Sukhothai Historical Park

The Sukhothai Historical Park covers the ruins of Sukhothai, capital of the Sukhothai kingdom in the 13th and 14th centuries, in what is now the north of Thailand. It is located near the modern city of Sukhothai, capital of the province with the same name.
The city walls form a rectangle about 2 km east-west by 1.6 km north-south. There are 193 ruins on 70 square kilometers of land. There is a gate in the centre of each wall. Inside are the remains of the royal palace and twenty-six temples, the largest being Wat Mahathat. The park is maintained by the Fine Arts Department of Thailand with help from UNESCO, which has declared it a World Heritage Site. The park sees thousands of visitors each year, who marvel at the ancient Buddha figures, palace buildings and ruined temples. The park is easily toured by bicycle or even on foot.
The protection of the area was first announced in the Royal Gazette on June 6, 1962. In 1976 the restoration project was approved, and in July 1988 the park was officially opened. On December 12, 1991, it was declared a World Heritage Site as part of the Historic Town of Sukhothai and Associated Historic Towns together with the associated historic parks in Kamphaeng Phet and Si Satchanalai.
==Gallery==
Image:Sukhothai historical park1.jpg|View of Wat Mahathat
Image:Phra Achana Wat Si Chum.jpg|Phra Achana, Wat Si Chum
Image:Wat Phra Phai Luang.jpg|Wat Si Sawai 
Image:Phra Achana Hand.jpg|Phra Achana hand, Sukhothai Province
Image:Wat Maha That.jpg|Wat Mahathat
Image:Wat Sa Si.jpg|Wat Sa Si
Image:Wat Taphan Hin.jpg|Wat Taphan Hin
==References==
==Further reading==
* A.B. Griswold: Towards A History Of Sukhothai Art. The Fine Arts Department, Bangkok 1967 (no ISBN)
* Hiram W. Woodward Jr.: Guide to Old Sukhothai. The Fine Arts Department, Bangkok 1972 (no ISBN)
* Betty Gosling: Sukhothai Its History, Culture, And Art. Asia Books (Oxford University Press), Bangkok 1991, ISBN 974-8206-85-8
==External links==
* 
*Si Satchanalai Historical Park
*Kampaengphet Historical Park
*Wat Phra Si Rattana Mahathat Panorama 
Category:Archaeological sites in Thailand
Category:Historical parks of Thailand
Category:Historic Town of Sukhothai and Associated Historic Towns
Category:Buddhist pilgrimage
Category:Former settlements in Southeast Asia
de:Geschichtspark Sukhothai
it:Parco storico di Sukhothai
nl:Historisch Park Sukhothai
ja:スコータイ歴史公園
pt:Parque Histórico de Sukhothai
ru:Сукотаи (исторический город)
th:อุทยานประวัติศาสตร์สุโขทัย
vi:Công viên lịch sử Sukhothai