Your base for this sight is the Unesco World Heritage City of Ayutthaya. For travel information on Ayutthaya, read the AsiaExplorers Ayutthaya Travel Guide. For day trips to Ayutthaya, use Bangkok as your base. Read the Bangkok Travel Guide for more information.
This is supposed to be one of the most important temples in Ayutthaya, and yet I was challenged to find something worth photographing about it. To me, this is a jumbled pile of rocks and bricks. No doubt, it was badly ruined. The Burmese torched it when they destroyed the city of Ayutthaya back in 1767. Nevertheless, its main chedi was still standing, way up till the time of King Chulalongkorn. Then on 25 May 1904, at 5:00 am, the main chedi fell to the ground and was left lying there in ruins since.
The ruined prangs at Wat Mahathat, as seen on a hot December afternoon.
Wat Mahathat was built by King Borom Ratchathirat I in 1374, to serve as the sacred centre of the capital city. That's because the crypt within is supposed to enshrine the Buddha's relics (hence the name Mahathat, which means Great Relic). The crypt was unearthed in 1956, along with a recovery of a horde of gold dedication items. These are now on display at the Chao Sam Phraya National Museum.
Wat Mahathat is open from 08:30 am to 04:30 pm.
February 2008 Update: I recently get to know a Greek person who has built a very interesting website on Thailand. His name is Nikos Cheimonidis, and his website is called www.thailandbethere.com.
A row of headless Buddhas, either the handiwork of the Burmese troops when they ransacked the city, or latter-day looters.
A collection of ruined chedis at Wat Mahathat.
This Buddha's head in front of Wat Mahathat has appeared in numerous publications on Ayutthaya. It is part of a statue that was damaged when the Burmese destroyed and burned Ayutthaya in 1767.
Ayutthaya Travel Guide
Useful information on the ruins and tourist attractions in Ayutthaya
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