             King Mindon founded Mandalay in 1857. Most of the monuments including the Mandalay Palace, the city walls, pagodas and monasteries were built in that year or soon after. King Mindon planned the building of the new capital in 1857 and it was formally inaugurated in 1859.
             The fortified city is in the form of a square, each side of which is ten furlongs in length, a battlemented wall of brick and mud mortar has a total height of 25 feet and is backed by an earthen rampart. There are 12 gates, three on each side, at equal distance from each other. Pyatthats or pavilions of wood surmount them. There are total 48 in numbers. The moat surrounding the city is approximately 225 feet wide and 11 feet deep. Four bridges spanning the moat lead to the main gates. The palace occupied in the central spot of the city.
The palace, with magnificent woodcarving embellishing it, was destroyed by fire during World War II. However, the Lion Throne survived the war and is now exhibited at the national museum in Yangon.
             Today, Myat-Nan-San-Kyaw Golden Palace in Mandalay has been reconstructed. That Golden Palace, a monument of historical value, the glory of the Myanmar people - embellished and renovated - is a testimony to the ancient culture.
             The city was named after the Mandalay Hill, which is situated at the northeast corner of the present city. The hill has for long been a holy mount and it is believed that Lord Buddha prophesied that a great city, metropolis of Buddhism, would be founded at its foot. It was King Mindon who fulfilled the prophecy.
             Mandalay, as the center of Myanmar culture, was outstanding in the past and it holds the stage now.It will continue to be a place of pride in the future.