Buphaya pagoda

The Buphaya pagoda was a historical Buddhist shrine in Pagan, Myanmar, serving as a landmark for riverboatmen for nine centuries. Unfortunately, it was destroyed when it tumbled into the Irrawaddy River during a severe earthquake on July 8, 1975. Pagan itself was once the capital of a large region from the 11th to the 13th century and is a significant pilgrimage center with numerous ancient Buddhist shrines and pagodas, many of which have been restored. The city was a hub of Buddhist learning and artistic traditions, influenced by Mon culture and later developing its own distinct Burman architecture.1