Started in 1790, Mingun Paya (or Pahtodawgyi) would have been the world’s biggest stupa had it been finished. In fact, work stopped when King Bodawpaya died in 1819. That left only the bottom third complete. But the result is still a huge structure – a roughly 240ft cube on a 460ft lower terrace. It is often described as the world’s largest pile of bricks.
For added drama, there are several deep cracks caused by the massive 1838 earthquake. The November 2012 earthquake caused further damage, meaning that climbing to the top is currently forbidden for safety reasons.
