zoom_in Click to enlarge

Shwezigon Pagoda

▲ ▼

description Shwezigon Pagoda Overview

Shwezigon Pagoda is a Buddhist stupa complex at Nyaung-U near Bagan, Myanmar. Its construction began under King Anawrahta and was completed under King Kyansittha around the end of the eleventh century, making the common description of it as solely a twelfth-century monument incomplete. The gilded, bell-shaped stupa became an influential model for later Burmese religious architecture and is traditionally associated with relics of the Buddha.

help Shwezigon Pagoda FAQ

Where is the Shwezigon Pagoda located?

The Shwezigon Pagoda is a Buddhist stupa complex located at Nyaung-U near Bagan, Myanmar. It serves as one of the most important historical religious monuments in the Bagan Archaeological Zone.

Who built the Shwezigon Pagoda?

Construction of the Shwezigon Pagoda was started by King Anawrahta and later completed under King Kyansittha. It was finished around the end of the eleventh century, serving as a foundational prototype for later Burmese stupas.

Is the Shwezigon Pagoda a 12th-century monument?

While completed at the end of the 11th century, its construction spanned the reign of two kings, Anawrahta and Kyansittha. Therefore, the common description of it being solely a 12th-century monument is historically incomplete.

What relics are supposedly enshrined at Shwezigon Pagoda?

Tradition holds that the stupa was built to enshrine a bone and a tooth relic of the Gautama Buddha. King Anawrahta originally chose the site for the shrine after the relics were reportedly transported there via a white elephant.

swap_horiz

Looking for Shwezigon Pagoda alternatives? Compare top competitors ranked & scored

arrow_forward