In Burma, according to many tourists, travelers and scientists, there is the most interesting historical city South-East Asia- Bagan. This city was founded as the capital of the Burmese Empire in the ninth century on the banks of the Ayeyarwaddy. But in 1287, the “city of pagodas and temples,” as Bagan is also called, was defeated and destroyed by the troops of Kublai Khan and since then has never been rebuilt or restored. Along the entire coast of Bagan for twenty kilometers there are more than 2,000 Buddhist pagodas and about 1,000 temples and stupas, which are currently in ruins. During the flood that happened quite recently in those places, water washed away several hundred monuments from the face of the earth.
Burma's pagodas are located so close to each other that it feels like you are in a fairytale forest. Bagan has always been considered a religious center. And therefore, from the very foundation of the city, large-scale construction of monuments was carried out, of which there were a huge number.
To attract tourists and just guests, a highway and a large golf course were built near the city. The Taraban gate leads to the old part of the city. Now, although there are ruins left of these gates and the two temples on either side, they still attract attention because they make it clear what kind of civilization existed here in the old days.
The most famous building city ​​- Shwezigon Pagoda, which is also called the “golden pagoda”. It was built in 1057 by the founder of the royal dynasty, King Anorakhta. The pagoda is covered in gold and according to legend, it is believed that Buddha's tooth and collarbone are kept inside.
The Godopalin Pagoda is very interesting, from the almost destroyed terrace of which you can see beautiful view to the surrounding area. Or Shwesanda Pai Pagoda, from the top observation deck which is very pleasant to admire the sunset in the evenings. Almost all pagodas are covered in gold, but most are built of white stone and red brick. From time to time, pagodas are restored and protected by law, so you can’t take anything from them with you; it’s easier to buy a souvenir at the market.
There are pagodas that are very beautifully painted with frescoes. Such pagodas include the Ananda Temple, in which the walls are decorated with paintings by masters.
The tallest temple in Bagan is Thatbinyu. Its height is 60 meters, and inside there are a lot of labyrinths, passages and galleries.
During the time of King Manuha in the mid-ninth century, the Manuha Temple was built, which contains four images of Buddha: three statues in a sitting position and one in a lying position. The walls of this temple are also decorated with beautiful paintings.
The largest Buddha statue is located in the Shinbinthaliyang Temple, built of red brick. The length of the statue is 18 meters.
A few tens of kilometers from Bagan is sacred mountain gods of Pop. The mountain surrounds beautiful park. According to legend, nature spirits live in this mountain.
For a long time there were only puppet theaters in Burma. In the eleventh century, the first theaters appeared in Bagan, as Bagan was once called, and to this day puppeteers are considered masters of their craft. These masters lead a large, human-sized doll with sixty threads.

(Pagan)- this is one of the symbols of Myanmar and, perhaps, the most recognizable place in the country, where tourists come from all over the world! We set out to find out what secrets he hides ancient city, and see with your own eyes what you once saw only in pictures on the Internet and in magazines.

On the boat:

Many tourists sail from Mandalay to Bagan (or in the opposite direction - against the current) by boat on the Ayeyarwaddy River. Slow boats and high-speed boats ply along this route. Express buses cover the entire route in 11 hours and cost $35 (every day in high season). Slow boats are more used by locals, they run twice a week, the journey takes 2 days (!), cost $15.

Accommodation and hotels in Bagan

The cheapest place to stay is in the town of Nyaung U, however, we recommend booking in advance if you are traveling in December-January. At first we spent an hour looking for a free place, and when we found it, we spent another 3 hours until people moved out.

And although Old Bagan and New Bagan are located closer to the most important points, housing here is unreasonably expensive.

Hotels in Bagan on the map - choose the one that suits you by price and book!

How to move around the territory?

Temples and pagodas are scattered over a fairly large area, and to get a good look at them you will need transport. The simplest thing is to rent a bike at your guesthouse or at any other rental point for 1500-3000 chat and explore Bagan. Motorbikes and electric bicycles are also available, there is such a miracle of technology!

Around Bagan by bike

You can hire a horse-drawn carriage - it’s exotic and fun at first, but you will move very slowly, besides there is no suspension, and the roads leave much to be desired.

An option for those who have little time but a lot of money is to rent a car with a driver.

Where to eat in Bagan?

