THE Department of Archae­ology and National Muse­ums, under the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Culture, states that restoration and maintenance work on ancient buildings in earthquake-af­fected areas is being carried out in stages.

The department is sys­tematically conducting resto­ration and maintenance work on ancient buildings damaged in the areas affected by the Mandalay earthquake, includ­ing Mandalay, Inwa, Pinya, Paleik, the Kyaukse-Makkaya area, Amarapura, and the Sagaing and Mingun areas.

In carrying out restora­tion and maintenance work on ancient buildings, teams are being formed in relevant areas to undertake activities such as creating a recent damage inventory, taking photos and video recordings, assessing damage to interior mural paintings, performing emergency maintenance if necessary, conducting clean­ing work, preparing estimates and reports, and conserving, restoring, and rebuilding.

During the restoration process, the department has formed teams to conduct assessments, site cleaning, sheltering, and emergency re­pairs on the damaged ancient buildings in the Inwa region. — ASH/TH