Buddhist temples and pagodas on the in the Bagan plain in Myanmar, where during the height of the Bagan Kingdom from the 11th to the 13th century more than 10,000 such buildings were constructed, about 2,200 of which have survived to this day.

For me, visiting Bagan was a stark contrast to Yangon, while the city was nearly completely void of tourists, presumably due to recent political turmoil, the Bagan Archaelogical Zone was well-visited. Still, the area is so large that, apart from the major sites, one could still wander or cycle around many of the smaller temples undisturbed, with many smaller hidden gems waiting to be explored.

The photograph was taken from one of the larger temples, with late dusk enveloping the scene in muted colors and a distant blue haze. The image captures the composition of the huge plain, bounded by mountains, with some of the larger temples and pagodas, and many smaller sites scattered in between them.

Ancient sites are relatively rare in South East Asia, so for me, visiting Bagan was unique and worthwhile, despite the site being a mostly tourist destination. Especially it was a good reminder of the rich and long history of the subcontinent, a history largely unknown to us Westerners.

Signed, limited edition of 20 prints.

Printed in 20x37,2cm or 30x55,8cm on Hahnemühle Photo Rag Pearl, a natural white, pure cotton paper with a soft pearl-gloss coating. Custom sizes available on request. Each print comes with a certificate of authenticity.