thumb|left|300px|Wat Mahathat in Sukhothai Historical ParkThe
Sukhothai Historical Park covers the ruins of
Sukhothai, 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. The park is maintained by the Fine Arts Department of Thailand with help from
UNESCO, which has declared it a
World Heritage Site. The park sees thousands of visitors each year, who marvel at the ancient Buddha figures, palace buildings and ruined temples. The park is easily toured by bicycle or even on foot.
The protection of the area was first announced in the Royal Gazette on
June 6,
1962. In
1976 the restoration project was approved, and in July 1988 the park was officially opened. On
December 12,
1991, it was declared a
World Heritage Site as part of the
Historic Town of Sukhothai and Associated Historic Towns together with the associated historic parks in
Kamphaeng Phet and
Si Satchanalai.
Gallery