BURMA

ARCHITECTURE
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Early Pyu Period (2nd century B.C. to A.D. 1050) Architecture

Beikthano is the oldest urban site so far discovered in Myanmar and the oldest of the three
ancient centers of Pyu civilization (the other two being Srikestra and Halin). The structures,
found there date from 200 B.C. to 100 A.D. The foundations of a number buildings made of
large, kiln-fired bricks were unearthed, among them are two halls with wooden pillars,
possibly audience halls; a large rectangular monastery building containing multiple cells;
and the foundations of several circular, stupa-like structures, a few of them situated on
square bases. These stupa-like foundations were in several cases closely associated with
numerous burial urns containing the ashes and bones of cremated human bodies
 Srikshetra: Later Pyu Period (2nd century B.C. to A.D.
1050) Architecture

The Bawbawgyi, the tallest of the stupas is 153 feet high and consists of a massive cylindrical
column that rests on a base of five concentric terraces. The upper portions of the main cylinder
have fallen away over time and the truncated form has been fitted with a tower that resembles
the Burmese crown or hti (hti: umbrella).
Believed to represent a closed lotus. The stupa in the form of a lotus bud can be seen
in its entirety on many of the numerous votive tablets found at the site.

Pyagyi Pyama
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Shwezayan

The two stupas situated between the

palace site and south wall, the
Shwezayan is the largest. The original
form of the Swezayan, stupa, said to
have been built in the 5th century B.C.,
is difficult to ascertain since it has been
repeatedly rebuilt and expanded. As it
stands today, the stupa has a circular
base and its overall structure resembles
that of a bell. Found within the
compound of the Swezayan stupa are
several inscribed stones, five in the
Mon language of the 11th century.
These stones are now preserved within
the stupa compound.
Kalyani Sima, a hall built especially for the ordination of monks. On the sandstone boundary
pillars that surround the Kalyani Sima, the stories known as the Ten Great Jatakas may be seen.
These carvings illustrate the last 10 lives of the Buddha before he was reborn as Gautama, the
historical Buddha who gained enlightenment. An inscription on one of the pillars dates them to
the 11th –13th centuries.
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Pagan Architecture (A.D. 1044 to 1287)

