Wat Ratchaburana, Ayutthaya
Wat Ratchaburana Ayutthaya is one of the most historically layered temples in the old capital, combining a dramatic founding story with a rare chance to descend into a painted fifteenth-century crypt. Wat Ratchaburana was founded in 1424 by King Borommarachathirat II on the cremation site of his two…
Wat Ratchaburana, Ayutthaya
Wat Ratchaburana was founded in 1424 by King Borommarachathirat II on the cremation site of his two elder brothers, who had killed each other in a duel on elephant-back over the succession. Its central prang is one of the better-preserved in Ayutthaya.
The prang can be climbed, by a steep and narrow stair, down into the crypt - which is the reason to come. The chamber walls carry painted murals from the fifteenth century, among the oldest surviving in Thailand. A hoard of gold regalia and votive objects was recovered from the crypt in 1957 after looters broke in, and is now in the Chao Sam Phraya National Museum nearby.
The temple faces Wat Mahathat across the road, so the two are always seen together. The crypt stair is tight, low and unsuitable for anyone uneasy in confined spaces.
- Ayutthaya Historical Park — Ayutthaya Historical Park preserves the ruins of what was once the capital of Siam, a city that ruled from 1350 until 1767,...
- Wat Chaiwatthanaram, Ayutthaya — Wat Chaiwatthanaram in Ayutthaya is one of the most photographed temple ruins in Thailand, prized for its intact Khmer-style...
- Wat Lokayasutharam, Ayutthaya — Visiting Wat Lokayasutharam in Ayutthaya Wat Lokayasutharam Ayutthaya is one of the more understated ruins in the old capital,...
- Wat Mahathat, Ayutthaya — Wat Mahathat Ayutthaya was one of Ayutthaya's most important royal temples, founded in the fourteenth century and holding...
- Wat Phra Si Sanphet, Ayutthaya — Wat Phra Si Sanphet, Ayutthaya, stood inside the royal palace grounds and was the holiest temple in the kingdom - the Ayutthaya...
- Wat Yai Chai Mongkhon, Ayutthaya — Wat Yai Chai Mongkhon, Ayutthaya: An Active Temple Worth Visiting Wat Yai Chai Mongkhon lies south-east of the island and...
