Ayutthaya Historical Park

Historic City of Ayutthaya
UNESCO world heritage
Ruins of Wat Mahathat
National territory:	Thailand
Type:	Culture
Criteria :	iii
Reference No .:	576
UNESCO region :	Asia and Pacific
History of enrollment
Enrollment:	1991  (session 15)

Coordinates: 14 ° 21 ′ 0 ″  N , 100 ° 35 ′ 0 ″  E

Ayutthaya Historical Park​

Thailand

Historical view of Ayutthaya, which was commissioned by the Dutch East India Company and published in Vingboon's Atlas around 1660 . It can be seen today in the so-called Bushuis in Amsterdam .

The Ayutthaya Historical Park ( Thai : อุทยาน ประวัติศาสตร์ พระนครศรีอยุธยา spoken: [ ʔùttʰáʔjaːn pràʔwàttìʔsàːt pʰráʔ náʔkʰɔːn sǐ ʔàʔjúttʰáʔjaː ], English: Ayutthaya Historical Park ) includes the ancient city of Ayutthaya , which the 4. March 1351 by King U Thong was founded. It was the capital of the Siamese kingdom of Ayutthaya until it was captured by the Burmese army in 1767 and practically razed to the ground.

history

Overview map of the historical park

According to the Royal Chronicles of Ayutthaya , “in the year 712 of the Chula calendar , a year of the tiger, on Friday, the sixth day of the waxing moon in the fifth month, at three nalika and nine bat after daybreak” ( lit. : Cushman, 2000), on March 4, 1351 A.D. shortly after nine in the morning, founded by King U Thong .

The Thai Arts Department (about: Academy of the Arts ) began the first phase of restoring the ruins in 1956. In 1976 the area was declared a Historical Park ( Ayutthaya Historical Park ), which accelerated further restoration work. In 1991, the park was in the list of World Heritage of UNESCO added.

Attractions

• In the "old town" on the island:
  • Wang Luang (also Old Palace ): palace complex, residence of most of the Siamese kings
  • Chandra Kasem Palace : from the 16th century , served as the residence of King Naresuan the Great
  • Wat Phra Si Sanphet : is located directly south of the former palace grounds. Its three large chedis are the symbol of Ayutthaya.
  • Wat Phra Ram : built by King Ramesuan and later expanded temple
  • Wat Ratchaburana : Temple complex built during the reign of King Chao Sam Phraya ( Borommaracha II ) with a prang , the crypt of which is accessible. The gold finds from the crypt, above all a kneeling elephant, can be admired in the Chao Sam Phraya National Museum.
  • Wat Mahathat : was the ritual center of the city. The current ruins are from the restoration commissioned by King Prasat Thong.
  • Wat Suwan Dararam : royal temple from the later Ayutthaya period
  • Wat Lokayasutharam : with a 42 meter long, reclining, white Buddha image
• North of the island:
  • The elephant kraal for catching wild elephants is located northeast of the island, here the working and war elephants of the Thai kings were caught.
  • Wat Na Phra Men (written: Nah Pra Meru ) is across the river from the royal palace.
  • Wat Phu Khao Thong : a Chedi, which the Burmese king Bayinnaung after the first conquest of Ayutthaya in 1569 had built
• West of the island:
  • Wat Chai Watthanaram : ancient temple built by King Prasat Thong in 1630
• South of the island:
  • Wat Yai Chai Mongkon : very old temple complex with a chedi from the time of King Naresuan (1590–1605)
  • Wat Phanan Choeng : Temple with one of the largest ancient Buddha statues in the country
  • Wat Phutthai Sawan : supposedly already by King Ramathibodi I. founded
  • St. Joseph's Church : built more than 300 years ago, it has been a place of prayer for the Catholic faithful in the area ever since.
• East of the island:
  • Wat Maheyong : from the time of King Borommaracha II with stylistic elements from the Sukhothai period
• Museums:
  • Chao Sam Phraya National Museum: Museum in the middle of the old town with valuable objects that were found in Wat Ratchaburana (see above), as well as carved votive tablets and Buddha statues .
  • Ayutthaya Historical Study Center : The modern building was designed by Thai and Japanese architects and is used for historical research on the history of Ayutthaya. There is also a museum and a library with relevant literature.

See also

• History of Thailand

literature

• Richard D. Cushman ( David K. Wyatt Ed.): The Royal Chronicles Of Ayutthaya . The Siam Society , Bangkok 2000, ISBN 974-8298-48-5 (literal translation and direct comparison of 7 chronicles available today, from the foundation to King Taksin).

Web links

Commons : Ayutthaya Historical Park  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

• Entry on the UNESCO World Heritage Center website ( English and French ).
• UNESCO: State of Conservation of the World Heritage Properties in the Asia-Pacific Region (in English; PDF; 148 kB)
• City map of today's Ayutthaya (names in English and Thai)

Individual evidence

1. ^ Historic City of Ayutthaya. UNESCO - Memory of the World, 1991, accessed March 1, 2015 .