Wat the...?

Ayutthaya was the Thai seat of power from the mid-14th century until its final sacking by the Burmese in 1767. The ruins are in rough condition due to the destruction caused by the attacks, making the ruins appear to me to be 2000 years old, rather than 200 years old. It's odd to see something so relatively modern look as battered as ancient Rome. This was perhaps the most surprising part of my visit.


Many of the Buddha images from the old city were beheaded or otherwise destroyed, leaving partial statues like the one below. The images are still respected and revered, as can be seen by the drape cloth around the middle and floral offering at the base.


The bulk of the ruins at Ayutthaya, if not all, were old wats (temples), and after a while, they all begin to blend together, but I will share with you a selection of photos and what little information I remember.


The one below is Wat Ratchanaburana, which was built as a cremation sight for two brothers that had killed one another fighting for the throne. The site was erected by a third brother, who ascended the throne after their death.

Below, you can see some of the little detail that remains on these structures, which gives an idea of how grand the city must have been at one time.

This is probably the most photographed site in all of Ayutthaya. At Wat Mahathat, a Buddha statue apparently fell to the ground and this tree grew around the head.

This is a wall at Wat Phra Si Sanphet.

What I found so interesting in this wall can be seen in detail in the next picture. Note both the shape of the window and the presence of a window sill.

After cycling around the island and checking out all of the old ruins, I cycled off the island to a newer wat that apparently has a beautifully carved wooden ceiling, but I arrived too late to see it. There was however, a beautiful sacred Bodhi tree on the grounds.

I rode my bike around the grounds of the small wat and for some reason felt a little like the Last Emperor. Somehow I don't think they will let me do the same in the Forbidden City.