The Zal Mahmud Pasha Mosque (Turkish: Zal Mahmut Paşa Camii) is a serene 16th-century Ottoman architectural gem in Istanbul’s Eyüp district, designed by the legendary imperial architect Mimar Sinan. Part of a larger külliye (charitable complex) endowed by Vizier Zal Mahmud Pasha and his wife Şah Sultan, it exemplifies the blend of piety, patronage, and engineering that defined Ottoman Istanbul.
Completed in 1590, the mosque stands as a testament to the era’s vizierial philanthropy, with its intimate scale and harmonious design offering a peaceful retreat amid the bustling historic peninsula. Its location in Eyüp—near the Golden Horn—reflects the city’s layered Ottoman expansion on Byzantine foundations.
The mosque was commissioned jointly by Şah Sultan (daughter of Sultan Selim II and Nurbanu Sultan) and her second husband, Zal Mahmud Pasha, a Bosnian-born vizier who rose to power under Suleiman the Magnificent. Infamously, Zal Mahmud executed Suleiman’s son Şehzade Mustafa by ...
Kong Khong Market, also known as Bowing Market or Talat Kong Khong is located about 15 minutes south of Ayutthaya.
This market has a weird name because in the past vendors would lay their merchandises on the ground or in their boats. People who wanted to buy the goods had to bow their heads down in order to take a closer look at the items for sale.
This market was opened in 2006. It is a private market with the objective to allow the locals to have some space to open their shops. The market has been successful and has grown bigger until it has becomes the most interesting market in Ayutthaya. This market is open Thursdays to Sundays. On Thursdays and Fridays, customers are the locals or people working in nearby factories. During the weekends, customers who are tourists from other places in Thailand stop here.
Even though this market is not a big one, it has its own charm. All vendors wear Thai costumes in magenta or purple like the color of the mangosteen. The highlight of this market is the ...
Baibour Night Market (ตลาดใบบัว วงศ์สว่าง / Baibour Market Wong Sawang) the newest night market to open in Bangkok, launched on the 9th of September 2026 right beside the Wong Sawang MRT station on the Purple BTS Line.
Spanning more than 17 rai with space for hundreds of stalls under cover, it offers a spacious, modern setting that feels fresh compared with the city’s longer-established markets.
Getting there could not be simpler: step off the BTS at Wong Sawang and you are only a short walk from the entrance, making it one of the most accessible new markets for both Bangkok residents and visitors coming from Nonthaburi or further afield.
Inside, the market blends daytime convenience with evening energy. A wide selection of food and drink is available throughout the day and into the night, alongside everyday shopping and services, all set in a clean, covered environment designed for comfortable browsing.
Visit Baibour (Baibua) Night Market if you want to ...
Wat Lokaya Sutha, also known as Wat Lokayasutharam or Wat Lokayasutha, is a ruined Buddhist temple located in the northwest section of the Ayutthaya Historical Park. It stands directly west of the former Royal Palace and near Wat Phra Si Sanphet. The name has been interpreted as “Temple of the Earth” or linked to earlier references as Wat Lok Sutha, meaning the Monastery of the Celestial World. Its proximity to the royal palace, about 350 meters away, and the presence of a surrounding moat connected to nearby canals indicate that it once held considerable importance.
Little definitive information survives about its founding. The exact construction date remains unknown, though the architectural style of its central prang, which shares elements with those at nearby Wat Mahathat and Wat Ratchaburana, points to the early Ayutthaya period. Estimates place its origin in the fourteenth or early fifteenth century, with some sources associating it with the reign of King Intharatcha I, also known as ...
