How to visit and see the best Temples of Ayutthaya (Thailand)

El Ayutthaya archaeological site It is one of the best cultural visits in a trip to thailand.

The splendid remains of the former capital of the kingdom of Siam They are located about 80 kilometers north of Bangkok, making it a very comfortable destination for a day trip.

A tour of this ancient city is a perfect complement to a few days in the modern Bangkok.

Its historical, artistic and religious importance justifies that Ayutthaya is included in the list of World Heritage for the Unesco.

Curiosities history of Ayutthaya, ancient capital of Siam

Ayutthaya It was founded in the year 1350 and was the second capital of Siam, after Sukhotai, but before Thon Buri y Bangkok.

It was destroyed in the 18th century, but its vestiges allow us to get an idea of ​​its former splendor.

Much of the Ayutthaya that can be visited today is located on an island formed at the confluence of the rivers Lopburi, According to y Chao Phraya.

This island was once surrounded by a wall 12 kilometers long.

A curiosity is that Ayutthaya takes its name from the Indian city of Ayodhya, the legendary birthplace of Foliage, the protagonist of the epic story Ramayana.

After its founding, the city developed rapidly by controlling one of the trade routes between China and India and taking advantage of the decline of the angkor empire and from the previous thai kingdom of sukhotai.

At the height of its splendor it must have been a magnificent capital crisscrossed by hundreds of canals.

It is estimated that at the end of the 17th century it could have had a million inhabitants, approximately double that of London.

At that time it attracted merchants of all origins, such as Dutch, Chinese, French and English, and as a curiosity, the kings of Ayutthaya They had a personal guard japanese samurai.

It is said that in its heyday there were so many temples in Ayutthaya, that the reflections of sunlight on the prang, the towers-reliquaries, were visible from several kilometers away.

In 1767 the great city was destroyed by the Burmese armies and forgotten under the rainforest.

However, his memory endured and the layout of Ratanakosin —the island where it was founded Bangkok and where the royal palace and the main temples are now - is inspired by that of Ayutthaya.

How to get to and visit Ayutthaya in Thailand

It has already been said that Ayutthaya can be visited in a day trip from Bangkok, but we recommend that you stay at least one night.

So they can visit the monuments late in the afternoon and early in the morning, and also enjoy the local atmosphere in a small Thai town.

Una dinner at one of the night markets, choosing food from dozens of different stalls, is a typically Thai experience not to be missed.

And stay in a hotel like the Ayutthaya Room On the banks of Chao Phraya and with good views of some temples, it completes the experience of visiting the city.

What to see when visiting Ayutthaya

If you spend the night in Ayutthaya, we can recommend a long afternoon walking or cycling tour of the temples that are located around the pond in the center of the archaeological site to enjoy the complex peacefully and at our leisure.

In the early morning you can take a tour with a guide, or if not, hiring a taxi or tuktuk for hours to visit the temples that are scattered throughout the city and its surroundings.

En Ayutthaya An enormous number of temples are preserved, some are in ruins, but many others are active and attract an incessant flow of worshipers and visitors.

There is no need to consider the visit to Ayutthaya with an exhaustive list of temples to visit. It is probably better to choose just a few of them and visit them in detail, observing the atmosphere created there.

Wat Phra Mahathat temple and Buddha head in Ayutthaya

In any case, there is a temple that all travelers want to know; is about Wat phra mahathat.

It is famous throughout the world for buddha head that appears from inside a fig tree; As it grows, the tree has surrounded the image and creates a unique ensemble.

One detail is that the name Mahathat, "Great Relic”, indicates that the temple was built to house some relic of the Buddha himself.

But where is it Wat Mahathat ? You will find it at one end of the Ayutthaya central pond, and on the other side appears Wat phra si sanphet.

This was the largest temple and it is one of the best preserved. His three chedis, which kept the ashes of the kings, form another of the most characteristic images of the city.

In its heyday it protected a 16 meter Buddha image covered by 173 kilos of gold, and next to it was the Royal Palace.

Both the palace and the golden buddha They were destroyed after the Burmese conquest.

Wihaan Mongkhon Bophit Temple in Ayutthaya

A very short distance away is Wihaan Mongkhon Bophit, one of the temples that receives the most pilgrims in all Ayutthaya.

The building is from the last century and was built to protect an image of bronze buddha from the 17th century measuring XNUMX meters, one of the largest in Thailand.

On the other side of the canal is Wat Na Phra Mane, which is also known as Wat Na Phra Meru.

A curious detail is that it was the only one that was not destroyed during the Burmese conquest and therefore shows a good part of its original structure.

In the Ayutthaya's splendor Much of their trade was carried out through canals and rivers. The most important area of ​​the docks must have been at the confluence of the rivers Chao Phraya y According to.

Wat Phanan Choeng Temple in Ayutthaya

That's right where you are What Phanan Choeng, oldest and most active temple currently throughout the city.

The enormous number of pilgrims that fill the place at all hours give this visit a special character since, despite its age, it is not a memory of history, but a living temple.

Here devotees make merit by offering food, attending to the teachings of the monks, lighting huge incense candles, throwing fortune sticks or buying small golden images of Buddha that they then place among thousands of others in the niches on the walls.

The image of Buddha, from the 14th century, occupies a good part of the temple and is related to numerous legends.

There are many more temples in Ayutthaya, some quite isolated.

Some as Wat Chai Wattanaram They were covered by vegetation just half a century ago.

Ayutthaya floating market

In addition to the temples, a curious place to visit is the Floating Market.

It is a place to buy crafts, eat something and watch a traditional show, which you can tour by canoe.

All this means that it is possible to spend a lot of time exploring Ayutthaya, which is well worth more than a visit of a few hours.