Pagan Stupa Architecture

Timeline

1. c. 900–1010Pagan Plain · MyanmarBrick stupa styles from the Pyu realm and Mon regions of Thaton spread to Pagan along trade and missionary routes, forming early solid stupa forms with relatively simple proportions between base and body.
2. 1011–1020Pagan · MyanmarIn the early 11th century, Pagan nobles and the royal family began systematically building brick stupas, such as the founding or expansion of early masterpieces like Shwezigon Pagoda; stupas became important vehicles for accumulating merit and displaying royal power.
3. 1044–1287Pagan Plain · MyanmarAfter Anawrahta converted to Theravada Buddhism, he promoted large-scale stupa construction; the number of stupas on the Pagan Plain surged to several thousand, forming a distinctive Burmese stupa style with increasingly tall bodies and more ornate decoration.