Photo Gallery

Mingalazedi (built 13th century)

Mingalazedi marks both the highpoint and the end of major temple construction at Bagan. It was completed just ten years before the kingdom's collapse at the hands of the Mongols in 1287, but judging from its artistry, it is clear that the kingdom remained strong and organized up to its defeat. The temple is the first (and only) temple built with a full set of Jakata plaques since the Dhammayazika in 1196. Jakata plaques, of the sort shown in image 10, were costly glazed tiles that were often planned for temples but rarely executed. That the kingdom was able to produce an entire set suggests the advanced state of Bagan's art and the extravagence of its rulers.

The temple was sponsored by King Narathihapati (1255/6-1287), known to later ages as Tayokpyemin (literally, "The King who fled from the Chinese"). In the dedication to the temple the attitude of the king is hardly pious--he boasts of commanding 36 million soldiers and eating 300 dishes of curry daily! This exaggeration suggests the confidence of the sovereign and the integrity of the kingdom prior to its defeat.

The layout of the temple differs notably from its predecessors. Instead of the usual stupas or sikharas found at the corners of the terraces, there are narrow obelisks at each of the levels. Also, the footprint of the lower terraces is nearly square, creating a raised platform for the bulk of the stupa to sit upon.

During the 1975 earthquake the spire at the top of the temple crumbled away. It has since been restored.

This is Bagan Monument number 1439

Text by Robert D. Fiala, Concordia University, Nebraska