Bagan Pagodas4, Burma. Tank Top

Bagan, located on the banks of the Irrawaddy River, is home to the largest and densest concentration of Buddhist temples, pagodas, stupas and ruins in the world with many dating from the 11th and 12th centuries. Bagan became a central powerbase in the mid 9th century under King Anawratha, who unified Burma under Theravada Buddhism. It is estimated that as many as 13,000 temples and stupas once stood on this 42 sq km plain in central Burma. Approximately 2,000 remain today, in various states of disrepair. Some are large and well maintained, such as the Ananda Pahto, others are small tumbledown relics in the middle of overgrown grass. Despite the majesty and importance of Bagan, UNESCO did not include it on its World Heritage Site, beca...