A section of the south wall around Mandalay Palace, east of Yan Hnin Gate, was damaged by heavy rain in mid-October.

SEVERAL ancient structures in Amarapura, Inwa and Mandalay were damaged by heavy rains and flooding in mid-October.

Among the damaged structures was the Mandalay Palace Wall. A crumbling segment in the northwest corner was already under repair before the rain, but the downpours also damaged a section of the southern wall east of Yan Hnin Gate.

“When rains are heavy, there are 18-inch-deep pools of water at the base of the walls, which are easily damaged due to their age,” said a spokesperson from the Department of Archaeology under the Ministry of Culture. “Our department is making efforts to repair the damaged segments and making preparations to avoid further damage.”

In Amarapura, an 18-metre (60-foot) section of a corridor wall collapsed at the brick Shwegugyi Monastery, which was built in 1144 by King Bodawpaya.

Meanwhile, a 21-metre (70-foot) section of the south wall of Taungthaman Kyauktawgyi Pagoda, built in the 19th century by Bagan King, was also damaged.

The rain also caused three stupas in Ta-da-oo township in Mandalay to collapse, while two stupas in Inwa dating back to the Konbaung period (18th to 19th centuries) were swept away by the high waters of the Doke-htar-wady River on October 12.

“This year’s flood devastation is much bigger than last year’s, but in light of the amount of rainfall, we’re lucky the damage wasn’t worse,” said the official.