Mahakan Fort (Bangkok) by Night

Just two medieval forts remain in Bangkok today out of a total of sixteen that were built in the late 18th century by King Rama I as guardians against the country's foes, which were interspersed along a 7.2 kilometre moat that protected the Royal Palace. One fort, Phra Sumen, is close to the banks of the Cho Phraya River and in the heart of the tourist trail, the other, Mahakan, is further in land is located at a busy intersection near the Phanfa Lilat Bridge and shadowed somewhat by the majestic Wat Ratchanaddaram which sits on the other side of Boriphat Road. Now sitting quietly it is easily overlooked. At night, like so many monuments in the city it is lit up brightly with its six ancient, dark and corroded cannons thrusting through its floodlit gun cavities. Like most key installations across this city that were built through the millennia it fuses functionality with the sense of distinct style that Bangkok is known for. Even hundreds of years ago the designers of the Mahakan Fort demonstrated that this trait still applied. Just metres from the busy road it is quiet and still inside, its platforms dusty. It however remains standing in silent watch against an ancient foe that has long since passed into history. The long moat, which slices into the Chao Phraya River to north of the palace and circles round it to return to Bangkok's life-blood river several kilometers further down, was commenced in 1783 and was dug at an interval of around 2 kilometres from the Royal ...



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Sr5sA8Gt5A&hl=en

Thanks To : Travel in Bangkok Thailand