Earlier this month, UNESCO officially designated Myanmar’s ancient city of Bagan as a World Heritage site. More than 3,500 ancient Buddhist pagodas, temples, and other religious structures occupy approximately 16 square miles of Old Bagan within the larger Bagan Archaeological Zone. Most of the structures were built between 800 and 1,000 years ago, when Bagan was a royal capital. In 2016, a magnitude 6.8 earthquake struck the region, damaging 185 of the ancient buildings. Restoration work continues, and new laws have been passed to help preserve the site, as well as manage the impact of increasing visitors to the popular tourist destination.