Ruins of a royal temple Apr 13, 2021

Ruins of a royal temple

In present-day Thailand sit the ruins of the ancient kingdom that preceded it, Ayutthaya. Wat Phra Si Sanphet, shown here, was the holiest shrine in the capital of that kingdom, a royal temple containing a 52-foot-tall golden statue of the Buddha, among other treasures. The first king of Ayutthaya, Ramathibodi I, ordered construction of a royal palace here in 1350. Nearly a century later, the palace was moved to a different location in the city and the former palace grounds were converted to a holy site.

© travelstock44/Alamy

palette

Today in History

Apr 13, 2018Replica of a Viking home in Dublin National Botanic Gardens, Ireland
Apr 13, 2019Feelin groovy on Record Store Day
Apr 13, 2020Floating temples in the Land of Smiles
Apr 13, 2022Mitsumata blossoms
Apr 13, 2023Hitsujiyama Park, Saitama Prefecture, Japan
Apr 13, 2024Apple trees in spring, Germany
Apr 13, 2025Songkran—Thai New Year

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Nov 28, 2019Wild turkeys in repose
Apr 21, 2020Where do those colors come from?
Jul 26, 2019The party’s just starting
Jun 12, 2021In Texas, even the riverbend is big
Apr 25, 2022World Penguin Day
Nov 7, 2025Polar Bear Week
Oct 25, 2021Dyavolski Most
Sep 22, 2025Autumn equinox
Jun 10, 2018Travel Sunday: Sintra, Portugal
Apr 23, 2023World Book Day
May 5, 2021The birthplace of Cinco de Mayo
Feb 7, 2023Village of Labro, Italy
Mar 25, 2025Tolkien Reading Day
Jul 30, 2018Children at play for International Day of Friendship
May 21, 2023Pont dArcole over the Seine river, Paris, France
Nov 6, 2022New York City Marathon
Nov 10, 2023Badlands National Parks 45th anniversary
May 10, 2021An ancient sailing tradition takes to the water
May 27, 2025Mona Vale Rockpool, Sydney, Australia
Jul 6, 2021The most Instagrammable bird?
Dec 16, 2022Atlanta Botanical Garden
Jun 4, 2022National Trails Day
May 28, 2024The Monastery of Roussanou, Greece
Sep 7, 2025Gdańsk on the banks of the Motława, Poland
Feb 12, 2018National Museum of African American History and Culture
Dec 31, 20193, 2, 1 … Happy New Year!
Jan 18, 2024Pont Alexandre III, Paris, France
Aug 8, 2024Spotted owlet, Bangkok, Thailand
Aug 14, 2018Combating extinction with citizen science
Feb 17, 2019Flock online for the Great Backyard Bird Count