The ancient city-states of Pyu became Burma’s first entry into the Unesco World Heritage List on 23rd June, with the three sites securing the endorsement of the World Heritage Committee, meeting in Doha, Qatar.
The trio of cities—Halin, Beikthano and Sri Ksetra—are located in Burma’s central Dry Zone and feature the walled remains of sites built by the now-extinct Pyu people from the first to ninth centuries AD.
At Sri Ksetra in Pegu Division, the ruins of what was once Southeast Asia’s largest walled city cover an area of about 18 square miles, with the remains of a royal palace at the center. Halin in Sagaing Division and Beikthano in Magwe Division likewise include the ruins—enclosed by the remains of brick fortifications and featuring elaborate irrigation systems—of ancient Pyu city-states.
Thant Myint-U, chairman of the Yangon Heritage Trust, said the listing was a major step toward additional recognition of Burma’s historical heritage from the UN cultural body.
The Pyu sites together formed one of 15 historical and natural sites in Burma on the tentative list for World Heritage status. Other sites put forward as potential listings for World Heritage recognition include Inle Lake in Shan State, the Myeik Archipelago in Tenasserim Division and Bagan, the ancient Buddhist temple complex in Mandalay Division.
