The Kingdom of Pagan (also commonly known as the Pagan Dynasty and the Pagan Empire) was the first kingdom to unify the regions that would later constitute modern-day Burma (Myanmar). Pagan's 250-year rule over the Irrawaddy valley and its periphery laid the foundation for the ascent of Burmese language and culture, the spread of Burman ethnicity in Upper Burma, and the growth of Theravada Buddhism in Burma and in mainland Southeast Asia.

Members of the Old Surrey Burstow and West Kent Hunt ride to Chiddingstone Castle for the annual Boxing Day hunt in Chiddingstone, south east England December 26, 2014. Since a ban stopped fox hunting with hounds, hunts continued with dogs chasing down a pre-laid scented trail instead of a fox. (Photo by Luke MacGregor/Reuters)

A young man weaves palm fronds into the shape of a cross before the start of a Mass to observe Palm Sunday, at the Metropolitan Cathedral, in Managua, Nicaragua, Sunday, March 29, 2015. For Christians, Palm Sunday marks the start of Holy Week ahead of Easter, commemorating Jesus Christ's entrance into Jerusalem, when his followers laid palm branches in his path. (Photo by Esteban Felix/AP Photo)

A member of North Korean military holds flowers to be laid at the bronze statues of the late leaders Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il at Mansu Hill Grand Monument in Pyongyang, North Korea, Monday, December 17, 2018. North Koreans are marking the seventh anniversary of the death of leader Kim Jong Il with visits to the statues and vows of loyalty to his son, Kim Jong Un. (Photo by Dita Alangkara/AP Photo)

People gather beneath rainbow lights following Cinespia’s screening of “The Wizard of Oz” at Hollywood Forever Cemetery, presented by Amazon Studios & Prime Video, on July 31, 2021 in Los Angeles, California. Summer screenings have returned to the iconic cemetery after a hiatus amid the pandemic last summer. Actress Judy Garland is laid to rest at the cemetery where many movie legends are buried. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)

Police officers detain a woman who laid flowers for Alexei Navalny at the Memorial to Victims of Political Repression in St. Petersburg, Russia on Friday, February 16, 2024. Russian authorities say that Alexei Navalny, the fiercest foe of Russian President Vladimir Putin who crusaded against official corruption and staged massive anti-Kremlin protests, died in prison. He was 47. (Photo by AP Photo)

The abandoned Moulton and Kyle Funeral Home in Jacksonville, Fla., which is more than 150 years old, was left to rot, with the premises eerily strewn with open caskets, a hearse and embalming chemicals. Much like the corpses that were laid to rest, the remains of this building too are slowly decomposing and decaying. Black mold has engulfed the walls, and chipped tiles from the collapsed ceilings cover many of the floors. (Photo by Abandoned Southeast/Caters News Agency)