Ayutthaya Historical Park, Thailand Sep. 9, 2023

When the sunset casts its spell over Thailand, the Wat Chaiwatthanaram Buddhist temple lights up to welcome the night at the Ayutthaya Historical Park. Even though the temple is not part of the nearby Historic City of Ayutthaya (a UNESCO World Heritage Site), the ruin is just as divine, exhibiting meticulous details of rich history and architecture. King Prasat Thong—from the dynasty of the Siamese Ayutthaya Kingdom that ruled Southeast Asia between the 14th and 18th centuries—built the sanctuary to symbolise the centre of the universe and connote his aspiration to become the future Buddha. From the Buddhist temple, the Historic City of Ayutthaya can be reached by boat or road. Three rivers link the once-metropolitan city of the Siamese Kingdom to the sea. Now a historical ruin, Ayutthaya was an important point of commerce and diplomacy, with the advantages of the surrounding rivers serving as natural defence.

© Weerasak Saeku/Getty Images

palette

Today in History

Roll out the red carpet
Sep. 9, 2024Iguazu Falls at the border of Argentina and Brazil
Sep. 9, 2025A female Eurasian red squirrel, Switzerland

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Happy Thanksgiving!
May 15, 2025Palace of Westminster, London, England
Oct. 21, 2023International Archaeology Day
Apr. 7, 2025Whistler World Ski & Snowboard Festival
Aug. 14, 2024World Lizard Day
Jan. 3, 2024J.R.R. Tolkien Day
Aug. 31, 2025Scotts Bluff National Monument, Gering, Nebraska, United States
Jun. 5, 2025World Environment Day
The ‘Old Bridge,’ reborn
There’s more to Pisa than leaning towers
On the open ocean road
May 18, 2024International Museum Day
‘A sustainable and peaceful common future’
This lake is no mirage
Reflecting its stylish past today
Mar. 4, 2025Happy Fat Tuesday!
Jun. 21, 2025World Giraffe Day
Hangin around
Apr. 28, 2025Impala in Moremi Game Reserve, Botswana
Aug. 18, 2025Avalanche Lake Trail at Adirondack High Peaks, New York, United States
Where two continents meet
Nov. 3, 2023World Jellyfish Day
A glimpse of the grandest of canyons
Stripes in sight
A 50-year balancing act
Oct. 9, 2025Space Week isnt over yet!
Mar. 24, 2024Silvereyes
Oct. 26, 2025National Pumpkin Day
Feb. 17, 2024Sassnitz lighthouse, Rügen, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania
Aug. 9, 2024International Day of the Worlds Indigenous Peoples