Three Decades of Ayutthaya World Heritage: Values, Challenges and Impacts

Background

Founded c. 1350, Ayutthaya became the second Siamese capital after Sukhothai. Once an important center of global diplomacy and commerce, Ayutthaya is now an archaeological ruin, characterized by the remains of tall prang (reliquary towers) and Buddhist monasteries of monumental proportions, which give an idea of the city’s past size and the splendor of its architecture. Well-known from contemporary sources and maps, Ayutthaya was laid out according to a systematic and rigid city planning grid, consisting of roads, canals, and moats around all the principal structures. The scheme took maximum advantage of the city’s position in the midst of three rivers and had a hydraulic system for water management which was technologically unique in the world. 

Seminar

In this special seminar devoted to historic Ayutthaya, leading experts and key government agencies will discuss the significance of greater Ayutthaya within the historic urban landscape, and the safeguarding of the storied site within an expanded footprint. 

‘Three Decades of Ayutthaya World Heritage: Values, Challenges and Impacts’ is jointly organized by UNESCO Bangkok; the Fine Arts Department, Thailand Ministry of Culture; and the Southeast Asian Regional Centre for Archaeology and Fine Arts under the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization (SEAMEO-SPAFA).

Date: 21–22 December 2021

Time: 9:00 – 13:00 Bangkok time (GMT+7)

Language: Thai and English

Provisional Agenda: English / Thai

For more information, please visit UNESCO Bangkok.