Andy
One of the most impressive archeological sites in Asia, Bagan is a key center for historic Buddhist culture.
This first Burmese empire lasted from the 9th to 13th centuries and had heavy Buddhist influences. Around 10,000 temples and religious structures were built in the capital in that era. More than 3,000 historic buildings and ruins still stand today, making Bagan one of the most impressive archeological sites in Asia.
The satellite images above show the Bagan Archeological Zone on February 6, 2020. The zone includes four main settlements: Old Bagan, New Bagan, Myinkaba, and Nyaung U. The ancient temples, pagodas, and other religious structures are mainly located within 26 square kilometers (16 square miles) of Old Bagan. The natural-color images were acquired by the Operational Land Imager (OLI) on the Landsat 8 satellite. The photograph below shows temples rising above the landscape in Old Bagan.
Today more than 500,000 people visit Bagan each year. In 2019, the region was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in order to promote preservation of the historic Buddhist temples and ruins.
