Mrauk-U

   (Mrohaung, Myohaung)

   Capital of the Arakan (Rakhine) kingdom between 1433 and 1784. During its golden age from the mid-16th to mid-17th centuries, it was a major power in the Bay of Bengal and a center of international trade. After the First Anglo-Burmese War, it was abandoned as an administrative center in favor of Sittwe (Sittway) and became overgrown by the jungle. Its Buddhist temples and pagodas, located mostly north of the ruins of the old royal palace, are of great archeological and artistic interest, comparable to Pagan. Mostly built of stone, their design reflects Indian Muslim influences and is quite different from the Buddhist monuments of Lower or Upper Burma.

   See also Min Bin; Shitthaung Temple.