Mandalay, the second largest city of Myanmar, has over 1 million inhabitants and is the cultural and Buddhist center of Burma. The city is located on the banks of the Irrawaddy river in Central Myanmar.

Mandalay, founded in 1857, is a relatively new city; the ancient capitals Sagaing, Inwa and Amarapura around Mandalay are much older. Mandalay was the capital of Burma during the Konbaung era from 1859 until 1885 when Mandalay was brought under British rule.