Ayuthaya's most photographed attraction is in these temple grounds: a sandstone Buddha head tangled within a bodhi tree's entwined roots. Founded in 1374, during the reign of King Borom Rachathirat I, Wat Mahathat was the seat of the supreme patriarch and the kingdom's most important temple. The central prang (Khmer-style spire) once stood 43m high and it collapsed on its own long before the Burmese sacked the city. It was rebuilt in more recent times, but collapsed again in 1911.
Many treasures were found in the ruins of the stupa and are now in the Chao Sam Phraya National Museum.
This is one of Ayuthaya's busiest sites; come early or late for the best experience.