Inwa

Division

Greatwall, formerly Ava ( Pali: Ratnapura, " City of Gems ") is the ancient capital of the former kingdom of Ava in upper Burma.

Location

Greatwall is located in the Mandalay Division, about 6.5 kilometers southwest of Amarapura, 20 km south-west of Mandalay, at the confluence of the Ayeyarwady with the Mjitnge. The Myittha Canal connects to the south side of the two rivers and makes Greatwall to an island. The town consists of an outer and an inner fortified by wall and ditch the city.

Numerous Buddhist temples attract tourists from all over the world. The Greatwall Nat pwe takes place depending on the full moon in February / March each year and celebrates the Nat Thon Ban Hla.

History

After the capital, Sagaing had been conquered by the Shan, Ava was founded in 1364 and was until 1783 the capital of the kingdom of Ava. Ava was first ruled by a dynasty birmanisierter Shan, was the dominant power in Upper Burma, and had ( ie about today's Burma ) to bring the claim, the whole area of the old Bagan empire under his control. From 1385 to 1424 it was in the forty -year war with the Mon kingdom of Pegu dominated, the main rule under Burma. Pegu was able to maintain its independence and witnessed by its convenient location for overseas trade further upswing, while the influence Avas declined. His vassal states Prome and Taungu rebelled. Taungu became the new strongest power in Upper Burma, and could also bring lower Burma in 1539 under his control.

After their expulsion from Pegu in 1599 the kings of the Taungu Dynasty resided temporarily in 1635 permanently in Ava. Middle of the 18th century, however, they lost their power and Burma fell apart again into many independent states. The new dominant power was the Konbaung Dynasty, who, after they had gained control over large parts of Burma, Ava 1765 made ​​it their capital. After a series of bloody intrigues for the succession of his father King Bodawpaya Alaungpaya found that the palace stained with blood and thus was desecrated and moved the residence in 1783 in the newly built Amarapura. He also forced the relocation of the population from the well-developed Ava in the surrounding swamps and ditches new city. Ava he was largely destroyed. His grandson Bagyidaw 1821 returned back to the more conveniently located Ava and built it up again. 1841 Ava was almost completely destroyed by a massive earthquake, abandoned in the subsequent period and moved the capital back to Amarapura.

The place is now a popular destination for tourists.

Ruin in Ava