Discover
Discover
Wat Phra Mahathat Woramahawihan stands in Nakhon Si Thammarat, on the narrow strip of land between two seas. UNESCO describes it as an important regional Buddhist centre since its foundation in the 8th century. Its great bell-shaped reliquary stupa has long been the city's revered symbol.
History
History
Sitting on trans-oceanic exchange networks, the monastery absorbed religious and architectural influences from many directions: Hinduism and Mahayana and Theravada Buddhism, from India, Java, Sri Lanka and the Mon lands of southern Myanmar. UNESCO notes that its art and architecture went on to influence Thailand and Southeast Asia widely.
People & Culture
People & Culture
UNESCO counts living traditions of more than 1,500 years among its values: the Nakhon Si Thammarat chronicles, the yearly ceremony of wrapping the Great Reliquary in cloth, and the Nora dance drama. For us, this is where the south's religion, trade and performing arts meet.
Living Heritage
Living Heritage
The cloth-wrapping procession still draws people from across southern Thailand each year, and Nora, inscribed by UNESCO as intangible cultural heritage in 2021, is still danced at temple fairs and community rites. This is a monument and a living place of faith at once.
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