Historic Town of Sukhothai and Associated Historic Towns

UNESCO World Heritage Site
Historic Town of Sukhothai and Associated Historic Towns
Name as inscribed on the World Heritage List
Type Cultural
Criteria i, iii
Reference 574
UNESCO region Asia-Pacific
Inscription history
Inscription 1991 (15th Session)

The Historic Town of Sukhothai and Associated Historic Towns[1] is a UNESCO World Heritage site which consists of Sukhothai historical park, Kamphaeng Phet historical park and Si Satchanalai historical park. These historical parks preserve the remains of the three main cities of the Sukhothai Kingdom which had flourished during the 13th and 14th century CE. The Sukhothai Kingdom is viewed as having been the first of the Thai kingdoms.

Sukhothai Historical Park

The Sukhothai Historical Park (Thai: อุทยานประวัติศาสตร์สุโขทัย) covers the ruins of Sukhothai, which literally means "Dawn of Happiness", capital of the Sukhothai kingdom in the 13th and 14th centuries, in what is now the north of Thailand. It is located near the modern city of Sukhothai, capital of the province with the same name. The city walls form a rectangle about 2 km east-west by 1.6 km north-south. There are 193 ruins on 70 square kilometers of land. There is a gate in the centre of each wall. Inside are the remains of the royal palace and twenty-six temples, the largest being Wat Mahathat.

Si Satchanalai Historical Park

The Si Satchanalai Historical Park (Thai: อุทยานประวัติศาสตร์ศรีสัชนาลัย) covers the ruins of Si Satchanalai, the second-most important town of the Sukhothai kingdom. It is located on the bank of the Yom River near the modern town of Si Satchanalai in Sukhothai Province. There are 215 ruins inside the historical park.

Kamphaeng Phet Historical Park

The Kamphaeng Phet Historical Park (Thai: อุทยานประวัติศาสตร์กำแพงเพชร) is an archeological site in Kamphaeng Phet. Major features in the Kamphaeng Phet Historical Park include archaeological remains of ancient sites such as Mueang Chakangrao to the east of the Ping River, Mueang Nakhon Chum to the west and Mueang Trai Trueng some 18 km from the town to the southwest. Chakangrao, the ancient Kamphaeng Phet town, had the same town planning concept as the old Sukhothai and Si Satchanalai, with separate zones for religious sites both within and outside of town limits. Structures are usually large and made of laterite. Religious sites on the west bank of the Ping River at Nakhon Chum are built of bricks and of smaller size. City walls and old fortifications mark the boundary of the rectangular town area, measuring 300-700 metre wide and 2,200 metre long.

List of sites

Name Type Location Picture
Sukhothai Historical Park Historic Town Mueang Sukhothai District, Sukhothai Province
Si Satchanalai Historical Park Historic Town Si Satchanalai District, Sukhothai Province
Kamphaeng Phet Historical Park Historic Town Mueang Kamphaeng Phet District, Kamphaeng Phet Province

References

  1. ↑ UNESCO World Heritage Centre. "Historic Town of Sukhothai and Associated Historic Towns - UNESCO World Heritage Centre". Whc.unesco.org. Retrieved 2016-02-28.
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Coordinates: 17°01′16″N 99°42′13″E / 17.02111°N 99.70361°E / 17.02111; 99.70361

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