mingalazedi Pagoda, A Timeless Beacon of Burmese Buddhist Architecture

Minga Lar Zedi, Bagan Chauk Road, Myinkaba, Nyaung U Township, Nyaung U District, Mandalay, 55000, Myanmar

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Introduction

Built in 1284, Mingalazedi is the last large pagoda constructed by the Pagan Kingdom. Its shape is similar to the Htilominlo Pagoda, but the only difference is that it is built on a brick structure platform. The pagoda consists of three tiers of terraces and a gourd-shaped stupa. On one side of the three terraces, there were once 550 green-yellow glazed tiles that depicted the story of the Buddha from his practice as a bodhisattva to his enlightenment, and these tiles are considered precious artworks. However, due to large-scale theft and damage over the past few decades, the entire pagoda is now surrounded by walls and wire fences, and the third tier terrace is also prohibited from ascending. Nevertheless, it still has other highlights. In the northeast corner of the pagoda, there is a small Sri Lankan-style stupa, and the whole pagoda represents the high level of Burmese Buddhist architecture. There were originally many Kala Kyaung temples in the courtyard, but now only a small part of them remains intact. It used to be a place to enjoy the scenery of the Irrawaddy River, but now it has become a cultural relic that attracts tourists from all over the world to visit.