Once the capital of the powerful Rakhine kingdom and an important free trade port in the 16th century, Mrauk-U is now an archaeological site with several interesting temples and buildings. The most important temple is the massive Shittaung (the shrine of 80.000 images) built in 1535 by King Minbin and its interior walls are engraved with over 1.000 Buddhist figures. Additional interesting sightseeing points are the ruins of the royal palace and the remains of the city walls.