Old Town Baku, known as Icherisheher (meaning “Inner City”), is the ancient heart of Baku, Azerbaijan, enclosed by 12th-century fortress walls that still stand 8–10 meters high and 3.5 meters thick. Spanning just 22 hectares, this UNESCO World Heritage Site (inscribed 2000) reveals layers of human history dating back to the Paleolithic era, with evidence of Zoroastrian, Sasanian, Arabic, Persian, Shirvani, Ottoman, and Russian influences.
Settled as early as the 7th–12th centuries, it evolved from a Bronze Age outpost into a medieval trading hub along the Silk Road, fortified against invasions and serving as the capital of the Shirvanshah dynasty from the late 1300s to around 1500.
By the 19th century, under Russian rule, it transitioned into a vibrant residential quarter—home to about 3,000 people today—blending narrow cobblestone streets, caravanserais, mosques, and bathhouses into a living mosaic of Azerbaijani heritage.
The Palace of the Shirvanshahs
Perched at Icherisheher’s highest ...
Wat Ton Son, Amphoe Muang. Located on the west bank of the Chao Phraya River, opposite Ang Thong Technical College, this temple is one of the oldest in the province, built in the late Ayutthaya period.
The temple is well-known for it's Buddha image seated in a meditation posture, called "somdej" Phra Sri Muang Thong". Measuring 13.7 meters wide across the lap and 19.5 meters in height. It's magnificent size makes it the first largest Buddha image to be made of metal. The quality of this Buddha images design also earns it recognition as a beautiful piece of art.
Other highlights in the temple include the Somdej Phra Sri Muang Ngern Buddha Image and a life-size cast image of one of Thailand's most revered monks, Somdej Phra Buddhajan To.
Stories have it that the temple was built in the Ayutthaya era. Due to its lack of venerable objects like many other temples, it was almost deserted until a former leading abbot of Ang Thong started expanding the temple in 1945. By constructing the giant ...
History of Loy Krathong Festival
Loy Krathong Festival originated from an old Brahmin festival that paid respects to the water spirits. Thai people float krathongs to give thanks to the water goddess for the fortune of having water while others will ask for forgiveness for using too much or contaminating it.
Loy Krathong originated in the ancient Sukhothai Kingdom, over 800 years ago. The King, Ramkamhang, was a devout Buddhist and believed that at the end of the Thai year his people should pay tribute to the water goddess, Phra Mae Khong Ka, for all they had been given. So he chose a night with a full moon after the monsoons, meaning the rivers and canals would be at their fullest, to worship.
A popular legend says that one of the King's consorts, Nang Noppamas, was the one who created the first Krathong. Noppamas was the daughter of a Brahmin priest and adapted an existing Brahmin tradition to make the float from banana leaves. The king was impressed and he proclaimed that every year on this ...
The Wat Saket Fair (known as Ngan Wat Phu Khao Thong or งานวัดภูเขาทอง), held at Wat Saket Ratchawora Maha Wihan (the Temple of the Golden Mount), is Bangkok’s most iconic temple fair. This 100+ year-old tradition honors the sacred Buddha relic enshrined in the 58-meter golden chedi atop the man-made “Golden Mountain.”
Typically a riot of street food, games, and cultural shows, the 2025 edition (October 29 – November 7) has been somberly adjusted to pay tribute to the recent passing of Somdet Phra Nang Chao Sirikit, the Princess Mother (announced October 24, 2025).
Entertainment and some vendor zones are canceled, shifting focus to spiritual reverence, merit-making, and quiet reflection—still a profound cultural anchor amid Loy Krathong’s glow (November 6).
The fair spans 10 days and 10 nights and is an important annual event in the heart of the city.
Wat Saket Fair 2025: Phu Khao Thong Temple Fair - Oldest Fair in Bangkok - Thailand 2025
