Mandalay, << MAN duh `lay` >>, (pop. 1,225,546) is Myanmar’s second largest city and chief inland river port. Yangon is the only city in Myanmar with a larger population. Mandalay lies in central Myanmar on the Irrawaddy River. It is known for its old pagodas, temples, and monasteries. It is the home of Mandalay University.
Mandalay was founded in 1857. It was the capital of Myanmar (then called Burma) from 1860 to 1885, when the British captured the city. The British moved the capital to Yangon, also spelled Rangoon. Mandalay suffered much damage during World War II (1939-1945).