There are a lot of European tourists in these places, and the cuisine is very different - for some reason there is especially a lot of Italian, including pizza. Nyaung U has several good cafes with a pleasant atmosphere and low prices. At first we avoided them, thinking it would be expensive, but then we looked in and decided to stay.

In Old Bagan, not far from the walls of the old city and the Ananda Pagoda, there are several good vegetarian cafes with all sorts of goodies.

Not far from the market in Nyaung U there is a teahouse - it doesn’t have a very presentable appearance, but it opens at 5 am and is very popular with the locals. You can order hot Burmese black tea with milk and condensed milk for 300 chat, and delicious fried rice with beans costs only 600 chat - cheaper for nothing!

observation tower

Bagan Map

On the map I marked only the most significant temples in Bagan; in general there are thousands of them.

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 Southeast Asia.

Anoratha confiscated the sacred Buddhist Pali manuscripts stored in the capital of the Mons - the city of Thaton, and moved them to Pagan Buddhist monks, artists and craftsmen. 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 the largest centers of 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 reports (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 (and then it was called Burma) was the farthest outskirts 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 Pagan (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 largest river of Myanmar Irrawaddy, the sources of which are located on the southeastern slopes of the Himalayas. The territory of Bagan stretches 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 on open place, while 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 are “gubyauzhi” - cave temples with labyrinths of corridors covered with frescoes. Of the huge number of pagodas and stupas of all sizes and shapes, the brightest, largest, and most memorable in Bagan are - 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 east of the old city walls, the imposing white structure dominates the surrounding area. The temple was severely 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. 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 Sinhalese 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 with stone slabs was built around Shwezigon-cetia. 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 Alaunsitu. 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 temple 46 meters high, which has a similar architectural style with 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 are painted in a pinkish-golden color, which is simply impossible to convey in photographs.

Gawdawpalin Pahto)

is one of the 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.

The city of Bagan does not exist as such. Bagan District includes several small villages, an airport and a huge archaeological area with numerous Buddhist pagodas and stupas. Their number in this area exceeds 5,000.

Bagan, or, as this area is more often called here, Pagan, was founded back in the 9th century AD in the very center of ancient Burma. In 1287, the city was destroyed by the Mongols.

The archaeological zone of Bagan has preserved unique exhibits of the history of Buddhism.

Climate

Myanmar's famous Bagan district is located in the tropical subequatorial climate zone. The most favorable time to visit this city is from January to May. It is at this time that the dry season lasts in Myanmar. Air humidity in the region is minimal, and there is practically no precipitation. The air temperature sometimes reaches +40 °С during the day and almost +27 °С at night.

From the very first days of June, the rainy season comes to Bagan. From October to last days The “cold” season lasts here in December. At this time, precipitation stops, and the average daily air temperature rarely exceeds +27 °С.

Nature

Bagan is located in the incredibly beautiful valley of Myanmar's largest river, the Ayeyarwady, which has played a huge role in history ancient settlement. The nature of the city is quite sparse; most often the local landscape consists of scorched deserts and lonely palm trees. There is not much greenery here.

Attractions

The territory of Bagan district is rich in attractions. Thanks to its numerous Buddhist relics, this city has become one of the pilgrimage sites of Southeast Asia.

Bagan's most famous building is Shwezigon Pagoda, which hides a copy of the sacred tooth of Buddha. The location for storing this relic was chosen in a rather interesting way. King Pagana Anuratha placed a copy of the sacred tooth of Buddha on the back of a white elephant and said that this shrine will be kept in the place where this elephant kneels. The construction work of the Shwezigon Pagoda lasted 7 months and 7 days.

In Myanmar, it is generally accepted that every true Burmese must visit Ananda temple. Its walls are covered with biographies of Buddha. Inside the temple there are four statues of him, each 9.5 meters long. The room also houses statues of the founder of this structure, Anand. In the western portal of the temple, the footprints of Buddha are visible on the pedestal.

There are many pagodas in Bagan, but very few monasteries have survived here. Such buildings were built mainly from wood, which made them completely short-lived. Visitors are allowed entry into only one well-preserved monastery - Fell.

In addition to numerous religious buildings in Bagan, there is a unique Archaeological Museum, which contains a huge collection of artifacts dating back to the Middle Ages.

