Ayutthaya Historical Park
Historic City of Ayutthaya · Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya
Ayutthaya Period 1351–1767 CE·Siamese / Thai (Ayutthayan)·🇹🇭 Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya Province, Thailand
About
About Ayutthaya Historical Park
Ruins of second Siamese capital (1351–1767) on an island at confluence of Chao Phraya rivers, with prang-pattern temples like Wat Mahathat (Buddha head in tree roots), Wat Phra Si Sanphet and Wat Chaiwatthanaram merging Khmer and Sukhothai architecture, sacked by Burmese in 1767.
Open questions
Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 01Rapid rise as cosmopolitan trading empire then sudden sack
- 02Hydraulic management of island moat city
Theories
- 01Strategic riverine trade node linked China to Indian Ocean
- 02Burmese sack led to preservation by abandonment
Theories are interpretations, not findings. The seal above tells you how much scholarly weight the place carries.
History
How it came to be
- Built
- Founded 1351 by King U Thong; major temples 14th–17th century
- Period
- Ayutthaya Period 1351–1767 CE
- Culture
- Siamese / Thai (Ayutthayan)
- Purpose
- Royal capital, entrepot trading city and Theravada Buddhist ceremonial center
- Excavation
- Excavation ongoing
Founded 1351 by King U Thong; major temples 14th–17th century
Initial construction
c. 1524 CE
Major expansion
On the ground
Structures & features
14.3478° N · 100.5606° E · 6 m · 3 mapped features
- 14.3567° N · 100.5674° E
Wat Mahathat (Buddha head in roots)
temple - 14.3586° N · 100.5588° E
Wat Phra Si Sanphet (royal chapel)
temple - 14.3439° N · 100.5419° E
Wat Chaiwatthanaram (Khmer-style prang)
temple
Gallery