Wat Phra Mahathat (Temple of the Great Relics) is one of the most famous ancient temple in Ayutthaya located in the very center of the city. Wat Phra Mahathat was built in 1374 by King Borom Rachatirat to house the relic of the Buddha. Its current name was given during the reign of King Ramesuan (1388-1395). In about 1625 the top portion of the prang broke off and it was rebuilt in 1633. The reconstruction raised the prang to 44 meters and thence to 50 meters when a 6 meter metal spire was added. Later it collapsed again in 1911 so only the foundations of the main prang remains at present. In 1956, the Thailand Fine Arts Department excavated the middle area of the prang and recovered relics of the Buddha within a seven-layer reliquary.
Wat Phra Mahathat is classic of the Ayutthaya ruins: large collapsing stupas surrounded by low walls and rows of broken images of Buddha. This is also where the famous tree that has grown around a Buddha head is located.
Wat Phra Mahathat is classic of the Ayutthaya ruins: large collapsing stupas surrounded by low walls and rows of broken images of Buddha. This is also where the famous tree that has grown around a Buddha head is located.
