World Heritage Identification Number: 1588
World Heritage since: 2019
Category: Cultural Heritage
WHE Type: Archaeological Sites
Transboundary Heritage: No
Endangered Heritage: No
Country: 🇲🇲 Myanmar
Continent: Asia
UNESCO World Region: Asia and the Pacific
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Bagan: A Sacred Landscape of Buddhist Art and Architecture
Bagan, officially known as Arakanese Pagan or Burmese Pagan, is a captivating city located in the Mandalay Region of Myanmar. It serves as a significant historical and cultural landmark, recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2019. The designation acknowledges Bagan's unique role as a testament to the peak of the Bagan civilization (11th – 13th centuries CE) and its status as the capital of a regional empire during this period.
More to come…UNESCO Description of the World Heritage Site
Lying on a bend of the Ayeyarwady River in the central plain of Myanmar, Bagan is a sacred landscape, featuring an exceptional range of Buddhist art and architecture. The seven components of the serial property include numerous temples, stupas, monasteries and places of pilgrimage, as well as archaeological remains, frescoes and sculptures. The property bears spectacular testimony to the peak of Bagan civilization (11th -13th centuries CE), when the site was the capital of a regional empire. This ensemble of monumental architecture reflects the strength of religious devotion of an early Buddhist empire.UNESCO Justification of the World Heritage Site
Criterion (iii): Bagan is an exceptional and continuing testimony to the Buddhist cultural tradition of merit making, and to the peak of Bagan civilisation in the 11th-13th centuries when it was the capital of a regional empire.
Criterion (iv): Bagan contains an extraordinary ensemble of Buddhist monumental architecture, reflecting the strength of religious devotion of an early major Buddhist empire. Within the context of the rich expressions and traditions of Buddhist architecture and art found throughout Asia, Bagan is distinctive and outstanding.
Criterion (vi): Bagan is an exceptional example of the living Buddhist beliefs and traditions of merit making, expressed through the remarkable number of surviving stupas, temples and monasteries, supported by continuing religious traditions and activities. While the evidence of practices of merit-making are common in many Buddhist sites and areas, the influences established in the Bagan period, and the scale and diversity of expressions, and continuing traditions make Bagan exceptional.
Encyclopedia Record: Bagan
Bagan is an ancient city and a UNESCO World Heritage Site in the Mandalay Region of Myanmar. From the 9th to 13th centuries, the city was the capital of the Pagan Kingdom, the first kingdom that unified the regions that would later constitute Myanmar. During the kingdom's height between the 11th and 13th centuries, more than 10,000 Buddhist temples, pagodas and monasteries were constructed in the Bagan plains alone, of which the remains of over 2200 temples and pagodas survive.Additional Site Details
Area: 5,005.49 hectares
Number of Components: 7
(iv) — Outstanding example of a type of building or landscape
(vi) — Directly associated with events or living traditions
Coordinates: 21.1488888889 , 94.8844444444
World Heritage Research
Discover scientific research and academic studies that deepen our understanding of Bagan from its history and significance to its conservation, management, and contemporary challenges.
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Definition of Structural Typologies and Selection of Representative Buildings for Seismic Assessment in Bagan Archaeological Site
A comprehensive classification system for structural typologies of Bagan's archaeological site has been developed, focusing on plan symmetry and vertical continuity. This methodology enables the identification of representative buildings for seismic assessment, facilitating targeted recommendations for repair and retrofitting to mitigate seismic vulnerability. The study enhances the understanding of the site's monuments' seismic behavior through a weighted-point-based system, aiming to improve preservation efforts and protect Bagan's heritage against future seismic events.
Htwe Zaw, S., Menon, A., Karanikoloudis, G., Macchioni, E., Sabbatini, V., & Cancino, C. (2026). Definition of Structural Typologies and Selection of Representative Buildings for Seismic Assessment in Bagan Archaeological Site. International Journal of Architectural Heritage, 1–21. https://doi.org/10.1080/15583058.2026.2658610
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Bagan Conservation Project: A Holistic Approach for the Repair and Seismic Retrofitting of Its Monuments
A comprehensive, research-driven approach to conserving the Bagan World Heritage Site has demonstrated significant potential for enhancing seismic resilience and sustainability in large-scale heritage conservation. The project, initiated after the 2016 Chauk earthquake damaged over four hundred structures, integrated structural engineering, materials research, and digital documentation to develop targeted repair and retrofitting strategies for Bagan's over 3,500 Buddhist monuments. Through advanced modeling, typology classification, and standardized damage assessment, the project established a robust knowledge base that can guide future interventions not only at Bagan but also at other historic sites worldwide facing similar challenges. This holistic methodology emphasizes collaboration between international institutions and local authorities, offering scalable solutions for preserving cultural landscapes while mitigating seismic risks.
