Monday, June 06, 2011

Ayutthaia

Ayutthaia is a city and an island at the confluence of three rivers, I wont bother you with the names, but it did help to make it both an easy defensible position as well as a great location to tax traders moving up and down its waters.
During the 417 years, from the 14th to the 18th century, that the Thai royal court resided here they built a huge number of palaces, temples and mausoleums. Then in 1767 Burmese sacked the city and carried of a great deal of its wealth and the place was effectively abandoned.
Today the ruins remain and make for a hauntingly beautiful landscape.

A Buddha keeps watch over the ruins of Wat Mahathat

The triple Chedi of Prah Sisanpetch

The head of a Buddha statue covered by the roots of a Banyan tree

The modern day temple at Viharn Monkholbopit

It's obligatory big Buddha.

A small Chedi I came across wandering through a field across the river

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