The ruins of Bagan cover an area of 16 square miles, and are recognised as being the largest area of Buddhist religious structures in the world. Ananda is a white temple that sits next to the Ananda Ok Kyaung monastery, Gawdawpalin temple is a vast structure located close to the banks of the Irrawaddy, and Thatbyinnyu is one of the tallest structures in the region. The Shwezigon Pagoda is recognised as the most impressive of the Bagan temples and has been in use since the 12th century.

The Tharabar Gate was the main entrance through the 9th century city wall of King Pyinbya. It was located on the east side of the kings palace. The Tharabar Gate is guarded by nat spirit idols Min Maha Giri and Namadaw.



Sources:
Ancient Bagan.com
AsiaExplorers - Bagan Travel Guide
wikipedia-Bagan
Hoteltravel.com

Main image by Lisa de Araujo, used in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution2.5 License