Koe Thaung Temple

MYANMAR, Rakhine, Mrauk U

Koe Thaung means Ninety Thousand Images. It is also spelled Kothaung Temple. The temple is located 2.5 km east of the royal palace in Mrauk U, and is the largest temple in the city. It was built by King Dikkha (reigned 1554–1556) of Arakan, the son of King Min Bin (reigned 1513–1553), in 1553 in order to gain merit and to surpass his father’s Shite Thaung (Eighty Thousand Images) Temple. The temple was neglected for centuries before it was excavated and restored in 1996.
The structure is made of sandstone and bricks, and measures 76 m by 70 m. The temple is surrounded by five terraces which are lined with hundreds of stupas. The roof of the temple is surmounted by a large bell-shaped stupa. Inside the temple there are two concentric corridors that lead to the central chamber. Thousands of small Buddha images in bas-relief decorate the corridor walls. There are also statues of seated Buddhas lining the walls of both corridors at regular intervals. These Buddhas sit on high Sumeru thrones with hands in the bhumisparsa (earth-touching) mudra.
During excavation, hundreds of stone and terracotta oil lamps were found within the temple. Many small bronze images were also discovered, including a standing Buddha from Sri Lanka.