The Jetwanarama Stupa is the the largest of its kind in the ancient world and it was the tallest ancient Buddhist structures in the world, the structural ingenuity and engineering skills employed for the construction are significant. The foundation of the ancient Stupa were 8.5m deep and the size of the structure required bricks which could withstand loads of up to 166 kg. The solid foundation lay on bed-rock and the dome was constructed of full and half bricks and earth fill, the unique shape of a perfect ellipsoid allowed for stress and thus allowed the construction of the large structure.

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