This city was founded around 1350. Ayutthaya has become the second capital of Siam after Sukhothai. It became named after the town of Ayodhya in India, in which legend has it Rama, one of the avatars of the Hindu god Vishnu, had his capital town, whose rule is taken into consideration by Hindus to be the epitome of proper governance and ethical society. Throughout the centuries, an excellent place among China, India, and the Malay Archipelago made Ayutthaya the buying and selling capital of Asia and even the global. By 1700 Ayutthaya had become an important town within the international with a complete one million inhabitants.
Authenticity:
The historic city of Ayutthaya is known from historical records. As one of the largest cities in the world of its time and an important political, economic and religious center, many visitors recorded facts about the city and their experiences there. The Siamese royal court also kept meticulous records; Many were destroyed when the city was sacked, but some remain and are an essential source of authenticity. The same applies to the evidence of works of art, murals, sculptures and palm leaf manuscripts that survive from this period. Of particular interest are the surviving murals in the crypt of Wat Ratchaburana.
Meticulous attention to the accurate interpretation of the ruins for the public for educational purposes also contributes to the property’s authenticity.
Best Selling point:
Many global traders set sail for Ayutthaya from various areas because of the Arab international, China, India, Japan, Portugal, the Netherlands, and France. Merchants from Europe proclaimed Ayutthaya the best town they’d ever seen. Dutch and French maps of the town display grandeur with gold-weighted down palaces, huge ceremonies, and a traveling flotilla of buying and selling vessels from everywhere globally. All this got here to a brief give up when the Burmese invaded Ayutthaya in 1767 and nearly completely burnt the town.
Charming Location:
Ayutthaya is an island at the confluence of three rivers: the Chao Phraya, Lopburi, and Pa Sak. As the train station is on the east bank of the island, most visitors will need to cross the river by ferry.
City Rebuilding:
The Burmese army attacked and razed the city in 1767, burned the town, and forced the residents to leave. The city was never rebuilt on the same site and is still known today as an extensive archaeological site. Currently, it is located in Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya District in Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya Province. The total area of the World Heritage property is 289 ha. Once an important center of world trade and diplomacy, Ayutthaya is now an archaeological ruin characterized by the remains of high prang (relic towers) and Buddhist monasteries of monumental proportions, giving an impression of the former grandeur of the city and the splendor conveyed by its architecture.
Unique Hydraulic system:
Ayutthaya is known from contemporary sources and maps and was laid out according to a systematic and strict urban planning grid consisting of streets, canals, and ditches around all significant structures. The project took full advantage of the city’s location in the middle of three rivers and featured a technologically advanced hydraulic water management system that was unique worldwide.
