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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.
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