Bagan Conservation Project: A Holistic Approach for the Repair and Seismic Retrofitting of Its Monuments

The Getty Conservation Institute, in collaboration with Myanmar’s Department of Archaeology and National Museum, initiated a long-term project to develop a holistic and sustainable approach for conserving and managing the Bagan World Heritage Site, a Buddhist cultural landscape encompassing over 3,500 monuments. After the 2016 Chauk earthquake damaged more than four hundred structures, the project prioritized seismic research, structural assessment, repair and retrofitting, conservation of decorated elements, digital documentation, and capacity building. The Repair and Retrofitting of Monuments component classified buildings by structural typology and conducted advanced research and modeling on representative buildings to develop targeted repair and retrofitting strategies. Eleven papers in this special issue present the outcomes of this work, covering typology classification, traditional construction systems, conservation history, seismic hazard modeling, numerical simulations of masonry behavior, digital documentation, 3D modeling, seismic analysis, assessment of nonstructural elements, and standardized post-earthquake damage evaluation. Integrating structural engineering, materials research, and conservation practice, these studies provide a comprehensive knowledge base to guide future interventions and enhance seismic resilience. The project demonstrated the importance of a holistic, research-driven, and collaborative approach to large-scale heritage conservation, offering methodologies and tools applicable to other historic sites facing similar challenges worldwide.