Nakhon Si Thammarat temple complex to be listed as a World Heritage Site

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UNESCO
Nakhon Si Thammarat temple complex to be listed as a World Heritage Site
The Nation



NAKHON SI THAMMARAT: -- Unesco's World Heritage Committee on Friday agreed to a Thai proposal to list as a World Heritage Site Wat Phra Mahathat Woramahawihan in Nakhon Si Thammarat province.

The 21-member committee, which is meeting in Phnom Penh for its 37th session. voted unanimously for the temple to be a World Heritage site.

The Buddhist temple complex in Nakhon Si Thammarat dates back to 311 (BE 854). According to records, a chapel and pagoda were built in 311 to hold the Buddha’s relics. The main pagoda was built in 550, during the time of the Srivijaya empire. The temple and many buildings were registered as historic sites in 1936.

The temple met three of 10 criteria to be considered a World Heritage site: a work based on creativity, lasting virtues expressing cultural or civilisational values and religiously related inheritance. Unesco required only one condition to be met for the listing as a World Heritage Site.

Thailand currently has five Unesco World Heritage Sites - Ban Chiang Archaeological Site, Dong PhayayenKhao Yai Forest Complex, the Historic City of Ayutthaya, the Historic Town of Sukhothai and ThungyaiHuai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuaries.


-- The Nation 2013-06-21

[khaowong1]

This temple is well known by Thai's as where the large 3 - 4" inch amulets started. I forgot the name but they were really popular about 7 - 8 years ago. Designed by some retired Police Col. or Gen..

[brfsa2]

It's beautiful! I've been there.

I've uploaded more photos here: http://postimg.org/gallery/1rhzyr5q/8b1f30c3/

Photos take with my old Galaxy S I9000 (running Slimrom android 4.2.2)

Edited June 22, 2013 by brfsa2

[gnazi71]

It is a beautiful temple. My wife and me go there almost every year.

[Rogie]

Thanks for posting those photos brfsa2.

The chedi shown in the Nation photo looks very gray and tired . . . ? old photo. It looks great in the photos in brfsa2's pics.

Never having visited this temple I looked it up in my guide book. . . the spire on top of the chedi is solid gold and weighs several hundred kgs.

[Sydebolle]

Dont get me wrong but I was there two weeks ago for the first time (and live here for almost 30 years). My thought was "just another concrete structure". Presently undergoing painting it will look as shown in a few pictures above.
Nice though (but definitely not 1'700 years old) is an inner square hallway under the stupa but the That Ingham in Savannakhet/Lao PRD has a nicer arrangement of the very same. Regretfully the museum is closed and as it seems, not short time only.
It is a peaceful place of worship but an Unesco standard befitting structure could be more unique.

[PoorSucker]