Ayutthaya is an ancient capital of Thailand and was founded by King Ramathibodi I in 1350. It remained the capital of Thailand for nearly 417 years. Ayutthaya was ruled by 33 kings of five dynasties. The city of Ayutthaya was named after the birthplace of Rama in the Indian epic Ramayana, and it means the unconquerable.
During the first 180 years Ayutthaya was a very quiet city and not get into wars with neighboring countries. The main activity ofthe city was trade. But after the death of King Ramathibodi I, for the first time, got the city into a war with Myanmar participated in 1529. Thereafter, the city ceased to fight too many wars. Ayutthaya was first beaten by the Burmese in 1569. After fifteen years, the city of King Naresuan was again. The city continued to flourish for the next 118 years and after they attacked and destroyed by the Burmese army in 1767. The capital was later moved by King Thonburi Tuskin whichdefeated the Burmese. Under his reign the capital was moved to Bangkok by King Rama I.
The ruined town was left untouched in the jungle for over a hundred years. Ayutthaya was of 85 km north of Bangkok, where to still find the ruins of the ancient city. The ruins indicate that Ayutthaya was one of the gems of Thailand. The city covers an area of 2556 square kilometers.
At the present time, tourists can easily access it by road, river, andRailroads, and it is one of the most famous attractions of Thailand.
