Ayutthaya World Heritage Site. Page (1) | (2) | (3)

Wat Phra Si Sanphet……..Wat Phra Si Sanphet is probably the most well-known of Ayutthaya’s temple locations principally because of its Royal connections making it an icon for this World Heritage site. It is located in the north-western quarter of the island prominently in the old city. The temple was built by King Boromatrailokanat in 1448. It was reportedly one of the grandest temples in the ancient capital, and it is still one of the best preserved on the island. The temple took its name from the large standing Buddha image erected there in 1503. The image stood 16 meters (53 feet) tall and was covered with more than 150 kilograms (330 pounds) of gold. The Buddha was smashed to pieces when the Burmese sacked the city. King Rama I collected the remaining pieces and placed them in a chedi at Wat Po in Bangkok. The three large chedis were built to contain the ashes of King Boromatrailokanat and his two sons, King Ramathibodhi and King Boromatrailokanat II. They are considered typical of the Ayutthaya style. The temple was originally connected directly to the royal palace (Wang Luang), but the Burmese leveled the palace buildings right to the ground. The early Bangkok kings had most of the bricks hauled off to build the new capital in Thonburi. Entry 50 baht.
Viharn Phra Mongkol Bopitah……..Situated adjacent to Wat Phra Si Sanpet, Viharn Phra Mongkol Bopitah can be combined with the former in one visit. The present Mondrop was built in 1956 to house the Phra (Buddha image) one of the largest in Thailand making it look out of place in the Historic Park area. However the image dates back to the early Ayutthaya period between 1448 and 1602 AD. Its original Mondrop was built during the reign of King Song Tham as shelter after it was moved from the east side to west side of the old palace compound. However during the reign of King Phra Chao Sua in 1706 AD the top of the Mandrop and the head of the Phra were damaged by lightning. By 1746 the Phra had been restored and the Mandrop replaced by a viharn only for this to suffer damage too in the last war with Burma (1767). The Phra itself again suffered damage to the head and also to the right arm but was not repaired until the 1920’s but still remained exposed. Since the new Mandrop was built a final covering of gold leaf has been added to the Phra as part of H.M Queen Sirikit’s 60th birthday celebrations. Entry FREE.
Getting to grips with terminology........Finally I’m sure I’m not alone in trying to understand the specialist terms as they relate to the architecture of Buddhist temples here and elsewhere. Here is a short list with examples of the terms you will likely come across as you explore these sites. Details.