Travel Guide Ava -Inwa

Ava is an unmistakable landmark in the vicinity of Mandalay. It is located on the left bank of the Ayeyarwady River, 12 km downstream, south of Mandalay. The ancient city is surrounded by water, bordered to the north by the Ayeyarwady, to the east by its confluence with the Myintge, and to the south and west by a canal linking the two rivers. Ava was built on an original plan, which did not place the citadel in the centre of the fortified town but to the north-east. Moreover, the fortifications, instead of forming the usual quadrilateral of the ancient Burmese capitals, draw, by the zig-zag of the walls, a lion sitting on its hind legs. After the siege of Sagaing by the Shan in 1364, Ava remained the capital of Burma for almost 500 years. It was founded by Thadominbya (1364-1368), who undertook to reconquer all the scattered kingdoms of Burma. He died during an expedition to conquer the Mon kingdom