Sukhothai – the city

15 May 2010

Ancient Sukhothai must have been a truly fairytale sight. It could only be reached through a dense monsoon jungle and the crossing was surely not easy. Beyond this tropical forest, one could see a powerful network of defence ramparts with surrounding moats …

Thailand | The Old City is about 12 km from present-day Sukhothai (by magical-world )

The Dawn of Happiness

Sukhothai, historically the first Thai capital, is located 445 km north west of the present capital Bangkok. It should be emphasised that the area of ancient Sukhothai (today Muang Kao village) is not identical to the present-day city with the same name. They are separated by a road, about 12 km long, ending at Kamphaeng Hak (Broken Wall), which constitutes the entrance to the Old City.

It’s a good idea to take a break from the hustle and bustle of the vibrant modern city of Suhothai and set off for a meeting with its history. The historical “Dawn of Happiness” rises up at the edge of the Yom River Floodplain surrounded by hills. In the 13th Century the might of the city was so great that it subdued the majority of the present-day Thailand’s territory and the time of its greatest prosperity is called the “The Golden Age” of Thai history.

Thailand | The monuments of Sukhothai look best in the sun’s rays (by mark_lehmkuhler )

The play of light

Which is the best time to visit this mysterious realm? At dawn of course - or at least not later than in the morning - because this is when the facades of the temples and statues face east, which results in unforgettable visual sensations connected with light, and also facilitates the essential activity of the modern tourist – photography.

The ancient kingdom

Four gates led to the city which was home to the royal palace, surrounded by four ponds. The strong link between this ancient state and religion is reflected by the huge number of temples in the city (21) and within a 5km radius there are 2 Hindu temples and 9 other wats – Buddhist temples and monasteries. The Sukhothai region is a symbol of the greatest achievements of architecture and art in the whole country: there is even distinguished a separate art style with the same name. The environs of the old city were once famous for the production of elaborate ceramics, which is proven by the archaeological finds north of the capital – 12 furnaces used to fire terracotta figurines. Unfortunately, no remains of wooden buildings have been preserved - only the ruins of brick and laterite buildings.

Thailand | Sukhothai – the city of religious inspiration (by furibond )

The rulers

It might be interesting to know who reigned over such a monumental complex. The answer is – the Phra Ruang Dynasty. It was from this dynasty that 8 kings residing in Sukhotai between mid-12th Century and 1365 sprang. One of them went down in history in particular - Ram Ram Khamhaeng, who “presented” the Thais with an alphabet- the one still in use today.

UNESCO

Ancient Sukhtai has been named in the UNESCO World Heritage List. One of the greatest tourist attractions in Thailand is indeed the Sukhotai Historical Park, where about 40 wats have been preserved within a vast deserted city.