Explaining the ban, spokesperson Thein Lwin said in its long history the gateway had withstood earthquakes, yet was gradually succumbing to damage from modern vehicles. The matter was agreed on late last month and is a part of Bagan’s aim of being included on UNESCO’s World Heritage Site list.
The ban only applies to tour buses, lorries and larger vehicles at present, but officials are believed to be mulling a total prohibition on vehicular traffic. This may become a reality anyway if either UNESCO or the Japan International Cooperation Agency grant the requested funding to restore Tharapa.
An initial assessment found that the gateway needed urgent work, but it needs to blend in with the original structure so there is no difference in its external appearance. The gateway is the last remaining of the 12 portals that were inset into the walls of Bagan when building started during the reign of King Pyinbya in the ninth century.
Bagan bars buses from ancient gateway
News in Asia
Authorities in Bagan have banned all heavy vehicles from passing through a gateway which is more than 1,000 years old. The administration team in charge of the ancient temple complex in the Myanmar city says heavy traffic passing through Tharapa Gate has damaged both the structure and its foundations.