Soe Min Gyi Oak Kyaung

The Soe Min Gyi Oak Kyaung stands out as a rare, two-story brick monastery from the Bagan period. Its thick, plastered walls and vaulted interior distinguish it from the timber buildings that dominated the era. A wealthy donor commissioned the structure for a prominent monk in the thirteenth century, providing a cool, permanent space for study. During the nineteen seventies, researchers discovered a hidden collection of inscriptions here that revealed how monks managed private land and wealth, challenging the view of monastic poverty.