5/5 Gordon K. 6 years ago on Google
Mahakan
Fort,
located
next
to
Wat
Ratchanaddaram,
is
just
one
of
the
two
remaining
fortresses
of
medieval
Bangkok
(
the
other
being
Phra
Sumen
Fortress
).
It
was
built
when
the
old
city
of
Bangkok
was
protected
by
moats.
There
were
three
moats
radiating
from
the
Royal
Palace.
In
the
olden
days,
there
were
16
gates
and
14
forts
into
the
old
city
of
Bangkok
It
has
a
width
of
38
metres
and
a
height
of
4.9
metres.
It
has
three
floors
with
staircases
leading
to
the
first
two.
The
highest
floor
is
an
octagonal
tower
with
an
entrance.
In
addition,
part
of
the
old
city
wall
is
still
standing.
It
runs
for
about
200
metres
along
Maha
Chai
Road.
Today
only
Phra
Sumen
and
Mahakan
remain.
Mahakan
Fort
is
octagonal
in
shape.
Mahakan
Fort
was
raised
in
status
to
a
National
Ancient
Monument
of
Thailand
by
the
Fine
Arts
Department
in
1949.
The
government
wanted
to
turn
the
area
between
the
canal
and
the
city
wall
into
a
park,
but
were
met
with
resistance
from
the
community
that
stay
on
that
land.
Now
the
authorities
are
looking
into
turning
it
into
a
living
museum
of
vintage
houses.
Rattanakosin
also
known
as
Rattanakosin
Island,
is
the
historic
centre
of
Bangkok,
where
most
of
Bangkok's
must
see
sights
can
be
found,
including
the
Grand
Palace
and
Wat
Pho.
Rattanakosin
was
established
in
1782
when
King
Rama
I
moved
the
Siamese
capital
across
the
river
from
Thonburi,
starting
a
period
in
Thai
history
known
as
the
Rattanakosin
Period.
Spending
a
few
days
in
this
remarkable
district
does
not
just
show
you
dozens
of
traditional
Buddhist
temples,
palaces,
museums,
parks
and
monuments,
but
also
gives
you
a
better
understanding
of
the
culture,
history
and
religion
of
the
Thai
people.
The
Rattanakosin
Kingdom
was
the
fourth
Thai
Kingdom,
after
the
Sukhothai,
Ayutthaya
and
Thonburi
Kingdoms
that
preceded
it.
When
the
powerful
Ayutthaya
Kingdom
was
destroyed
and
burnt
down
by
Burmese
armies
in
1767,
a
small
period
of
chaos
and
Burmese
occupation
ensued
in
the
lands
of
Siam.
The
resistance
was
led
by
General
Taksin,
a
capable
military
leader
who
defeated
the
Burmese
within
one
year
and
established
the
new
Siamese
capital
in
Thonburi,
right
across
the
Chao
Phraya
River
from
Rattanakosin.
When
Phraya
Chakri,
a
popular
general
under
King
Taksin
who
had
successfully
managed
the
invasion
of
Cambodia,
returned,
he
was
offered
the
throne.
He
was
crowned
King
Rama
I,
the
first
King
of
the
Chakri
dynasty
that
started
the
Rattanakosin
Period.
One
of
his
first
actions
was
to
move
the
capital
across
the
river,
from
Thonburi
to
Rattanakosin.
According
to
him,
Rattanakosin
had
a
more
strategic
location,
as
he
turned
it
into
an
artificial
island
with
the
Chao
Phraya
River
in
the
west
and
man-made
canals
in
the
east.
Previously,
Chinese
merchants
had
occupied
Rattanakosin,
but
they
were
now
relocated
outside
the
new
city
walls.
King
Rama
I
restored
the
social
and
political
system
of
the
Ayutthaya
Period,
even
copying
that
city's
layout
and
architecture
in
Rattanakosin.
For
example,
the
Grand
Palace's
building
plan
closely
resembled
that
of
the
Grand
Palace
in
Ayutthaya.
Even
the
bricks
from
the
ruins
in
Ayutthaya
were
moved
downstream
to
be
incorporated
into
the
new
capital's
grand
scheme.
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