From wherever you may look in Myanmar's ancient cultural region, Bagan, you may inevitably see the huge and significantly impressive Dhammayangyi Temple against the skyline, among those many religious edifices in Bagan.

It was built by King Narathu who ruled Bagan from 1167 to 1170 AD.

The Dhammayangyi is sharply visible from afar because of its unique and nostalgic appearance with reddish brown colour. It is the most well known temple in Bagan due to its magnificently massiveness steadfastness as a structure.

Moreover, this single-vaulted base, Dhammayangyi Temple is famous for its systematized brick laying procedure. And you can also observe stone blocks, which are placed, in required places.

At some corners, instead of placing 2 bricks end to end, only one brick is used as a corner-brick.

Besides, using one triangular-shaped S and stone at the connection of the walls, the bricks are buried and placed at the same time when building the walls. This depicts the high standard of the Bagan era architecture.

And for this reason, despite heavy earthquakes every 200-years, the massive Dhammayangyi has not suffered much damage and still stands tall, to this day.

Bagan has many ancient religious buildings built with various kinds of arches like the orbelled arch, radiating arch and straight arch. But you will find mostly, radiant arches built into the Dhammayangyi.

You will notice that the point where the two half arches meet and the curvature is stunningly well-balanced.

To support the heavy weight of the curvilinear roof, two lower arches were built at each corner of the passageway. This systematic measure, assures that the Bagan era architects were well versed in the techniques of architecture.

The Dhammayangyis arches although built without the use of steel and wood are amazingly strong and sturdy though built only with sandstones.

Moreover, they act as a sandwich between the two inner corridor walls and strengthen the adjoining walls. You will find some of the arches of the Dhammayangyi have wedges built into them.

After having built the entrances to enter the center pivot they closed them up. The arches overlooking them have a triangle-shaped sandstone wedge built into them.

The Dhammayangyi Temple's original stake marking off ground plan consists of two corridors while it has been found that one of the corridors had been permanently sealed-off.

So, it is the estimation that, this corridor was sealed in order to make the temple more strong and sturdy.

Large stone slabs have been specially picked and cut with knifes, to be used as floors for the Dhammayangyi.

It will amaze you to find out, that there is not a space even enough for a pin to be stick into the well-placed floorings, of this temple.

And you will see the steps are made out off stone-slabs. Built with the intention for this temple to last long and be impressive at the same time. Though you won't find many wall-mural paintings on its walls.

But you can still see, today, the ornamental floral designs painted at the edges of the walls. By looking at the spiral stairs, built into the pagodas and temples are one of the reasons you can estimate the standard of the architectural designs of the Bagan era. You can also find these systematically made spiral stairs in the prayer hall of the Dhammayangyi. These spiral stairs are dwarfed against this huge hollow-vaulted base temple.

The height of the ceiling above the stairways are adjusted accordingly to the steps thus you can even use them to support yourself going up or down the stairs.

This shows the adeptness of the architectural designs. The cleverly illuminated stairways, by the rays of light from the small holes, which have been built on the walls and on top of the front wall, seems to have been systematically thought out and skillfully built into the temple.

After ascending the stairs you will arrive at the roof right above the prayer hall. We call it the Pyitsayan or terrace.

And from this high view-point, you will be able to witness the nostalgic scene of the pagodas and stupas with the Tantkyi mountain of the western Yoma mountain range in the background.

Today we have presented to you, the arches, the key-wedged corner stones and the spiral stairways of the Dhammayangyi Temple in Bagan, one of the Asia's richest archeological sites. We will be featuring in our next program more of the amazing architectural wonders of the Dhammayangyi Temple.