfer of the capital in the 11th century. under the great king Anoratha. It was under him that most of the temples were built.

The most significant stupas - Shwezigon and Lokananda Chaun - store the teeth of Buddha and are covered with gold, asphalt leads to them from the main road, and there are many shopping pavilions around.

But the rest of the red brick and white stone pagodas are not covered with gold, some require restoration.

Bagan is on a very dry plateau and is very hot during the day in May. Bagan is a large protected area with many temples, scattered among small settlements. Many temples are located in the scorched desert between sparse trees. During the “wet” rainy season, everything is covered with lush vegetation and it seems that the temples are buried in the jungle, it is very beautiful, so if you have a choice, go here when there is still a lot of greenery.

During the dry, hot period, many temples are restored and overgrown with forests. Wherein high season in Bagan, the peripheral months are considered at the end of the wet season, when there is not much rain, but it is not yet so hot.

How to get there

There is an airport in Nyang U, the main city of Bagan, which can be reached by plane.

Cheap flights NYU

Where	departure date	Return date	Find a ticket
Yangon
Bangkok
Phuket
Sihanoukville
Kyiv
Saint Petersburg
Moscow

However, most tourists come to Bagan by bus from Yangon. This is the main way to get to the temples. At the entrance along the main highway, as well as at the airport, vigilant employees of the historical complex will charge you a fee of $25. You can avoid this by arriving on a secondary route (for example, from Mandalay) by bus or by hitchhiking in the evening. This car checkpoint is not so strict, although buses can selectively check and also charge tourists a fee for visiting the complex. So hitchhiking is the only calm way to avoid fees.

Urban transport. How to get around the city and suburbs

The network of small towns, including Nyaung-U, does not provide any urban public transport. The most common transport in Bagan is an electric moped or a bicycle - there are rental networks everywhere, prices are approximately the same everywhere. They don’t offer regular moped rental for tourists in Bagan - firstly, so that you don’t go anywhere on it, and secondly, they care about the ecology of the area. It is not uncommon for tourists to use taxis or taxi sharing to get around the area.

I rented an electric moped, the battery of which lasts for almost a whole day of active driving. Bicycles in many hotels and some hostels are free for guests.

Housing. Hotels and hostels

There are many hotels and hostels open around Bagan - the area lives on tourists and there will be no problems with housing.

luxury hotel in Bagan Myanmar

Keep in mind that hotels registered with your booking will most likely check your ticket, and if you don’t have one, they will strongly ask you to buy it. I chose a hotel between Nyang U and the main territory of Bagan (about 2-2.5 km from both places), which was recommended to me by other travelers from Spain who had been here before, it is in the popular map application Maps.me, Although there is a sign in it warning that every foreigner must have a ticket, they do not actually check it. So general rule— if the hotel is not on the booking page, you will not be asked for a ticket and will not be forced to buy it. A hotel room starts from $10 even out of season. It is possible to pitch a tent in this arid area, although due to the location the risk of encountering a scorpion or scolopendra is slightly increased, especially during their particularly active mating season (they become more poisonous and aggressive, as nature ordered).

Food

In Bagan, the typical food for the Burmese is rice with different types of curry, there are noodles and soups. There are no large supermarkets even in Nyaung U, but there are small shops, such as a supermarket.

food in Bagan

Sights of Bagan

Sunsets in Bagan. Main, sunset pagoda- temple (pagoda) Shwezigon. This is the only pagoda where your ticket will be checked upon entry, and if you do not have it, you will be asked to purchase it ($25). So if you are not a wealthy person, it is better to avoid this pagoda.

You can also watch sunsets in Bagan from other pagodas, there are several of them:

Htilominlo Temple

Pyathada Pagoda

sunset from Pyathada Pagoda

visitors in Bagan came to watch the sunset

Sunrises in Bagan. The best impression of Bagan can be had at sunrise from a hot air balloon during the rainy season or towards the end of it.

Cost - from $120 for a 40-minute flight. I was there during the dry season; in the mornings there is a slight haze over Bagan, which blurs the picture a little. Moreover, during the dry season, the temples of the Pagan kingdom are not as impressive as when they rise above the tops of green trees. Most sunrise pagodas are also sunset pagodas. The map above shows all the good pagodas and places where you can go up and enjoy the sunset or sunrise.

