Wat Phra Si Rattana Mahathat (Lopburi)

Wat Phra Si Rattana Mahathat is the first sight many visitors see in Lopburi, because its ruins spread out across the road from the railway station. The temple is centred on a tall prang in the Khmer manner that still carries patches of fine stucco decoration, and it is surrounded by a scatter of smaller chedis and prangs in different styles.

The site grew over several centuries, so it is a good place to compare styles. The main prang is usually dated to the 13th century, although some scholars place it in the early Ayutthaya period, and several Ayutthaya kings renovated it. The largest building apart from the prang is a big brick assembly hall from King Narai’s reign in the 17th century, with tall pointed-arch windows that reflect the Persian and European tastes of his court.

This is not the same temple as the Wat Phra Si Rattana Mahathat in Phitsanulok, the famous working temple that houses the Phra Phuttha Chinnarat image.