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Name after King Kyansittha (1084-1113) this “tunnel” is a low, unpretentious brick structure with long, dark corridors in its interior. It was apparently used as a residence by monks in the Bagan period and has paintings on some of the interior walls. An interesting feature of the paintings is the portrayal of Mongol soldiers, a memento of the Mongol invasion of Myanmar.
Mongol archer: "The rain of their arrows"
Mentioned by Marco Polo in one of the earliest Western accounts of Myanmar, the Mongol invasion was prompted by a Myanmar refusal to pay tribute and by raids on the border. The invasion, commanded by Yesu Timur, grandson of Kublasi Khan, resulted in a Myanmar defeat at Ngasaunggyan near Bhamo in 1283 and the precipitate flight of King Narathihapate (1256-1287) from the royal city which led to the decline of Bagan.
Reference 1. Glimpses of Glorious Bagan, Jan 1996, by The Universities Historical Research Centre |