Features of Bagan

It gets dark very quickly in Southeast Asia. One evening, at dusk, on an electric moped, I decided to take a shortcut along the secondary path indicated on the maps me map, but then suddenly the road ended, the low-power moped got stuck in the sand, it got dark and I had to drag the moped on myself. I got out onto a more or less tolerable road in deep darkness. So take a flashlight with you and try to drive on main roads after dark to avoid getting lost.

Unusual temples of Bagan

All temples except Shwezigon are free, no one asks for tickets.

Abandoned city of Bagan translated as “pagan”, this is an extraordinary set of ancient Buddhist sanctuaries, which were built mainly from the 10th century to the 12th century in the territory of Myanmar (Burma). These Bagan temples are located on east coast Ayerwady River, which is located 145 kilometers from Mandalay district.

This is the impressive, ancient religious center of Bagan, which consists of 2,200 temples and pagodas and covers an area of 16 square kilometers. The temples of Bagan are a collection of various architectural styles that developed in this region during that historical period. They were built in the style of “relic stupa in the form of a dome”, “stupa with a tomb in the form of a dome”, “Sinhala style in the form of a stupa”, “North Indian model”, “Central Indian model”, “South Indian model” and “Mon is a model.” However, most of the buildings in the complex were built in the form of pagodas and temples.

Both types of structures have their own separate purposes. The pagoda was built as a symbol of worship, and the temple serves for meditation and worship. To build such structures, builders used primarily brick, sandstone, and large timber. Other materials, such as some metals such as bronze and iron, were also used, but not very widely. The pagoda is made of bricks, connected by sandstone and earth.

Some of the most beautiful and important temples that continue to stand in Bagan let us list a few of them:

- Dhammayangyi, it was designed and built by the famous King Narathu from 1167 to 1170 and it is the largest temple complex.

— Shwesandaw, this is one of the very first temples built in Bagan. It was built by Anawahta where there are Buddha stupas. This temple was also known as Ganesha because there is an image of the Hindu God in the corners of the terrace.

— Mahabodi is the most exact copy, but in smaller sizes, of the famous Bodhi Temple, which is located in India. Mahabodhi was built by King Nataungmya, which has images of Budha.

— Amnada is one of the most beautiful temples, and in 1990 it received a “gold gilding” in honor of its 900th anniversary of construction. There are large four golden Buddha statues on the Temple.

— Zi Khon, this is one of the important and impressively beautiful temples in Bagan. There are several bones and hairs of the Buddha himself. The construction was started by King Anawrata and completed by his successor King Kyanzittha. This temple hosts an annual religious festival and remains the most important pilgrimage site for believers to this day.

— Thatbynnyu is the tallest building in Bagan, its height is 61 meters.

History of the Abandoned City of Bagan

Most of the buildings in the Bagan archaeological and religious complex were built between 1000 and 1200 AD. During this time, Bagan was for the second time the capital of the Burmese Empire. The Golden Age of Bagan began in 1057 when King Anoeta conquered Thaton. Anoeta was a Buddhist, so he brought back the Scriptures of Theravada Buddhism to Bagan.

Anawrata at one time initiated the massive construction of various temples and other religious buildings in Bagan, which we can see and admire today. And his successors continued this tradition laid down by them. Over the course of 290 years, they built more than 10,000 temples and pagodas in Bagan.

During its most apogee, Bagan was one of the most important religious and cultural centers of Asia, the population reached up to 300,000 people, and there were about 10,00 temples and pagodas that existed in Bagan. Unfortunately, several earthquakes and enemy attacks occurred, which destroyed most of the buildings ancient capital Burma.

And the golden age of the abandoned city of Bagan ended in 1287, when the area was captured by the Mongols, who plundered everything. But, nevertheless, it was still the most important center of Buddhism, but its political significance had already been lost forever. The city gradually fell into disrepair and only in modern times, the temples and some archaeological remains that survived began to be restored.

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