Wat Mahathat was one of the principal royal monasteries of historic Ayutthaya. Construction began in the fourteenth century during the reign of King Borommarachathirat I. The temple stood close to the royal palace and held an important place in the capital’s religious life: its central reliquary enshrined Buddha relics, and the monastery was associated with the kingdom’s senior Buddhist clergy. The ruins lie on the island of the old city, near Wat Ratchaburana and other monuments in the historical park.
A large brick prang marks the centre of the complex. Around it are the bases of smaller towers, assembly halls and stupas. Their arrangement gives a sense of the scale of the monastery even though many structures have lost their upper sections. Brick and stone fragments, Buddha images and traces of stucco decoration record the architectural styles that developed in Ayutthaya over several centuries. The site’s best-known feature is a sandstone Buddha head held among the roots of a tree beside the old masonry. Wat Mahathat is part of the Historic City of Ayutthaya, a UNESCO World Heritage property, and is commonly visited together with nearby Wat Ratchaburana and the other temples on the island.
- Address
- Chi Kun Road, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya, Thailand
- Website
- Website
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