Nutrition

Bagan restaurants, which are located in the new and old parts of the city, offer their customers a wide variety of dishes from local and other Asian cuisines.

Known for his unique puppet shows restaurantNanda prepares various national delicacies, for example letok son, hin, wek-tha etc. Indian cuisine can be appreciated in Aroma Indian. Fans of traditional Western cuisine can dine at Eden BBB or Pwint Mar Lar.

The Burmese say that rice is the master and his servants are the people. In this country, rice is used in almost all dishes, even desserts.

The most popular drinks in this area are black and green tea, to which milk and hot spices are always added. Some people prefer to drink tea with the addition of condensed milk. Coffee in Bagan is not at all popular, and its quality here leaves much to be desired.

Accommodation

Bagan has several five-star and simpler hotels, as well as many inexpensive guesthouses. Most of them are located in New Bagan. Average price for a decent room in good hotel will build for about $40.

Compared to guesthouses in the rest of Myanmar, local hotels in this category are much more comfortable and cleaner. The cost of such rooms is the same throughout the country and ranges from $10 to $15.

Many tourists visiting Bagan choose hotels for their stay. Bagan Thiripyitsaya Sakura Hotel And The Hotel At Tharabar Gate Bagan.

Entertainment and relaxation

Most tourists, being in Bagan, limit themselves only to hiking along the famous Buddhist shrines. However, it is definitely worth a visit Museum of Archeology, and also climb the mystical Mount Popu, which is treated so reverently local residents.

For lovers active rest Bagan offers the services of its beautiful golf clubNyaung Oo, which is located next to the airport. Its magnificent 18-hole course will be highly appreciated by fans of this sport.

It is worth noting that in Bagan you can purchase a single ticket, which allows entry to all temples throughout the day (Local pagodas and monasteries close to the public at approximately 20:00). The cost of this entrance ticket is 10$.

Purchases

You can make purchases in Bagan near almost every temple, as well as at the local bazaar. A large number of shops and stalls will offer you a wide range of souvenirs.

Lacquer products, which are made in numerous workshops in Bagan, are in great demand in this city. When visiting one of them, you can watch the fascinating process of creating another masterpiece of lacquerware.

Transport

The villages that make up Bagan district are separated by just a few kilometers. Therefore, you can travel such short distances by bicycle, which is offered by hotels and even restaurants. The cost of such a rental will cost 1,500 kyat, which is approximately $2. The roads in this area are mostly paved, but there are also dirt paths.

Local residents prefer to travel by carts drawn by horses or oxen.

A taxi in Bagan costs $4. It is best to use this mode of transport if you have planned your visit to Bagan for just one day.

This city is connected to other cities by river and air services.

Connection

Communications in Bagan, as in other cities of Myanmar, are completely undeveloped. Fortunately, major hotels are willing to provide you with a phone line for making international calls. But in such establishments the cost of these services is very high - about $3. Only a few hotels have Internet, and the connection speed is very low.

Of the local villages, only New Bagan is equipped with long-distance telephone communication; the rest of the villages are deprived of such charms of civilization.

Safety

There is no threat to the safety of tourists in Bagan. The military dictatorship that has ruled the state for more than 20 years has ensured low crime rates both in this city and throughout Myanmar.

You should be extremely careful when you are in places with large crowds of people, sometimes pickpockets can work here.

You should also be more careful when choosing food and drinking water from local sources.

When visiting Bagan, you must show special respect to the locals. There are a large number of Buddhist temples and monasteries in the city; they must strictly adhere to the accepted rules of behavior. So, you can’t talk loudly, laugh, or take photos or videos here. It is worth noting that women are not allowed to enter some buildings. Your guide should definitely warn you about this.

When planning to fly to amazing Bagan, you must get all the necessary vaccinations.

Bagan(Bagan) is the main attraction of 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, plunging into a mysterious world and delighting tourists from all over the world no less than the famous one in Cambodia or Indonesia. A paradise for historians and pilgrims, positive energy. The most interesting and unique place not only in Myanmar, but also beyond its borders!

But first things first. Let's start with the arrival of independent backpackers.

