This is Wat Chaiwattanaram, built in 1630 by King Prasat Thong to celebrate victory over the Khmer The giant cucumber structure in the centre is called a Pram. It is surrounded by minor Pramgat in eight directions.
We hired bicycles to ride around Ayuthayia. The ancient ruins are surrounded by bicycle-friendly parks, where lakes and canals interweave between trees and little bridges cross the water at frequent intervals. The ruins are built of black stained red brick and were originally covered with plaster.
Ayuthaya was named after Ayodha, Prince Rama's city in the Indian epic, the Ramayana. It was the capital of Siam (the old name for Thailand) between 1350 and 1767 and at it's peak controlled an area larger than England and France combined and had more than 400 temples. When the Portuguese arrived in 1511, they were so amazed by its beauty that they called it the Venice of the East. Soon French, English, Dutch, Chinese and Japanese boats were sailing to Ayuthaya to trade.
The Burmese put an end to all that when they invaded in 1767, sacking and pillaging the city, taking most of its treasures away.
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