Ayutthaya, formally known as Phra Nakho Si Ayutthaya, is also the capital of Ayutthaya State. Founded in 1351 by King U-thong, the city has now been turned into a historical park and is called the holy city.. About 80 km north of Bangkok, Ayutthaya is an island surrounded by three rivers; Chao Phraya, Lopburi and Pa Sak Rivers. With a population of more than one million, it was the capital of ancient Thailand, which was then called Siam, for more than 400 years. The huge Buddha statue, made of 250 kg gold, was melted down and taken to Burma.. Although most of the city’s temples and many other religious statues have been destroyed, the restored ruins are still standing.
The historical city was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1991.. The city of Ayutthaya, with the theme of “Balanced Life, Sustainable Living”, is also one of the cities that will compete with İzmir for EXPO 2020.
The city has an advanced in stone carving, ceramics, musical instrument making and even design. handicrafts. Offering a calm and peaceful atmosphere, Ayutthaya is also an escape place for those who want to get away from the crowds of Bangkok.. More than 4 million people visit Ayutthaya Historical Park every year, one of the places that best represents Thailand’s ancient culture.
In the morning Hayko prepared me a nice breakfast.. I ate sausage for the first time since I started my trip. He brought a couchsurfer from Erzurum.. I reached the city by minibus that departed from near Hayko’s house.. 1.5 hours (70THB) to reach the city from Bangkok. The city is spread over a very large area.. so it is very difficult to visit the whole city in 1 day. Visitors can either rent a bicycle and walk between the temples or rent a tuk-tuk and get around faster.. Again, boat tours are organized in the river surrounding the city.
Despite the very hot weather, I preferred walking.. I would have expected more organized tours, a cleaner look at UNESCO-listed places, but the city is full of rubbish, most of its roads.
Still a pleasant place to walk.. It was nice to walk over the ancient bridges over the river and walk in its beautiful garden and watch the ancient monuments. An elephant safari is also held near the Phra Mongkhon Bophit temple.
The bronze Buddha statue, located at Phra Mongkhon Bophit Temple, is 9.55 meters wide and 12.45 meters high. It is one of the largest Buddha statues in Thailand.
It is thought to have been built in the early Ayutthaya period between 1448-1602.. This temple, which was previously located in the east of the city, was later moved to the west side by Song Tham.
While Ayutthaya fell in April 1767, most of it was damaged in a fire.. Although Buddha‘s head and right arm were broken during the Burma occupation, she was restored twice in 1920 and 1931.. Burmese Prime Minister Vihara, who made an official visit to Ayutthaya in 1956, made a donation for the restoration.
The Buddha statue was restored according to the old one.. During the restoration work, the left shoulder found is now on display at the Chao Sam Phraya National museum. The Mongkhon Bophit Foundation was founded in 1992 by H.M.. He covered the Buddha statue with gold leaf to commemorate Queen Sirikit.’s 60th birthday.
The garden and inside of the temple were quite crowded.. When you enter, you leave your slippers on the shelf and visit barefoot.. Those who come to pray, let me pay, take candles, lotus flowers and incense and sit in front of Buddha statues and pray.. Incense and lotus flowers are collected and sold again and again.
Although there are many more places to see, I was overwhelmed by the heat and exhaustion, and got on a motorcycle (30THB) and went to the bus terminal.. I bought my ticket (41THB) and reached the city. However, since I went to the Northern Bus Terminal, it took me 2 hours to get back to where I was staying because of the traffic.
I spent the evening hanging out on Khao San Street, a popular traveler stop.. I was dreaming better of this street whose name I heard so much. However, on the one hand, it was no different from an ordinary street with the disorder of bars and restaurants and the occupation of street vendors.
I don’t even need to mention its cleanliness.. Not much to like. However, since there are many budget hotels in the vicinity, most of the low-budget travelers prefer this place.
Day 551: Thailand:40 Bangkok, February 5, 2012
