Martaban

Martaban stands at the mouth of the Salween, overlooking the gulf that bears its name. This Mon port was a meeting place for merchants crossing the Bay of Bengal and the seas of Southeast Asia. Large glazed storage jars passed through its harbour in such numbers that “martaban” became a name for them far beyond Burma. Fourteenth-century traveller Ibn Battuta and later Portuguese writers described the great vessels used to carry and preserve goods.

Martaban was an early capital of the Mon kingdom founded by Wareru, and remained a trading centre after the court moved to Pegu. Its wealth and fortified position drew the attention of the expanding Toungoo kingdom. In 1541 King Tabinshwehti captured the city after a prolonged siege and devastated it. Although its former commercial prominence declined, Martaban continued to occupy a strategic position in later conflicts between Burma and Siam.