In present-day Thailand sit the ruins of the ancient kingdom that preceded it, Ayutthaya. Wat Phra Si Sanphet, shown here, was the holiest shrine in the capital of that kingdom, a royal temple containing a 52-foot-tall golden statue of the Buddha, among other treasures. The first king of Ayutthaya, Ramathibodi I, ordered construction of a royal palace here in 1350. Nearly a century later, the palace was moved to a different location in the city and the former palace grounds were converted to a holy site.
Ruins of a royal temple
Today in History
More Desktop Wallpapers:
-
Coral Reef Awareness Week
-
Amber Fort, Jaipur, Rajasthan, India
-
Rockin with the rockhoppers
-
Avatar Mountains, Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, China
-
Great cormorants
-
European Day of Parks
-
The Pearl of Siberia
-
The confluence of the Arve and Rhône Rivers
-
A good time in the Badlands
-
World Philosophy Day
-
Methoni Castle, Messenia, Greece
-
International Rock Day
-
A bite of ancient history
-
A long, erratic commute
-
Hiding in plain sight
-
World Penguin Day
-
Computer Science Education Week
-
Easter
-
Red skies at Ruby Beach
-
Remembering the Arizona
-
Spreadsheet Day
-
A wassailing we go
-
Celebrating women in science
-
Presidents Day in America’s front yard
-
Fall Astronomy Week
-
I ll call for pen and ink
-
Totally Thames Festival, London
-
International Whale Shark Day
-
Desert rose of Qatar
-
The (Inca) empire strikes back
Bing Wallpaper Gallery

