Ayutthaya Today

Ayutthaya Highlights

Constructed by King Ramathibodi II (the tenth king of Ayutthaya) in 1499, Wat Na Phara Meru grants a double-edged blessing. The statue of the Golden Buddha and an unusual Buddha of Green Stone are placed side by side. This original wat is the only temple unharmed by the Burmese raids and, remarkably, in the same condition as when it was used as headquarters by the Burmese. It is the site from which canons were fired at the Royal Palace area.

Wat Mahatat is over 600 years old, and was once a well kept royal monastery. It was burned down in 1767 and since lay in ruins. In 1911, after the collapse of the main prang, looters attacked it. Only much later in 1956 did the Fine Arts Department excavate the are and discover relics of the Buddha in the stupa within the seven-layer reliquary. It is at Wat Mahatat that the famous Buddha head is found, entwined in the roos of a fig tree. Nearby, Wat Ratchaburana dates back the 15th Century and was created under King Borom Rachathirat II (1424-48), the seventh king of Ayutthaya. It commemorates the tragic bloodshed between his two brothers, who raced for the throne following the death of their father. The design of the prang recalls the earlier Khmer prasat. In 1957, thieves plundered the crypt of the central tower. Fortunately, some of these treasures were recovered and are now displayed in the Chao Sam Phraya National Museum. Situated in the old City Hall, the Chao Sam Pharaya National Museum houses numerous bronze teasures, sacred images and relics.