Natural strength has the power to preserve and reveal the secrets of the past. Sand storms and volcanic ash can bury the site, and erosion may reveal the same millennium later. Although less common (and more dramatic) than erosion, earthquakes can also play their role in revealing the long -lost archaeological site.
On March 28, 2025, a violent earthquake hit Southeast Asia, resulting in great destruction in the countries of Myanmar and Thailand, including Travel disruption, airport closure, and train suspension. The 7.7 magnitude quake, which has an earthquake center around Mandalay, the second largest city in Myanmar, also led to the death of thousands of people.
However, from the tragedy and destruction came a reminder of the rich history and heritage of Myanmar. The earthquake opened a geological cracks that revealed the complex of buildings from the Myanmar Konbaung Dynasty, the last royal dynasty before the country was attached to the British Empire.
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The ruins of the water palace from the ancient Myanmar Konbaung Dynasty, lowered by an earthquake
The building complex is located in the city of Inwa, just far from Mandalay. The area is known to contain archaeological sites as of 2009, when the ruins of the stairs were documented and maintained by the Archaeology and National Museum of Myanmar. The earthquake reveals the details of the architecture of the building complex, which is said to include foundations, stairs and pavilions.
Defer Artnews Reporting on StoriesBuilding complex “may have been a water palace or water-related structure for a royal ceremony held by the ancient Myanmar kings of the Konbaung Dynasty.”
The Konbaung dynasty ruled Myanmar from 1752 to 1885. During this time, the Palace of Water or Water Park is popular among the rulers and elite in South Asia, with the most well -known examples of water work Taj Mahal, Indian architectural crown gem.
The Department of Archeology and the National Museum intends to fully dig into complex and make this site available for public education.
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The Palace of Water is part of the Middle Ages Myanmar left behind
The city of Inwa, where the Palace of Water was found, was established in 1365 and served as the capital for the consecutive government dynasty in Myanmar for centuries until it was left in 1839 following a terrible earthquake. The fact that the earthquake has hit the area before is not a coincidence. Inwa and Mandalay sit on the main offense known as sagaing fault.
Inwa’s classical name is “Ratanapura” which means “City of Gems” in Pali. The Pali language is from India and is a close relative of Sanskrit. Pali is also the language of Theravada Buddhist scriptures. The name of Pali Inwa reflects the deep history of Buddhism in the region.
In recent years, Inwa has been a popular tourist destination for travelers who travel a day from Mandalay. Some of Inwa’s most popular attractions are Buddhist monastery in the city. Unfortunately, one of the most beautiful monastery in the city, the 19th-century Bonzan Maha Aungmye monastery, collapsed during an earthquake in March, though others survived.
The fall
The nineteenth century watercolor painting by the royal painter describes the cones college ceremony. The king and the Queen of each, sitting in the pavilion, surrounded by a brahman.
The Palace of Water was built during the reign of the Konbaung Dynasty and is known for its complex ceremonies. Often, water plays an important symbolic role in this ceremony. One of the most important royal rituals is Abisheka, which could be held several times during the reign of the king to strengthen his legitimony as the patron of Buddhism. During the ritual, a religious leader would pour water from the shells to the king’s head while directing the king about what to do and what he did not have to do as a ruler.
The 19th century saw the Konbaung authorities trapped between the two global empires. To the east, France colonizes Southeast Asia, forming the present Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia to be “French Indochina”. To the west, the British East Indian company had long held a large area of India, and the British crown considered direct control to the small continent in 1858. Soon, the Konbaung Dynasty found itself in a series of wars with the British Empire, known as Anglo-Burmese Wars. King -Konbaung King disappeared, and in 1885, the last king was revealed and went to isolation in India with his family.
Timeline:
|
1365 |
1752 |
1839 |
1885 |
2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Inwa is founded |
The Konbaung Dynasty begins the rules |
Inwa left after an earthquake |
The fall of the Confinition Dynasty and British intake |
Water Palace was lowered by an earthquake |
Myanmar (known as “Burmese” at that time) gained independence from Britain in 1948. In one of the major irony of history, the tragic earthquake in 1839 led to the neglect of the former Myanmar capital, only for another earthquake in 2025 to reveal the missing palace in the abandoned capital. While the 2025 earthquake brought great suffering to Myanmar, it also highlighted the important warning of the country’s past.