From the lake, or rather from the town, we continued our journey to Bagan. We arrived early in the morning on a night bus to the city. Nyaung U is the regional capital of Bagan.. The ticket cost 7,000 kyat - the cheapest then at the end of 2012, depending on where you buy it. The journey took approximately 7 hours. It was about 4 am, dark. Together with the rest of the passengers they settled in local cafe, waiting for dawn and transport to start running. We sipped on hot Chinese tea, which in all Myanmar cafes is on the tables for free in thermoses. I have already mentioned this wonderful tradition more than once. A couple of hours later, foreign tourists went on foot to the village of Nyaung U, and we, looking at the huge temple shining with gold, which we decided to visit later, got into the first car we came across and drove to New Bagan New Bagan, where Pete booked a hotel. Already from the car, ancient stupas, pagodas, and temples were visible in the rays of the rising sun. I perked up, despite the sleepless night and tiredness. Everything was like in a fairy tale.
Soon young monks joined us. And when we arrived at the hotel about 20 minutes later, it turned out that Pete had made a mistake; the price of $60 per room did not suit us at all. I had to walk for about 20 minutes along the main street with backpacks from the end of the village... Hurray, in the middle of the street I found a room where we stayed for three days. This housing cost 18 dollars with 2 beds, shower, toilet and an old air conditioner. The cheaper one was taken. I have already said more than once that housing in Myanmar is more expensive compared to other Asian countries. I mean cheap regular accommodation, not star hotels. We rested and began our three-day epic of walking through the fields and temples of Bagan. Of course, you can do all this on a bicycle, but as I already said, after, I was afraid. The attempt made confirmed this. We took a local tuk-tuk for 500 kyat per person.

Bagan - thousands of temples, description, history

Archaeological site of Bagan located 150 km from Mandalay city (7 hours), on the banks of the beautiful and largest Ayeyarwaddy River in Myanmar. It is divided by the name of the New Bagan and Old Bagan districts. This is not a city, as many people think, but an area of ​​more than 100 square meters. km, where many ancient sacred Buddhist pagodas and temples of various architectures, ages and sizes are scattered. From the smallest to the largest, you can climb them and see all this splendor.
Bagan was founded in 849. For more than 200 years, from 1044 it was the capital of the Pagan kingdom. The powerful and once prosperous Pagan Empire, which occupied almost the entire territory of Myanmar, was weakened due to internecine and other wars, and ended its existence in 1287, when it was occupied and plundered by the Mongols for their unwillingness to pay tribute. Only in the 15th century, this place was revived as a center of Buddhist pilgrimage, which it still is. Here they study the Pali language, religion, astrology, etc. In total, approximately 13,000 temples, pagodas and stupas, and monasteries were built. Most were erected in the 9th-13th centuries. Of these, more than 3,600 have survived to this day in varying states. Many monuments turned into ruins, ruins, including due to the strong earthquake of 1975, some have been restored.

The main temples of Bagan are a whole list of attractions and monuments, each of which deserves a separate article, photo gallery, or even an entire website. I will give just a few. Read and see photos also in the next two articles - about on the roof and much more about life in Bagan, these pagodas there, did not fit into one article.

Map of Myanmar, zoom in to see where Bagan is.

Pagodas and temples of Bagan - attractions from ancient times

Bagan is divided into New and Old. It is in Old Bagan that the largest concentration of the main attractions and monuments of a distant era is located - it is a 10-15 minute drive from New.

Ananda Temple- considered the most revered, holiest and one of oldest temples Bagana. It was founded in 1091 by King Kuansitha. The temple houses four wooden and gold-plated Buddha statues, one in each part of the temple, corresponding to the four cardinal directions. Their height is 8.5 meters. The name Ananda means "infinite wisdom" in Pali. The temple was damaged during the 1975 earthquake and was restored.

In the internal corridors there are many niches on the walls, where small sculptures of Buddha are placed as if in windows.

There is a pier on the Irrawaddy River, so you can get here by water, but it takes a long time. Then we went in circles and along a country road to look at interesting and unusual views of Bagan and take photos. So you walk along a path or straight through a meadow, field or grass, and small stupas await you, here and there. We approached the museum complex from behind, then went through some gates without a ticket, we were soon asked from there, but I managed to take a photo of the beautiful building. The price of a ticket to the museum is $5, it was already about four o'clock, we didn't go, and there was so much to see.

