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Ayutthaya – Ancient Kingdom

Ayutthaya – Ancient Kingdom
Ancient kingdom of Ayutthaya, a former capital of Thailand from 1350 to 1767
Ayutthaya – Ancient Kingdom
Unlike other tourist centres, Ayutthaya's main attraction is not its beautiful scenery, but its calm atmosphere with the remains resulting from the destruction by the invading Burmese army in 1767.
Ayutthaya – Ancient Kingdom
Ayutthaya has become synonymous with temple ruins and historical sites.

Ayutthaya – Ancient Kingdom
Most visitors head over to Ayutthaya Historical Park located in the centre of the inner city for a comprehensive overview of its history and past glory. 
Ayutthaya – Ancient Kingdom
When surrounded by these ruins, it’s not difficult to imagine the grandeur that once was the kingdom of Ayutthaya.


Ayutthaya – Ancient Kingdom
Ayutthaya was friendly towards foreign traders, including the Chinese, Vietnamese, Indians, Japanese and Persians,....

Ayutthaya – Ancient Kingdom
In foreign accounts, Ayutthaya was called Siam, but many sources say the people of Ayutthaya called themselves Tai, and their kingdom Krung Tai, 'Tai Kingdom'.

Ayutthaya – Ancient Kingdom
The temples dotting the countryside, rivers and city of Ayutthaya reflect the rich history of Thailand’s ancient capital, once one of the largest municipalities in the world.  

Ayutthaya – Ancient Kingdom
Taking a small tour barge, circling the island’s royal moat, hopping in and out of the boat, we perused wats, chedis, ruins and relics, and remnants of a recent catastrophic flood, capturing life of the people now.

Ayutthaya – Ancient Kingdom
The ruins of the historic city of Ayutthaya and "associated historic towns" in the Ayutthaya historical park have been listed by the UNESCO as World Heritage Sites.

Ayutthaya – Ancient Kingdom
Once the capital of the Thai Empire, Ayutthaya was a truly impressive city; with three palaces and over 400 temples, located on an island threaded by canals, it attracted traders and diplomats from both Europe and Asia. 
Ayutthaya – Ancient Kingdom
The architecture of Ayutthaya is a fascinating mix of Khmer and early Sukhothai styles. Some cactus-shaped obelisks, called prangs, denote Khmer influence and look something like the famous towers of Angkor Wat.
Ayutthaya – Ancient Kingdom
The more pointed stupas are ascribed to the Sukhothai influence. Ayutthaya is only located about 90 kilometers from Bangkok and can be visited on a daytrip

1 comment:

  1. I LOVE Thailand and Ayutthaya is one of my favorite places to visit. Been there twice and both times I was amazed by the ruins and architecture. To me, Wat Chai Wattanaram is the one that impresses me the most with the scale and proportions.

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