152TEMPLES OF BAGAN
Bagan scholar Paul Strachan argues in
Pagan: Art and Architecture of Old Burma
that the city was never abandoned at all.
Indeed evidence suggests Bagan continued
as an important religious and cultural cen-
tre into the 14th century and beyond, after
which its decay can be blamed on the three-
way struggle between the Shan, Mon and
Bamar. People began moving back in some
numbers only after the British established a
presence in the area in the late 19th century,
but by that point the plain of temples had
fallen victim to frequent earthquakes (there
were at least 16 trembles that shook Baganbetween 1174 and the big one in 1975), gen-
eral weathering and neglect.
CONTROVERSIAL RESTORATION
The enduring religious signifi cance of Bagan
is at the heart of the site’s recent transfor-
mation from piles of picturesque ruins to a
practically complete 13th-century city, minus
the buildings, such as palaces, homes and
monasteries, that would have been made of
wood.
Dr Bob Hudson (see boxed text, p 157 )
describes it as ‘the most radical heritage
management project in modern times’, not-
ing that, as of 2008, at least 1299 BuddhistMap (P121)EnlargementBagan MapSee New
(p124)See Nyaung U
Map (p116)See EnlargementSee Old BaganTo TuyanKyi (3mi)To TanTaung (19mi);To Airport (0.6mi);
Train Station (2.5mi)Kyauk Gu Ohnmin (1.2mi)Kondawgyi Pahto (0.6mi);To Thetkyamuni (0.6mi);Chauk (19mi); Salay (22mi)To Sittana Paya (0.6mi);Mt Popa (31mi)Kyaukpadaung (19mi);Ayeyarwady RiverSouth PlainCentral PlainNorth PlainNyaung UNew BaganMyinkabaOld BaganVillageThiripyitsayaTettheThuhekanKontangyiEast PwasawWest PwasawMinnanthuWetkyi-in
U Golf ClubBagan NyaungViewing
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Temples of Bagan 01 km 0 0.5 miles