List of century-old buildings in Arakan State being collected

By DMG 17 May 2021

DMG Newsroom
17 May 2021, Sittwe

The Department of Archeology and National Museum in Sittwe is conducting a survey in an effort to preserve structures that are more than a century old in Arakan State, from private buildings and monasteries to Christian churches, Hindu temples and mosques.

According to the list so far, there are 40 buildings over 100 years old in Sittwe Township, two in Pauktaw Township and one in Thandwe Township.

Any building that is more than 100 years old is an archeological site that should be enumerated to preserve its cultural heritage, said U Aung Tun Hla, assistant director of the Department of Archaeology and National Museum (Sittwe Branch).

“If the buildings are over a hundred years old, they will become a heritage site. Some buildings are in a state of complete collapse. The purpose is to preserve the ancient heritage,” he explained.

The enumerated buildings will be submitted to the head office of the Department of Archaeology and National Museum in Nay Pyi Taw and will be repaired if deemed necessary in collaboration with the buildings’ owners, he added.

“Once a building is submitted with photographic evidence, our head office will respond to whether it is damaged or not,” he said.

The list in the Arakan State capital so far includes the Sittwe People’s Hospital, the city’s post office and old clock tower, Basic Education High School Nos. 1, 2 and 4, Ray Kyaw Thu aka Than Monastery, Saint Mark’s Cathedral, and multiple mosques and hindu temples, as well as several buildings currently used as government offices.