Introduction
Sittwe, a small fishing town that grew to become the capital of Rakhine State after British intervention in the First Anglo-Burmese War, is now home to nearly 200,000 people.
The city was a central export centre in the late 19th century and continues to buzz as a key commercial port today.
It's notable for its large Muslim population, a rarity in this largely Buddhist country, but is generally used as a staging post by tourists taking trips to the temples of Mrauk U.
It has its own merits too though, and it's well worth wandering around its mosques, pagodas and monasteries, exploring the riverfront market and the small but interesting Buddhist Museum.
