The Department of Archaeology and National Museum (Pinya-Inwa Branch) is carrying out restoration work on the ancient palace tower of Inwa, which can still be seen as an Amarapura-era work, in this financial year, according to archaeologist and writer Bo Shake (Yadanapura).
About 90 feet (30 metres) high, the Inwa palace tower, built in 1822, is the only concrete work left from the palace of King Bagyitaw as a 19th-century Myanmar architecture.
“The palace tower was built during the reign of King Bagyitaw or Sagaing Min. It remains as an Amarapura work in Inwa. It is in Myanmar’s cultural style. You can’t go up to it because the wooden stairs are decaying. Now, the Pinya-Inwa Branch is repairing the decayed wood and making it stronger during this month. When the restoration is complete, they need to seek permission to climb the stairs or not,” he said.
Due to the earthquake that struck in 1838, the tower tilted slightly to the north, and access to the top of the building was prohibited at this time.
The palace tower is located in the innermost compound among three walls of Inwa City, to the north of the palace buildings, which are also called the first or inner palace wall.
“Places of ancient cultural heritage are factories without smoke. We need to restore them to be sustainable as well as protect them against human destruction,” he said. — MT/ZN
