ARAKAN STATE: ANCIENT GATES IN MRAUK-U

ANCIENT GATES
IN MRAUK-U

A view of Letsaykan Sluice gate and city wall

Mrauk-U is an ancient capital of Rakhine where abundant cultural heritage lies. Study of the old capital is like study of a cultural knowledge bank. In the city where 48 kings ruled for 355 years from AD 1430 to AD 1785, we can still see stupas, pagodas, temples, the sites of monasteries, palace, granaries, city walls, turrets, banquettes, barricades, garrisons, various types of moats and gates in original forms or in ruin. Out of these cultural heritage, it would be a good idea to have some knowledge of the old gates. There are three walls; palace wall, city wall and city boundary wall in Mrauk-U. Total length of the walls was about 19 miles. At the walls, winded gates, main gates and sluice gates were constructed.

The gates of the palace

The compounds of the palace was divided with three walls. The name of the gates constructed at the walls were Mingalar, Ape’, Nanthakan, Taungnan, Pankhondaw, Sindaw, East and West. Some famous gates are as follows;

Mingalar gate was northeast gate of the second compound to the north of the palace. It is located a few yards away from the former office of Township Peace and Development Council. Royal people used the gate for auspicious ceremonies.

Ape’ gate was the west gate of the second compound to the north of the palace. It is located to the west of Mingalar gate. It was used by royal people for funerals.

Nanthakan gate located at the east wall of the first compound was used by royal people to go to the Nanthakan Lake to the east of the second compound to the east of the palace.

Pankhondaw gate (Garden gate) was used to go to the garden to the south of the palace. It was located at the south of the second compound. Sedaw gate was located to the southeast of the second compound. This was the gate to the time signal drum at Suntaung.

Letsaykan sluice gate

Northern gates

The gates consturcted at the walls to the north of the palace were Mingalar, Pyanpyaw, Biluma (Sluice gate), Tayzarama, Natdon, (sluice gate), Tabindaing, Kanthonsint, Khringaik (Chaing Kaik), Minthamee, Yehla, Waikhin and Nganandon. Among them, some famous gates are as follows:

Natdon sluice gate

In northern part of the city, Panzee Myaung Creek which links Lemro river. The creek was created as an active moat and installed with an adjustable sluice gate; Natdon. The gate was to the north of Natdon wall and over 100 yards to the east of Tabindaing gate.

Tabindaing gate

The kings accommodated their daughters at a separate residence located to the north of the palace through out the Mrauk-U era. The gate to the residence was to the east of Tharikonbaung ridge and to the west of Natdon gate.

Minthamee gate

It was located to the east of Tharikonbaung ridge, and between the southern most part of the wall of Amyint Taung garrison and the wall of Yehla garrison. It was made of stone and 9 feet high, 10 feet wide and 33 feet wide.

To the south of the gate, there was Minthamee moat where princesses took bath. In time of war, the water from this moat was irrigated through this gate and made Tharikonboung dry moat full of water. It has been renovated by the Department of Archeology.

Chitthaung temple seen after renovation

The gates in eastern part of the city

The gates in eastern part of the city were Meethama, Phonegyi Done, Yannaung, Winmana, Kyaung Ledon (Sluice gate), Makya, Pandaronar Kyaukse (Sluice gate), Kunse, Sinphyudaw, Natpauk and Letha. Some famous gates are as follows:

Wimmana gate (Kyidaw gate)

Winmana granary was one of the biggest granaries in the city. It was located to the north of Wuntenat mountain, to the west of the ridge where Nibuza pagoda lies and beside Mrauk-U Poephyu Kyun motor road. The winding gate was constructed at southern Kyidaw city wall. Gates in western part of the city were Zeekyi (sluice gate), Nganat, Mauktaw, Taungshwe, Kazipat, (Kanseepat), Ngwedaung (sluice gate), Sinwin, Thazintan and Moelinwa.

Mauktaw gate was located at the meeting point of Nganat and Yathedaing city walls. It is about 50 yards from Shwekyathein pagoda. It was named after princess Mauktaw (Saw Shwe Kya), daughter of King Ba Saw Phyu. It was built of sandstone and 13 feet high, 9 feet wide and 14 feet long.

Kazinat (Kanzeepat) gate was built on Kyaukyit wall. It was located at the upper reaches of Kanzeepat creek to the south of Nwedaung garrison. During the reign of King Minba Gyi, the army of Tabin Shwehti was attached by irrigating water through this gate.

Moelinwa (Taung Phyu) gate was built on Taung Phyu outer city wall. When the Anandacandra Inscriptions Pillar was drawn from Vesali by the elephant Ziwazoe, it was dawn when the stone pillar reached the gate. It was called Moelinwa in memory of the event.

An ancient pagoda in Maruk-U

The gates on the palace wall were used by royal people, king’s counsellors and high ranking officers of king’s army.

Tabintaing, Minthamee, Mauktaw and Thazintan gates were used by princesses. And they were named after the princesses.

Mingalar, Khinkaik (Chaingkaik), Makya, Latsaykan, Babutaung, Nganet, Taungphyu, Biluma, Kanthonsint, etc were named after the city wall.

Shun Pjo, Meethama, Minhtutse, Taung Shwe, Kanseepat, Maw Leik, etc were named after creeks, lakes and dams.

In Mrauk-U, there were rivers, creeks, lakes and dams named after Don, a Rakhine word for deep valley in a creek in Mrauk U. They were Nat Don, Narin Don, Ngaman Don, Bongyi Don and Kyaun Le Don gates were name after the Dons.

Ye Hla, Yan Naung, Ngwe Daung, Letha gates are named after garrisons. Moelinwa, Kyakhet, Sinphudaw, Tezarama, Wai Khin, Winmana, Kyetpaik, Thantamen and Sinwin gates were name after events and the use.

All the gates called "Paungwa" in Rakhine language were built of sandstone with the use of keystone archway construction technique. Sandstones were carved out to get necessary shape and joined with cement. One can study prominent architecture in Mrauk-U era at the gates. Out of the gates, only Minthamee, Shinphyudaw, Kyakhet, Letsaykan and Mauktaw gates remain in good condition.