Ibrahim Jabbari
Located in Ayutthaya, a former Siam capital that dates back to roughly 1350, Wat Phra Si Sanphet is one of the few temples situated within the boundaries of a Unesco Heritage site. It was built during the reign of Ramathibodi I, king of Ayutthaya, and, unlike other temples, it served as the royal monastery and has never been occupied by monks. Unfortunately, many of the temple’s most striking decorative touches have been either destroyed or lost to the sands of time, most notably a 52-foot tall Buddha sculpture coated in gold that Burmese invaders removed and melted down. However much of the original structure still remains, including the three bell-shaped pagodas flanking the temple.