Cancino, C., Lagomarsino, S., Lourenço, P. B., Macchioni, E., & Paret, T. (2026). Bagan Conservation Project: A Holistic Approach for the Repair and Seismic Retrofitting of Its Monuments. International Journal of Architectural Heritage, 1–19. https://doi.org/10.1080/15583058.2026.2659844
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Probabilistic seismic hazard analysis for Bagan (Myanmar)
A probabilistic seismic hazard analysis for Bagan, Myanmar, reveals significant underestimation of seismic risk in the region. The study, conducted post-2016 Chauk earthquake, found peak ground acceleration values ranging from 0.25 to 0.36 g for a return period of 2475 years, indicating higher hazard levels than previously estimated. Researchers developed two seismic source models and utilized state-of-the-art ground motion models to assess the seismic vulnerability of 43 temples, incorporating local soil information. The analysis, based on instrumental and historical earthquake records, underscores the need for updated hazard maps and site-specific uniform hazard spectra to mitigate risks to Bagan's historic structures.
Gögen, B., Karimzadeh, S., & Lourenço, P. B. (2024). Probabilistic seismic hazard analysis for Bagan (Myanmar). Acta Geophysica, 72(4), 2193–2221. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11600-023-01263-6
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Wider Bagan
A new paradigm emerges for understanding the cultural landscape of Bagan, challenging the long-standing concentric circle model of state formation. Research reveals a resilient rural cultural landscape in the Ayeyarwady River basin, persisting before and after Bagan's political heyday (11th–13th centuries). The study, based on extensive fieldwork and collaboration with local scholar-archaeologists, identifies overlooked physical attributes that define this landscape. These findings highlight a narrative of local resilience, adaptability, and diversity, contradicting the rigid hegemony observed from historical chronicles. The book 'Wider Bagan' also explores the ideational and material legacies of the kingdom, providing insights into how its successors related to their heritages.
Moore, E. (2023). Wider Bagan. https://doi.org/10.1355/9789814951999
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Remote sensing-based deformation monitoring of pagodas at the Bagan cultural heritage site, Myanmar
A study employing high-resolution TerraSAR-X imagery identified millimetric-scale deformation hotspots and displacement anomalies in pagodas at the Bagan World Heritage site, linking them to land cover changes and seismic activity. By combining small baseline subset (SBAS) and persistent scatterer synthetic aperture radar interferometry (PSInSAR), researchers achieved precise monitoring across both landscape and monument scales—critical for heritage protection and sustainable development. This non-contact method offers a robust alternative where traditional field-based surveillance is limited, providing valuable insights into the structural stability of this culturally significant site.
Chen, F., Zhou, W., Tang, Y., Li, R., Lin, H., Balz, T., Luo, J., Shi, P., Zhu, M., & Fang, C. (2022). Remote sensing-based deformation monitoring of pagodas at the Bagan cultural heritage site, Myanmar. International Journal of Digital Earth, 15(1), 770–788. https://doi.org/10.1080/17538947.2022.2062466
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Organic Matter and Pigments in the Wall Paintings of Me-Taw-Ya Temple in Bagan Valley, Myanmar
A study of the wall paintings at Me-Taw-Ya Temple in Bagan, Myanmar, reveals the use of proteinaceous glue and plant-derived gums as binders, confirming the a secco technique. Non-invasive and micro-invasive analytical methods identified pigments including Fe-based compounds, vermillion, carbon black, and As-compounds, providing insights into the materials used in 12th to 13th century murals. This research contributes to understanding the conservation of ancient wall paintings, particularly following the 2016 earthquake that damaged numerous historical structures in Bagan.
Amadori, M. L., Mengacci, V., Vagnini, M., Casoli, A., Holakooei, P., Eftekhari, N., Lin, K., Maekawa, Y., & Germinario, G. (2021). Organic Matter and Pigments in the Wall Paintings of Me-Taw-Ya Temple in Bagan Valley, Myanmar. Applied Sciences, 11(23), 11441. https://doi.org/10.3390/app112311441
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Merit-making at ancient Bagan, Myanmar
Recent studies on the collapse of ancient states often focus on environmental factors such as ecocide or climate change, but this research highlights the significant role of cultural elements, particularly religion and ritual, in understanding these transformations. Using Bagan, Myanmar's classical-period capital, as a case study, the authors demonstrate how Buddhist merit-making practices—ritually enacted donations to temples and monasteries—were deeply intertwined with ecological, economic, social, and political dynamics. These ideologically charged acts of giving played a crucial role in both the rise and fall of Bagan, revealing the complexities of state collapse that go beyond environmental explanations alone.
Iannone, G., & Aung-Thwin, M. (2020). Merit-making at ancient Bagan, Myanmar. Rituals, Collapse, and Radical Transformation in Archaic States, 185–203. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780429278020-10
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