In what lovely independent travel - you can walk wherever you want and look at whatever you want, as much as you want, communicate with whoever you want, manage your time independently, and not run away from the place you like after a minute, with the whole crowd. Walking through the fields, we sometimes climbed large and small temples. Sometimes locals and even children can be escorted inside the small temple. So I went with a girl of about 12 years old into the darkness of the ancient pagoda, barefoot, as expected. But my friend Pete, for some reason, didn’t want to and stayed outside to wait. Well, in vain. The girl had a flashlight. That's what I saw there.


Tourists from hotels are brought here on buses or horses, with a trail of dust trailing behind them. Of course, they don’t see much like we do, but they are very happy about it.

For more than half of the first day we visited the most famous temples, often visited by tourists and only slightly small. On the second day we went to the city of Nyaung U. To look at the huge golden pagoda and market. Then we continued combing the fields of Bagan deeper and got acquainted with local life. And in the evening we found, where we met an elderly American woman, with whom we rode in a boat on the lake, squealing with joy - amazing! On the third day, early in the morning we went to one of the remote Pagodas - this is a fantastic sight and I will describe life in Bagan in the next article. In the meantime I will continue...

Shwezigon Pagoda

The main attraction of Bagan is the Shwezigon Pagoda., is located in the city of Nyaung U Nyaung U and is no less worthy of admiration than the Shwedagon Pagoda in. Shwezigon Pagoda is one of the oldest and most significant pagodas in Bagan and the only one that is gilded. It sparkles as if you are in the solar kingdom. Grandeur, brilliance and of course pleasant positive energy create an amazing atmosphere. It is also one of the most revered pagodas in all of Myanmar (Burma).

Construction of the Shwezigon Pagoda was started around 1056 by the Bagan king Anoratha Anawratha - the protector of Theravada and the first of the great builders of Bagan. After his death in 1077, his son, King Kyanzitha Kyanzittha, completed the construction, which was completely completed around 1090. Shwezigon Pagoda houses 2 Buddha bones. It has a square base, each side of the temple is about 50 meters. The height is also about 50m. There is a large area around the temple with 4 entrances. The pavilions of the Pagoda house a statue of Buddha and many carvings and architectural elements.
Everything looks majestic and very beautiful. Pilgrims from all over Myanmar come here, especially during the festival, which takes place in late November - early December. Various amazing signs and sightings are attributed to this pagoda. For example, that the trees on the territory are blooming all year round, and the golden leaves with which the stupa is pasted sometimes fly off, but always land on the territory and are never blown away by the wind beyond its borders. I already mentioned in the article about the lake how believers glue small plates of gold leaf, expressing their respect to Buddha.

On the territory of the Pagoda there is a long gallery, along which interesting souvenirs are sold. In general, in the village itself, I also recommend taking a walk and looking at the works of local craftsmen, from huge painted clay jugs to crafts made of semi-precious stone
. Yes, about the stones... Sapphires and other precious stones are mined in Myanmar. I was even once offered to buy it, but I didn’t, although I really love minerals. There are many handicrafts, paintings, painted wooden souvenirs, umbrellas and jadeite crafts. In the gallery, just like in the temple, you need to walk without shoes - barefoot, as in any sacred place.

Now I’ll tell you how you can get here.

Getting to Bagan and useful information

You can get to Bagan from - by bus, by plane to Nyaung U - there are several airlines, by train or even by river. From the lake - by bus, from Mandalay - by train or bus, but the road there is not very good, and from other places too. There is an airport of the same name here, Train Station, a pier, several villages - Nyaung U Nyaung U, Old Bagan, New Bagan, etc., in which, in addition beautiful hotels, you can find accommodation in guest houses, small hotels of very different levels, where they usually stay independent travelers and backpackers.

Important: to visit Bagan, you need to pay a tourist tax of $20 or 20 euros or 27,000 kyats - this is now, then in December 2012 it was $10. This fee is collected at the airport, station and other transport hubs. This is controlled and any tourist can be checked by stopping him on the road. But we were lucky, probably because we arrived at night by bus and never even saw where these fees are paid and who checks it. Moreover, we traveled by regular cheap transport, always with locals. So for three days, without any problems, we looked at what we wanted, combing fields and winding kilometers, looking at ruins, ruins, large and small temples, pagodas, stupas and observing the life of people on this ancient land. That’s why I ended up with three articles.

Read the continuation of what we saw in Bagan in the next two articles, I will show you many more interesting things - ancient monuments, people’s lives, and I will also tell you many more interesting things.

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