Taungoo's 514-year-old Ketumati City to be excavated with hopes of attracting tourists
77
Eain/ Saw (NP News) - Jan 15
U Kyaw Myo Win, director of the Department of Archaeology and National Museums under the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Culture, told The NP News that if the buried ancient sites in and around Taungoo are fully excavated, those sites could become interesting destinations for both domestic and foreign tourists.
Currently, regarding the ancient city of Ketumati, the Department of Archeology and National Museum has conducted field studies, and it is known that excavation research will be carried out in January.
“We need to carry out short-term and long-term projects to expose the city wall in Taungoo. Compared to Bago, Taungoo has moats on all four sides. Like Mandalay, it has four sides. If we excavate along the city wall, the city walls will come out. The gates will appear. If we do that, we can do it like Chiang Mai. We can implement it like Chiang Mai as a city that supports tourism,” said U Kyaw Myo Win.
It is reported that the excavation research is receiving assistance, encouragement, and support from the Bago Region Chief Minister himself.
“At present, there are few ancient sites. There are few archaeological sites. Historically, it is a very large cultural monument, and the field discoveries are also very large. It is not just about it. On the other side of the Yangon-Mandalay Expressway, which is earlier than the old city of Ketumati, there are also old cities related to it, such as Taungoo Gyi and Taungoo Lay. To the east of it, the old city of Dwarawaddy is Dwarawaddy, which was established by King Mingyi Nyo for 20 years before Ketumati was established. According to historical records, he lived for 20 years before establishing the old city of Ketumati. We will dig and preserve it in connection with all these things. If we show it to foreign tourists, domestic and international tourists, it will be like Chiang Mai in Thailand. I predict that it will become a city that is visited by international tourists and domestic visitors," he continued.
The ancient city of Ketumati, founded by King Nyo, is located in Taungoo Township, Bago Region, and is now 514 years old, according to available information.