Photo Gallery

Pahto Hamya Temple (built late 11th, early 12th century)

The Pahto Thamya is a large two story temple located just inside the old city wall near the modernistic Bagan Archaeological Museum (visible in the background of the accompanying photograph). It is near the presumed site of the old palace and immediately to the west of Thatbyinnyu. Its central shrine is a bit over 23 ft (7,08 m) x 28 ft (8.58 m). There is a large porch extending outward on the east side. The crenellated terraces include a 12-sided terrace and three upper square terraces. There are four roof shrines with seated Buddhas on the terraces. The 12-sided bulbous dome with 12 vertical bands issuing from naga heads is topped by a 12-sided block and onion shaped sikhara, or spire. The spire was destroyed by the 1975 earthquake but restored in 1976 and 1984. Flat square blocks at the top of the first level doubtless carried replicas, mini stupas, of the central spire as do many other Bagan temples.

The interior is a series of square forms in the hall, shrine room and in other parts. Some stucco moldings remain. The numerous mural paintings in the ambulatory are among the earliest of Bagan paintings, although most are in rather poor condition. There is also a large image of the Buddha. Thamya also contains one of the first upper temple shrines, a feature that was to become common in the middle period of Bagan architecture.

The important historian of Bagan’s architecture, Paul Strachan, writes extensively and caringly about Pahto Thamya which he calls “an architecture that is balanced and self-confident” and one that set the stage for further architectural refinement. He also suggests that Pahto Thamya was a “supreme symbol of the advance of the Theravada Buddhist faith at Pagan...” Although, unfortunately I was unable to spend much time there, it is a remarkable structure.

Bagan monument number 1605

Text by Professor Robert D. Fiala of Concordia University, Nebraska, USA.