Why Myanmar called the land of Sacred Gold

 "Myanmar: The Land of Sacred Gold"

"Myanmar is called the 'Land of Gold'. The reason for this name is understood when flying over Myanmar cities such as Mandalay and Yangon, when the glittering stupas and pagodas that line the streets below begin to be seen from the sky."

Wherever you go, it's impossible not to see a Buddhist temple that doesn't have gold work or gold water on it. Temples in the center of cities are large, while small temples can be seen outside people's houses under old trees.

Out of the thousands of temples spread across the country, almost all of .

"Temples of Bagan"

The Irrawaddy River flows through the center of this golden land. Its banks present a true Myanmar image with large temples on the mountains, monsoon clouds hovering over the forests and houses built near the water.

According to the Mandalay Business Forum, there are 700 golden temples on the nearby hills of the city. The remains of 2200 temples are scattered around the city of Bagan.

At its peak, between the 11th and 13th centuries, the kingdom of Pagan was home to 10,000 temples. This was the time when Buddhism, a religion with a history of 2,000 years, spread rapidly in this region.

"Sacred gold"

Gold is considered sacred in Myanmar. 90% of the population here are Buddhists, for whom gold is highly valued because it symbolizes the sun, which is associated with virtues such as knowledge and enlightenment.

According to the Harvard Divinity School's Religious Education Project, local people decorate temples with gold to pay homage to the Buddha.

Sathu Hatun is a local guide in Yangon. "Gold is valuable in Myanmar because we can find it in the river," he said. This is the part of our land that is easily found and that is why we offer it to the Buddha.'

"Search for gold"

The most important sources of gold are the mines around Mandalay. Apart from this, gold is also found in the river bed where the local people search for gold in old ways despite the new technology.

Mercury is used to separate gold from the sand in the riverbed, but its toxic effects affect both local river fish and people's health. According to Myanmar's local newspaper 'Myanmar Times', illegal gold mining has also caused losses.