Wat Phra Mahathat is one of Thailand’s most sacred temples. Although its age is disputed, the wat  is thought to be at least 1,500 years old. The present chedi  dates from the 13th century and was supposedly built to house relics of the Buddha that were brought here from Sri Lanka. It is 77 m (255 ft) high and topped with gold variously estimated to weigh between 600 and 1,000 kg (1,350 to 2,200 lbs).

The Wihan Luang chapel has an intricately painted 18th-century ceiling, although the Wihan Phra Ma hall is perhaps more impressive. It features an elaborate, emerald-inlay door from the Sukhothai period, carved with the figures of Phrom and Vishnu. A small museum displays an evocative but unlabeled selection of archaeological finds, jewelry, and religious sculptures including Dvaravati pieces from the 6th to 13th centuries.

The centerpiece of this branch of the National Museum is the 9th-century statue of Vishnu in the Pala style of South India. It was found in the base of a tree in Kapong district near Takua Pha in Phangnga, then a major transit point for Indians colonizing the south.

Two rare bronze drums made by the Dong Son people of northern Vietnam are another highlight. The Thai gallery displays religious art from Dvaravati and Srivijayan periods to the Rattanakosin era. Look out for Buddha images in the distinctive local Sing style, characterized by stumpy features and animated faces.

The nang talung  workshop of Suchart Subsin keeps alive a uniquely Southeast Asian form of entertainment in danger of dying out. Visitors can watch the puppets being cut from leather and buy the finished product. Sometimes impromptu shows are staged.

In the hall of this shrine is a 1-m (3-ft) shivalinga , a phallic image of the Hindu god Shiva, that may date back to the 6th century AD. The worship of Shiva was a potent force in the early peninsular city-states of the first millennium AD.

The Phra Buddha Sing is one of Thailand’s most revered images. The replica kept in this shrine is of an original cast in Sri Lanka in AD 157 and brought to Nakhon at the end of the 13th century. Local artisans put their characteristic stamp on the Buddha by giving it a half smile, a rounder face, and a full chest. It is similar to Buddha images in Wat Phra Sing in Chiang Mai.

Five lingas  (phallic sculptures) discovered on the site of this shrine may date from before AD 1000. They are now in the Wat Mahathat Museum.

The tradition of gold and silver shops along this road dates from 1804, when migrants from Saiburi district moved to Nakhon. Only skilled gold- and silversmiths were allowed to settle here, to the west of Sanam Na Muang parade ground.

The ancient city wall originally contained an area 400 m by 2,230 m (440 yds by 2,450 yds). The red brick North Gate is a reconstruction of the original.

Adjoining the compound of Wang Tawan Tok temple, this wat’s  main attraction is the Southern Thai wooden house, started in 1888 and finished in 1901. It is actually three houses joined together and features delicately carved wooden door panels, gables, and window surrounds. The Architects’ Association of Thailand gave a conservation award to the building in 1993.

The city center bazaar is a peaceful courtyard and popular meeting place with cafés, bars, and two good restaurants.