In 1350, a king of Siam relocated to a conflux of three rivers, 53 miles north of Bangkok, and called the royal city Ayutthaya. It’s believed he was escaping a smallpox outbreak in the old capital.

Imagine hundreds of temples and stupas sheathed in gold covering 9 square miles. By 1700, over a million people lived in Ayutthaya, making it the largest city in the world at that time. An amazing number (thirty-five) Kings ruled from here. Surrounded by water, the island was called Venice of the East.

Wat Mahathat means temple of the great relic and is one of the oldest (early 1350’s) constructed from cantilevered brick and once sheathed in smooth materials. It is surrounded by towering cremation and meditation stupas. This wat was also home to the supreme patriarch of the Buddhist monks.

In 1767 The Burmese army destroyed the royal city, murdering and raping the population and hacking hundreds of heads off the Buddha statues. This decapitation showed their power but also had a reason— gold and jewels were often hidden inside.

A tree grew around one Buddha head, creating this eerie scene within the ancient complex of Wat Mahathat.The entire ancient site isn’t under UNESCO preservation at this time. Touring the city requires a bike, a hired cab or jambo for the day. If you want to step back in time, you can even ride an elephant, just like royalty of old.