The Wat Mahathat is perhaps the most popular attraction in Ayutthaya. In the heyday of the city as the capital of the eponymous Kingdom it was the largest and majestic.

Wat Mahathat belongs to the early period of Ayuttaya. According to the Royal Chronicles, its construction was started during the reign of king Boroma – Natchathira in 1374 and completed under king Ramesuan. He was the Royal temple and served as a home for the head of the Buddhist Sangha of the Kingdom of Ayutthaya.

The main construction on the territory of Wat Mahathat is phrang (building resembling an ear of corn), made in the traditional Khmer style. In it were the Buddha statues and other precious relics. When the king Songtam, who reigned from 1610 to 1628., prang was virtually destroyed. During the restoration work, which ended only when the king Passadore in the period from 1630 to 1655., the height of the building was greatly enlarged.

The hallmark of the temple and all Autti in General is Buddha's head entwined roots of a Bodhi tree. It is considered sacred and is a Buddhist miracle that brings goodness to all who are his looks.

There is no precise record of when and why this place appeared the head of the Buddha, however, there is a legend. It is assumed that in 1767, when the Burmese army took control of the city, one of the soldiers could not carry out of the temple so heavy booty and buried it in the ground. Later on the ruins of the temple grew Bodhi trees. Sacred trees, over time, as if rising on its own roots. So one of the trees pulled from the ground and the head of Buddha.

Earlier in Wat Mahathat was located unusual Buddha statue green stone in the pose of a Buddha, seated on a throne”. During the reign of king Rama III, it was moved to Wat Naprimer.

During the invasion of the Burmese Wat Mahathat was quite heavily looted and damaged, almost all the preserved Buddha statues left without goals. Part of the building is in ruins.