The Unusual Shape of Eim ya kyaung Temple in Myanmar

Five sides of the story

Bagan Aerial Overview by CyArkCyArk

On the banks of the Ayeyarwady River lies Bagan, Myanmar’s first capital. During its rule from the 9th to the 13th century, more than 10,000 religious monuments were built across 100 square kilometers.    

Bagan by Kieran Kesner for CyArkCyArk

Although it’s often described as an archaeological site, it is still an active place of worship for the Buddhist community.  

Eim ya Kyaung Bagan (2016) by CyArkCyArk

The Eim ya kyaung Temple is one of only sixteen identified temples in Bagan that have a pentagonal shape. 

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Pan around to see the view from its roof.  

Bagan by Kieran Kesner for CyArkCyArk

As well as having five sides, the temple contains five statues of the buddha.

Eim ya Kyaung Bagan (2017) by CyArkCyArk

Over time Eim ya kyaung Temple has been heavily damaged, most recently by an earthquake in 2016 that caused significant damage to its exterior. Very few of the murals inside it are still intact.  

CyArk documents a temple in Bagan with laser scanningCyArk

CyArk and partners used LiDAR laser scanning and both aerial and terrestrial photogrammetry to document the monument.   

Bagan by Kieran Kesner for CyArkCyArk

The collected data was used to map the damage from the 2016 earthquake.

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The story featured may in some cases have been created by an independent third party and may not always represent the views of the institutions, listed below, who have supplied the content.
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