Types of monuments and pagodas

Inspite of having thousands of pagodas in Bagan. no two pagodas are identically alike. There are variations and differences and every pagoda has its own uniqueness. Few exceptions are groups of three or four which are seemingly similar.

Pagodas in Bagan are principally of two types- solid type and hollow type.

Since the dwellings of the people were built of wood and bamboo not a single remnant survived. Even palace buildings had disappeared except their brick foundations. In 1990 the big brick mound locally called ” Aung Myey Kon ” near Shwe Gu Gyi Pagoda was excavated and it was suggested that it was the site of an old palace. In the stone inscription set up by King Kyansittha. recording the building of his palace the name of the Palace was given as ” Zeyabon Yazahtan ” which in Myanmar means ” Aung Myey (the land of victory). the place of the king.” so the excavated ” Aung Myey Kon ” could have been the site of King Kyansittha’s Palace.

Many holes were discovered in row. with stone sockets in which huge teak pillars must have been fixed up. Some holes and brick walls belong to the extensions by kings of Ip.ter period. In some holes were dug up pieces of decayed teak wood. At Bagan. immense structures like Thatbyinnyu and Dhammayan Gyi were built. It may be assumed that Bagan palaces must have been much larger and more splendid than these monuments. But it seems that top priority was given to the religious buildings and in order to differentiate them from secular dwellings. brick and stone were used in religious monuments. and wood and bamboo in secular buildings. There are very few stone structures left at Bagan.

Out of the present total figure of over two thousand. only four were built of stones.

commonly known as Setku Taik at the foot of Tuyin Hill near Mya Kan Lake.