The prosperous city grew in size and grandeur, and became a cosmopolitan centre for religious and secular studies. Monks and scholars from as far as India, Ceylon as well as the Khmer Empire came to Bagan to study prosody, phonology, grammar, astrology, alchemy, medicine, and law.
Bagan's golden age ended in when the kingdom and its capital city was invaded and sacked by the Mongols. Its population was reduced to a village that remained amongst the ruins of the once larger city.
New religious monuments still went up to the midth century but afterward, temple constructions slowed to a trickle with less than temples built between the 15th and 20th centuries.
The old capital continued to be a pilgrimage destination but pilgrimage was focused only on the most prominent temples. The rest thousands of less famous, out-of-the-way temples fell into disrepair and most did not survive the test of time. Others were consumed by natural calamities, such as earthquakes. Visual Stories Right arrow. Travel Beautiful getaways in South India that you can visit in December. Travel Offbeat places in India to take your last trip of Travel New Year holidays: 10 international destinations open to Indians.
Travel These festivals in November are the best reasons to travel. Join Us On Facebook Close. Poll of the day Which is the oldest Ratha Yatra in the world? Vote Now. The Bagan rulers and their subjects practiced Buddhism, particularly Theravada Buddhism, although other traditions, such as Tantric and Mahayana Buddhism, were also practiced. In the last quarter of the 13th century, the Mongols invaded Burma several times, leading to the collapse of the Pagan Empire in Bagan, which hosted up to , people, was reduced to a small settlement, never to rise to its former glory.
However, the city did not suffer much damage and continued to host Buddhist pilgrims. Over the years, the temples, pagodas, and monasteries have either been vandalized or destroyed by natural calamities, especially earthquakes. Located on the earthquake zone, Bagan suffered over earthquakes in the 20th century, with a major earthquake occurring on July 8, , which damaged several temples, of which some are irreparable.
Today, roughly 2, temples and pagodas remain over the square kilometers in the old city of Bagan. In the s, most temples and pagodas underwent restoration, but the restoration efforts were met with resistance and condemnation from preservationists and art historians. The critics argued the restorations did not consider the original architecture nor used the ancient material.
In August , another major earthquake destroyed about temples, including Myauk Guni and Sulamani. Details of the exterior of a historical temple in the Archaeological Zone, photographed in the early-morning sunlight. At left is another structure, damaged by the earthquake. A man stands in the shadow of an arch at the ancient Sinphyushin Temple on August 26, The interior of one of Bagan's smaller pagodas. Dhammayangyi Temple, the largest temple in Bagan, stands among other pagodas and temples.
A view of one of Bagan's temples from directly overhead. Ancient temples and pagodas in Old Bagan, photographed at sunrise. Boys apply gold leaf onto a Buddha statue at a temple in Bagan on November 9, Tourists visit Bagan's historical site on December 9, Plants grow on several ancient Bagan pagodas. The 12th-century Thatbyinnyu Temple left sits among other temples in Old Bagan, as seen from the air. People are transported in a cattle-drawn cart as they pass in front of the ancient pagodas at Bagan, Myanmar, on February 3, We want to hear what you think about this article.
Submit a letter to the editor or write to letters theatlantic. One last look at the colorful beauty of this autumn, seen across the Northern Hemisphere.
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