Video: Mrauk-U is a forgotten "city of oriental splendor", which can be reached only by water
2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55
In the historical region of Arakan (now Rakhine State, Myanmar) among the picturesque hills there is a little-known architectural monument - a medieval city Mrauk-U … It was once the capital of the powerful Arakan Empire, where the Dutch, French, Portuguese flocked to trade, and today only a shadow of its former greatness remains. Nevertheless, dozens of ancient Hindu temples and Buddhist pagodas have survived in Mrauk-U, which amaze with their beauty today.
Mrauk-U was founded in 1430 by King Ming Sow Mon. This city remained in the status of the capital until 1785. During the heyday of Mrauk-U, he controlled half of Bangladesh and the western part of Lower Burma (present-day Myanmar).
In Europe, Mrauk-U became known as "the city of oriental splendor" after the Portuguese missionary and traveler Fry Sebastian Manrique published an emotional account of the coronation ceremony of King Tiri Tudhamma in 1635, held in the city.
Today, many amazing archaeological sites have survived in the city of Mrauk-U, second only to the pagodas of another ancient city of Pagan in terms of the number. However, Mrauk-U is not teeming with tourists just because it is not at all easy to get to it. Buses do not go to the city, planes do not fly. Only boats go there. And even then the trip takes about 7-8 hours.
Surprisingly, the ruins are just a backdrop to everyday life. Women fill pots from temple wells with water. Pastoralists drive their herds daily past the majestic pagodas. Unlike the tourist Pagan, in Mrauk-U not a single temple is closed to the public. You can easily get there and see with your own eyes from the inside the ancient temples of Shittaug (Temple of 80,000 statues), Dukhantein (Temple of ordination) and Cowtown (temple of 90,000 statues).
There are many amazing things in Myanmar. In the vicinity of the city of Chaithiye, on the top of the mountain, there is a world famous pilgrimage site - granite boulder covered with gold leaf … For 2, 5 thousand years it seems that it is about to fall.
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