Monks gather around a pagoda near Mrauk U.

ALTHOUGH it can’t rival the sheer number of ancient stupas and temples in Bagan, the unique style of the pagodas of Mrauk U are a testament to the glorious history of the Rakhine kings who built them. Pagodas in Myanmar can generally be distinguished by their colour; the red pagodas of Bagan, the whitewashed ones in Sagaing and Mandalay, and the darkened, green-tinged examples in Mrauk U.

I arrived too late to get a good glimpse of the best Mrauk U had to offer but through the window of the bus I could still make out dark mounds of stupas on the overgrown hillsides. Despite once being the city of kings, Mrauk U today is like a village. Despite my excitement, my only option was to check into my hotel and I could only anticipate what I would see the following day. Tired from the long bus trip, I fell asleep almost immediately.

The city is crowded with a large number of foreign merchants from neighbouring and far-off countries, such as the Netherlands, Portugal and Spain. Hundreds of trading ships, on their way from Europe to the exotic eastern trading cities like Java, are docked at the Rakhine port of Mrauk U.

A Chin woman shows her facial tattoos.

In the marketplace, a Western trader is negotiating the price of an elephant. He demands the seller lower the price to 1300 silver coins for one elephant but the local trader refuses to budge from 1400. Around them workers are carrying bags of rice and weighing them on elaborate scales. The port is alive; every moment something is happening.

And… a knock on the door wakes me from my dream of the fall of Mrauk U, which I had read on the bus. A day of sightseeing in the ruined capital is set to begin.

There are more than 70 temples, stupas and other ruins around Mrauk U and the first I visit is Shitthaung Pagoda, without doubt one of city’s landmarks.
The name means 80,000 Buddha images and the pagoda was built by King Minbin in 1535. There are the four dark walkways in the interior of the pagoda – I had to donate some money to run the generator, which gives me an hour to explore the damp, maze-like passages that are covered with murals depicting the jataka stories. There are no other visitors besides the children playing hide-and-seek. I can only wonder how the artisans could have completed their beautiful works in such a dark place.

A local woman gathers water in front of Dukkhanthein Pagoda.

King Minbin (1531-1553) ruled Mrauk U – founded by King Minsawmon in 1430 – during the city’s most prosperous era. Several factors contributed to the Rakhine kingdom’s stability at this time. Minbin built a large naval fleet with modern cannons to guard his 1500 kilometres of coastline. The capital also featured strong natural defences, with high natural ridges and the city walls were built by joining the higher points of the ridges.

In 1623, Japanese samurai visited Mrauk U to serve as the kings royal bodyguards. For 355 years – until 1785 – the Rakhine dynasty ruled from Mrauk U, the kingdom’s prosperous capital and trading centre.

Evidence of its former glory still remains. From Shitthaung Pagoda, I spy the octagonal walls of the 400-year-old Andaw Thein (shrine), where a tooth-relic of Buddha is still enshrined. Nearby is Dukkhanthein Pagoda, which was built by King Mong Phaloung in 1571 in a bid to reunite the kingdom during a brief period of political turmoil. The tropical monsoon climate has done its best to age both buildings but the weather-beaten exterior only adds to their striking appearance.

A scenic beauti Mrauk U.

There are some temples and pagodas at Mrauk U that have been renovated, just like many in Bagan.

Besides the venerable pagodas, visitors today can observe the other remnants of this once mighty capital: The city walls, overgrown fortress, ramparts, and watchtowers.

It’s hard to do justice to just how wealthy Mrauk U must once have been. One of the earliest Western chroniclers was Friar Sebastien Manrique, a Portuguese Augustinian missionary who visited the region during the 1600s.

He published a book describing the 1635 coronation ceremony of King Thiri Tudhamma and said he was surprised by the large amounts of precious stones – diamonds, rubies and sapphires – being sold at the local market.

“As they entered the triple-walled fortress the sun rose, its rays suddenly bringing to life the gilded roofs, which flashed as if they were made of gold, so brilliantly that travellers often thought the palace was plated with gold. The roof of the Hall of Audience, which was carved with much fancy, was supported by a forest of gilt and red lacquer pillars,” he wrote.

Just as travellers four centuries ago were amazed by Mrauk U, it is still today a place of fascination for modern travellers and an alternative to the more well-known ancient city of Bagan.

Most visitors reach Mrauk U by flying first to Sittwe, the modern capital of Rakhine State, and then on to Mrauk U by boat or bus – an 80km, six-hour journey.

Locals can also take a direct bus from Yangon to Mrauk U that crosses the Rakhine Yoma mountain range. This takes at least one night, depending on the road conditions.