Ayutthaya Historical Park ( th, อุทยานประวัติศาสตร์พระนครศรีอยุธยา
Pronunciation
) covers the ruins of the old city of Ayutthaya, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya Province, Thailand. The city of Ayutthaya was founded by King

Ramathibodi I King U-thongThe Royal Institute. List of monarchs Ayutthaya''. ( th, พระเจ้าอู่ทอง) or King Ramathibodi I ( th, สมเด็จพระรามาธิบดีที่ ๑ ; 1314–1369) was the first king of ...

in 1351, though it is likely to be significantly older, based on evidence showing that the area was already populated during the Mon

Dvaravati The Dvaravati ( th, ทวารวดี ; ) was an ancient Mon kingdom from the 7th century to the 11th century that was located in the region now known as central Thailand. It was described by the Chinese pilgrim in the middle of the 7th cent ...

period. Sources further mention that around 850 AD, the Khmers occupied the area and established a stronghold there, naming it

Ayodhya Ayodhya (; ) is a city situated on the banks of holy river Saryu in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. Ayodhya, also known as Saketa, is an ancient city of India, the birthplace of Rama and setting of the great epic Ramayana. Ayodhya wa ...

, after one of the holiest Hindu cities in India of the same name. The early history of Ayutthaya is connected to this Khmer settlement. Additionally, Prince Damrong has also attested to the existence of a city named Ayodhya, founded by the Khmers ruling from

Lopburi Lopburi ( th, ลพบุรี, , ) is the capital city of Lopburi Province in Thailand. It is about northeast of Bangkok. It has a population of 58,000. The town (''thesaban mueang'') covers the whole ''tambon'' Tha Hin and parts of Th ...

at the point where the three rivers meet. An excavation map shows traces of an ancient

baray A ''baray'' ( km, បារាយណ៍) is an artificial body of water which is a common element of the architectural style of the Khmer Empire of Southeast Asia. The largest are the East Baray and West Baray in the Angkor area, each rectangu ...

(water reservoir) close to the southwestern tip of

Wat Yai Chai Mongkhon Wat Yai Chai Mongkhon ( th, วัดใหญ่ชัยมงคล) is a Buddhist Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to t ...

, which could have been built on a former important Khmer temple complex. The city was captured by the Burmese in 1569. Though not pillaged, it lost "many valuable and artistic objects."Chakrabongse, C., 1960, Lords of Life, London: Alvin Redman Limited It was the capital of the country until its destruction by the Burmese army in 1767. In 1969, the

Fine Arts Department The Fine Arts Department ( th, กรมศิลปากร, ) is a government department of Thailand, under the Ministry of Culture. Its mission is managing the country's cultural heritage. History The department was originally established ...

of Thailand began renovations of the ruins, scaling up the project after the site was declared a historical park in 1976. Part of the park was declared a

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...

World Heritage Site A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...

in 1991.

Park sites

* Wat Chaiwatthanaram * Wat Kasatrathiraj * Wat Kudi Dao * Wat Lokayasutharam * Wat Mahathat *

Wat Phanan Choeng Wat Phanan Choeng ( th, วัดพนัญเชิงpronunciation is a Buddhist temple in the city of Ayutthaya, Thailand, on the east bank of the Chao Phraya River at the south-eastern side of the confluence of the Chao Phraya and Pa ...

* Wiharn Phra Mongkhon Bopit * Wat Phra Ram * Wat Phra Sri Sanphet * Wat Ratchaburana, Ayutthaya *

* Phra Chedi Suriyothai * Ayutthaya Historical Study Centre * Japanese village *

Baan Hollanda Baan Hollanda was a Dutch village in Thailand built during the Ayutthaya era in 1634. Baan Hollanda was located on the Chao Phraya River close to the Tambon Suan Phlu shipyard in Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya District, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya Prov ...

(Dutch village) * Wat Phu Khao Thong * Elephant camp

Gallery

File:Templo Phra Si Sanphet, Ayutthaya, Tailandia, 2013-08-23, DD 02.jpg, Chedi of Wat Phra Sri Sanphet File:Templo Mahathat, Ayutthaya, Tailandia, 2013-08-23, DD 08.jpg, Wat Mahathat File:ワット・ラーチャブーラナ.JPG, Wat Ratchaburana File:Templo Yanasen, Ayutthaya, Tailandia, 2013-08-23, DD 02.jpg, Wat Yanasen File:Templo Phra Ram, Ayutthaya, Tailandia, 2013-08-23, DD 04.jpg, Wat Phra Ram File:Templo Thammikarat, Ayutthaya, Tailandia, 2013-08-23, DD 08.jpg, Wat Thammikarat File:Wat_Phra_Sri_Sanphet,_Ayutthaya_Historical_Park,_Thailand.jpg, Wat Phra Sri Sanphet File:Historic City of Ayutthaya-111233.jpg, The head of Buddha, Wat Mahathat File:Historic City of Ayutthaya-111235.jpg, Altar in Wat Chaiwatthanaram File:Historic City of Ayutthaya-111237.jpg, Headless statues File:Sunset at Wat Chaiwatthanaram, Ayutthaya, Thailand.jpg, Wat Chaiwatthanaram File:Templo Mahathat, Ayutthaya, Tailandia, 2013-08-23, DD 21.jpg, The head of Buddha, Wat Mahathat

Notes

The city was founded on Friday, the 6th day of the waxing moon of the 5th month, 1893 Buddhist Era, corresponding to Friday, 4 March 1351

Common Era Common Era (CE) and Before the Common Era (BCE) are year notations for the Gregorian calendar (and its predecessor, the Julian calendar), the world's most widely used calendar era. Common Era and Before the Common Era are alternatives to the o ...

, according to the calculation of the Fine Arts Department of Thailand.

References

External links

*
Thai Tourism Authority: official Ayutthaya historical park website

Ayutthaya.net: Ayutthaya Attractions

UNESCO: Official Ayutthaya website
Historical Park Historical parks of Thailand Archaeological sites in Thailand World Heritage Sites in Thailand Geography of Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya province Former populated places in Thailand Buildings and structures in Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya province Tourist attractions in Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya province 1976 establishments in Burma Buildings and structures on the Chao Phraya River {{SEAsia-hist-stub

Park sites

Gallery

See also

Notes

References

External links