Video with images of Mandalay the last royal capital of Burma on the east bank of the Ayeyarwady River. King Mindon, penultimate ruler in the Konbaung dynasty, founded the city in the middle of the nineteenth century. He fulfilled the alleged prophecy of Buddha that at the foot of Mandalay Hill a new city would arise to become the center of Buddhism. In Mandalay he began the construction of his new capital. The actual shift to the new royal palace took place a few years later. In a short period of time Mandalay actually became one of the most important centers of Buddhism in Asia. Its period of glory however was short. Mindon was succeeded by his son Thibaw and in 1885 Mandalay was taken by the British. Thibaw and his notorious queen were exiled to southern India and Mandalay became just another outpost of the British empire. The British colonial army occupied the royal palace and turned the compound into a military fort. During fierce fighting in the Second World War the palace within the fort caught fire and was completely burnt out. One of the main attractions in Mandalay is the Shwenandaw monastery or kyaung. The Golden Palace monastery used to be a part of the palace complex. It was used as an apartment by king Mindon and his chief queen, and it was in this building that he died. In 1880 his son Thibaw had the building dismantled and reassembled outside the palace wall as a monastery. This is why the building survived the fierce fighting and the burning flames in the Second World War. It is the only original part of the royal palace which still remains today. At present it is a fine example of a traditional Burmese wooden monastery. The building is covered inside and out with carvings of Buddhist myths on teak panels. Unfortunately many of the exterior panels have weathered badly and some of them have been removed. The roof is abundantly decorated with wood carvings like devas or divine creatures and hamsa or mythical birds. Once the building was gilded and decorated with glass mosaics. The Royal Palace was destroyed in an allied bombing and consequent fire during the Second World War. Only the royal mint and the watch tower survived. A massive reconstruction project has resulted in a modern version. Instead of flammable wood, the new version has a concrete construction topped by aluminium roofs. The watchtower, Nan Myint Saung, reached via a spiral staircase, commands a view of the entire compound. Nearby is the partly original tooth relic tower and the tomb of king Mindon. The latter was once gilded and decorated with glass mosaics. Other reminder of the former glory of the old palace is the Glass Palace. It is the largest and considered one of the most beautiful apartments of the palace. It is believed to be king Mindon's principal living apartment of the palace. It is divided by a wooden partition into two rooms. In the east room is the Bee Throne. The west room was the principal living room of king Mindon.

• published: 16 Nov 2013
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