Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
a Mahayana Budhist, which perhaps explains the presence of murals depicting assorted Ma-
hayana Bodhisattvas and Hindu gods including Vishnu, Shiva, Brahma and Indra.
Nagayon Paya
Bagan-Chauk Rd, 200m south of the Apeyadana Paya • Daily 8am-6pm
BuiltduringthereignofKyansittha,the
NagayonPaya
isasuperbexampleofBagan'searly
styleatitsmostflamboyant.Theentiretemplehasaslightlytheatricallook,raisedonaneye-
catchingly high terrace and done up with a showbiz super-abundance of mini-stupas, pretty
geometricallatticewindowsandlotsofthecharacteristicflame-shapedpedimentssobeloved
of Bagan's architects - the steeply pitched double pediment over the main entrance is partic-
ularly
de trop
.Bestofallisthefinecurvedcentraltower,raiseduponthreehighterracesand
looking like a trial run for the great tower of the Ananda Paya, the crowning masterpiece of
Kyansittha's reign.
Inside
, there's the usual shrine-plus-ambulatory layout, with a large gilded standing
Buddha, his head protected by the hood of the
naga
snake-king Mucalinda (the temple's
name means “Protected by the Naga Serpent”), with two smaller images standing to either
side.Badlyerodedpaintingslinethedarkambulatory(torchneeded)alongwithfinelycarved
Buddha statues in niches, although many of the images formerly located here have now been
carted off to the Bagan Archeological Museum.
Soemingyi Kyaung
Bagan-Chauk Rd, roughly midway between Myinkaba and New Bagan • Daily 8am-6pm
Builtintheearlythirteenthcentury,the
SoemingyiKyaung
isoneofthefewsurvivingmon-
astic buildings in Bagan, most such foundations having been constructed in wood, and long
since vanished. Not much remains of the original monastery bar a small courtyard with cells
onitsnorthandsouthsidesandasmallshrine.Thebasesoftwostaircases (atthecourtyard's
southeast and southwest corners) can also be seen. These would originally have led up to
a now-vanished wooden roof, and offer impressive views over nearby temples, including a
huge stupa immediately to the north.
Sein Nyet Ama and Sein Nyet Nyima pagodas
Daily 8am-6pm
The so-called “Seinnyet Sisters” - Sein Nyet Ama and Sein Nyet Nyima - are an impressive
pair of contrasting late-period structures standing next to one another close to the main road.
The towering
Sein Nyet Ama Pagoda
(the
ama
, or elder, sister) is said to have been built
in the eleventh century by Queen Seinnyet, although stylistically it looks much later, with its
fine curvilinear spire set at the top of four steep terraces.
The adjacent
Sein Nyet Nyima Pagoda
(
nyima
meaning “younger sister”) is slightly smal-
ler, with a massive conical spire decorated with deeply incised rings and traces of fine