Temples and stupas, even though adjacent to one another, were generally designed to stand
alone as single buildings without planned relationships between one another. A boundary
wall, thought be a protection against fire, surrounded the largest and most important
buildings.
These enclosing walls were usually square with an entrance in the middle of each side.
The main buildings, at times raised on a platform, were located in the center of this large
enclosure with smaller structures placed around them.
 Yangon
There, a huge stupa, almost a hundred meters in height, towers above its surroundings. The stupa
is adorned with 8,688 solid gold slabs, each worth more four hundred U.S. dollars, as well as over
five thousand diamonds and more than two thousand rubies, sapphires and topaz.
 Ananda Temple towers
The Ananda Temple is "in the shape of a perfect Greek cross," with four large niches. Each
niche houses a Buddha, with Gautama Buddha facing west. The statue of him, covered in
gold, towers above visitors as he expresses his "Be not afraid" hand gesture. Other temples
and pagodas are home to other Buddhist sculptures, but the ones in the Ananda temple
are indeed the most impressive.
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Another part of Myanmar is also famous for its Buddhist architecture. In the city of Pagan,
erected in the middle of the eleventh century CE, about thirteen thousand pagodas and
temples were built, little more than two thousand of which still remain. Many of the temples
and pagodas were constructed of red brick, but the Ananda Temple towers above the others
in white. (see fig. 2) The Ananda Temple is "in the shape of a perfect Greek cross," with four
large niches. Each niche houses a Buddha, with Gautama Buddha facing west. The statue of
him, covered in gold, towers above visitors as he expresses his "Be not afraid" hand gesture.
Other temples and pagodas are home to other Buddhist sculptures, but the ones in the
Ananda temple are indeed the most impressive.
•
The majesty of Myanmar architecture is clearly represented in the millions of pagodas and
temples around the country. The most impressive of these religious buildings, Shwe
Dagon and the Ananda Temple, with their awe-inspiring sculptures, testify to the devotion
of past Myanmar kings to Buddhism.
Bagan is an ancient city located in the Mandalay Region of Myanmar . From the 9th to 13th
centuries, the city was the capital of the Kingdom of Pagan, the first kingdom to unify the
regions that would later constitute modern Myanmar.
Kyanzittha (r. 1084-1113), Anawrahta's second successor, was also deeply religious and
continued without interruption the pace of Buddhist construction. During the 12th century
Bagan became known as the land of four million pagodas. Although an obvious exaggeration,
it reflects both the wealth and religious foundations of the new kingdom. A highly
developed system of irrigation canals for a while supported a thriving rice culture.
Bagan today, in reality, is little more than an archaeological site—far less known than the Angkor complex
in Cambodia, in part because of the restrictions long imposed on tourists by Myanmar's military
government. Yet it is every bit the equal of the Khmer temple-region for its historic and archaeological
significance. This short essay provides a brief introduction to the historic regions and its architecture.
Succeeding sections on this site feature a precious few of its major t emples and stupas.
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Myanmar's architecture begins with the Bagan Empire, who took power in
the 800s, but didn't blossom until they took over the Mon Empire to their
south and imported their artisans. This led to the growth of Buddhism
and the city of Bagan, from which nearly all traditional Myanmar
architecture has evolved.
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The style moved to other cities beginning in the 1200s, including
Mandalay and Yangon, however these cities primarily built in wood.
Despite this, the most important and significant stupas in these cities have
been well maintained by the people and survive today in great numbers.
MANDALAY Yangon
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Religious monuments, palaces and colonial buildings
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The theme of renewal looms large in Myanmar culture – as
can be seen in the large number of capital cities the country
has had over the centuries – so traditional forms of
architecture have not always stood the test of time.
•
A (massive) exception to this are the Buddhist temples and
pagodas that can be found in every corner of Myanmar. The
sheer number of them –
leading Myanmar to be called ‘the land of a million
pagodas’ – leave visitors in no doubt as to the deep
religious tradition and devotion of Myanmar’s people.
The gigantic golden monument to Buddhism, the Shwedagon Pagoda, and the thousands of
temples on the plains of Bagan are perhaps the most breathtaking and famous examples, but
they can be found in almost every village, and on every street corner, road or riverbank
throughout most of central Myanmar. home to eight hairs of the Gautama Buddha, and
therefore is incredibly sacred.
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There are essentially three kinds of
Buddhist structures:
1) stupas, bell-shaped structures that
contain a holy relic or scripture;
2) temples, place of worship somewhat

similar to a church; and

3) monasteries, which contain living

quarters and meditation cells for

monks.
STUPA
Monasteries and other temples can also usually be visited, allowing travellers to witness
something of the traditional lives of monks and nuns in Myanmar – but these visits can
sometimes only be done a pre-set times.
Royal palaces which pre-date the colonial era were often made of teak (an abundant tropical
hardwood), and Myanmar’s sometimes violent history has meant that most are now dust.
Recently reconstructed palaces, done with sometimes patchy attention to detail and quality,
can be found at Mandalay and Shwebo.
The temple is another primary example of Buddhist architecture in Myanmar. The word
“temple” is the same as cave in many languages and indeed many early Buddhist temples
were inspired by the caves of Buddhist India. They are places where sacred shrines and
images are worshipped and contain numerous Buddha statues and images.
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Bagan temples used both barrel vaults and
pointed arches. It has been said that the
builders of Bagan knew how to use the “true”
arch, an arch which was not used at the time
throughout the rest ofSoutheast Asia. The
outer terraces of the temples represent
Mount Meru, the symbolic home of the
Gods.
Ananda Temple in Bagan was the first of the
great temples and is known for its beauty
and symmetry. It was built by King Kyanzittha
to reflect the endless wisdom of Buddha
and inspired the temple building of future
rulers. The central tower is 167ft tall with six
terraces rising to it. The lower terraces have
a complete numbered set of 537 scenes
from the lives of the Buddha
•
The majesty of Myanmar architecture is
clearly represented in the millions of pagodas
and temples around the country. The most
impressive of these religious buildings, Shwe
Dagon and the Ananda Temple, with their
awe- inspiring sculptures, testify to the
devotion of past Myanmar kings to Buddhism.