Myanmar's temple city Bagan attains UNESCO Heritage status

Yangon: UNESCO inscribed Myanmar's ancient capital of Bagan as a World Heritage Site on Saturday, nearly a quarter of a century after the complex of Buddhist temples was first nominated for listing.

The decision recognises the importance of the central Myanmar site, which includes more than 3,500 stupas, temples, monasteries and other structures built between the 11th and 13th centuries, and will likely be a boon to Myanmar's tourist industry.

The Myanmar proposal to list the site was approved at a meeting of the U.N.'s cultural body in Baku, Azerbaijan.

The International Council on Monuments and Sites recommended the listing, noting that Myanmar had adopted a new heritage law and had formed plans to reduce the impact of hotels and tourism developments around the temple.

Myanmar had reversed some "inappropriate conservation interventions," the body said, noting that Bagan was important for its historical significance and as a place of continuing Buddhist worship.