Wat Mahathat (Sukhothai)
| Native Name | วัดมหาธาตุ, វត្តមហាថាត |
|---|---|
| Alternative name | Wat Yai |
| BA# | T64064 |
| Size | Medium |
| Condition | Intact |
| Type | Temple |
| Location | |
| Part of | Sukhodaya |
| Commune | Muang Kao |
| District | Muang Sukhothai |
| Province | Sukhothai |
| Country | Thailand |
| Coordinates | 17.016918, 99.703738 |
| History | |
| Founded | 13th Century |
| Material | Brick, Laterite |
| Religion | Buddhist |
| Year/s Restored | Various |
| UNESCO Inscription | 1992 |
Wat Mahathat (วัดมหาธาตุ - Pronounced: Wot Ma-ha-tat)
Sukhothai Historical Park's most important monument the extensive site of Wat Mahathat is situated just south of the centre of the main walled city complex - west of the former royal palace area. The temple was repaired and added to on several occasions over the centuries so today presents a rather congested and sometimes confusing appearance.
The temple as seen today probably dates mainly from the early Sukhothai period with extensive restoration recorded from the mid-14th-century and again during the Ayuthaya time. The 'prang-style' towers are clearly Khmer influenced although what structure, if any, was on the site prior to the mid-13th-century is, as usual, debatable. Large laterite blocks are visible at ground level and in the lower courses of certain shrines and some of the minor ones in particular hint at earlier dates.
With other large Sukhothai monuments and reservoirs such as Wat Si Sawai, Wat Phra Phai Luang and Traphang Trakuan showing some evidence of having existed prior to the Sukhothai era it would appear unlikely (although of course not impossible) that another major, early-Sukhothai site was constructed from scratch on virgin ground.
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