The Shwegugyi Temple (, ; literally, "Great Golden Cave") is a

Theravadin ''Theravāda'' (; 'School of the Elders'; ) is Buddhism's oldest existing school. The school's adherents, termed ''Theravādins'' ( anglicized from Pali ''theravādī''), have preserved their version of the Buddha's teaching or '' Dhamma'' in ...

Buddhist temple A Buddhist temple or Buddhist monastery is the place of worship for Buddhism, Buddhists, the followers of Buddhism. They include the structures called vihara, chaitya, stupa, wat, khurul and pagoda in different regions and languages. Temples in B ...

Bagan Bagan ( ; ; formerly Pagan) 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 w ...

Myanmar Myanmar, officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar; and also referred to as Burma (the official English name until 1989), is a country in northwest Southeast Asia. It is the largest country by area in Mainland Southeast Asia and has ...

. The temple is recognized as Monument #1589 in the Bagan Archeological Area, a

UNESCO World Heritage Site World Heritage Sites are landmarks and areas with legal protection under an treaty, international treaty administered by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, or scientific significance. The sites are judged to contain "cultural and natural ...

. Located just to the southeast of what apparently were the ruins of the former royal palace founded by King

Kyansittha Kyansittha (, ; also spelt as Kyanzittha or Hti-Hlaing Min; 21 July 1030 – 1112/13) was king of the Pagan dynasty of Burma (Myanmar) from 1084 to 1112/13, and is considered one of the greatest Burmese monarchs. He continued the social, econom ...

(r. 1084–1113), the temple was built by King Sithu I of

Pagan Paganism (, later 'civilian') is a term first used in the fourth century by early Christians for people in the Roman Empire who practiced polytheism, or ethnic religions other than Christianity, Judaism, and Samaritanism. In the time of the ...

(Bagan) in 1131.Coedes 1968: 166 According to the stone inscriptions at the temple, set up in 1141,Dutton 2014 construction work on the temple began on 17 May 1331, and was completed on 17 December 1331.Maha Yazawin Vol. 1 2006: 199, footnote 1 Built on an expansive tall brick foundation, the temple is known for its arched windows, and fine stucco and carved wooden doors in the interior.Fiala 2002

Gallery

File:Shwegugyi-Bagan-Myanmar-06-gje.jpg File:Shwegugyi.jpg File:Shwegugyi 2.jpg File:027 Shwegugyi, Bagan (8729586583).jpg, '' Sikhara'' tower File:Shwegugye Pagoda (41649088240).jpg

References

Bibliography

* * * * * Buddhist temples in Myanmar 12th-century Buddhist temples Bagan Buildings and structures completed in 1131 Religious buildings and structures completed in the 1130s {{Myanmar-Buddhist-temple-stub