Wat Paknam Bangkok
Wat Paknam Bhasicharoen, commonly known as Wat Paknam, is a royal Buddhist temple located in the Phasi Charoen district of Bangkok, situated along the Chao Phraya River. The temple, established in 1610 during the Ayutthaya period, is a significant site within the Maha Nikaya fraternity and is recognized as the origin of the Dhammakaya tradition. It is renowned for its large size, vibrant community, and prominent religious structures.
Wat Paknam was established during the Ayutthaya period, and received support from Thai kings until the late nineteenth century. Wat Paknam means lock in the canal due to its location. It’s been know but other names over it’s 400 year history but this is the most common name it’s referred to now.
The temple complex features a 69-meter-tall bronze Buddha statue, completed in 2021 at a cost of around 16 million USD, which is one of the tallest Buddha statues in Bangkok and a major attraction for visitors. This statue is positioned in front of ...
This video shows you exactly how to ride the Istanbul metro from the airport on the M11 line and transfer to the M2 to reach the historical area around Sultanahmet or Taksim Square.
Start by following the metro signs after arrivals at Istanbul Airport, walk a few minutes to the underground station, buy or top up an Istanbulkart at the machines, and board an M11 train heading toward Gayrettepe. The ride takes about 25 to 35 minutes with trains running every 8 to 10 minutes from roughly 6 a.m. until midnight.
At Gayrettepe follow the signs for the M2 green line, allow 8 to 15 minutes for the long underground walk with escalators, then ride toward Yenikapı and get off at Vezneciler or continue for a short T1 tram connection straight to Sultanahmet near Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque.
Total door-to-door time is usually 60 to 90 minutes. The full trip costs roughly 60 to 110 Turkish lira with an Istanbulkart depending on transfers, far cheaper than a taxi that can run 2000 lira or more.
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The mosque built by Sultan Mehmet II (Mehmed the Conqueror) after the fall of Constantinople in 1453 is the Fatih Mosque (Turkish: Fatih Camii, meaning “Conqueror’s Mosque”)
The Fatih Mosque, located in Istanbul’s Fatih district, was commissioned by Sultan Mehmet II to commemorate his conquest of Constantinople. Completed in 1470, it was built on the site of the Byzantine Church of the Holy Apostles, a significant 4th-century Christian complex second only to Hagia Sophia in importance. The mosque symbolized Ottoman dominance and the transformation of Constantinople into Istanbul, the new capital of the Ottoman Empire.
The Church of the Holy Apostles, originally constructed around 330–336 AD under Emperor Constantine the Great and rebuilt by Justinian I in the 6th century, housed relics of apostles and served as an imperial burial site. Its location on Constantinople’s fourth hill was strategically supported by the 4th-century Valens Aqueduct (completed 373 AD), which supplied water to ...
The Süleymaniye Mosque (Turkish: Süleymaniye Camii) is a 16th-century Ottoman masterpiece in Istanbul’s Fatih district, designed by the renowned architect Mimar Sinan for Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent. Celebrated for its elegant dome, four slender minarets, and sprawling külliye (complex), it’s a UNESCO World Heritage site within Istanbul’s Historic Areas.
As an active mosque, it blends architectural grandeur with serene spirituality, attracting worshippers and tourists alike.
Commissioned by Sultan Suleiman I (1520–1566), the mosque was built between 1550 and 1557, at the height of the Ottoman Empire’s power. Sinan, the imperial architect, considered it his finest work, balancing scale and harmony.
It was constructed on the third hill of Istanbul, on the site of the old Eski Saray (Old Palace), symbolizing Suleiman’s legacy. The külliye included madrasas, a hospital, a soup kitchen, and tombs for Suleiman and his wife Hürrem Sultan. Damaged by fires and earthquakes (notably in ...
