yutthaya is an island created by the meeting of three rivers; the Chao Phraya river, the Lopburi river and the Pa Sak river. This ancient city was founded in around 1350, and was to become the capital of what was then known as Siam. It had a sparkling reputation throughout Asia and in fact the world, many Europeans even considered it the grandest city ever to exist. By the early 1700s it had become the largest city in the world and, due to its location – being ideally situated right in the heart of Asia – it became the trading capital of the world. Until 1767 that is when, after many invasions, the Burmese finally succeeded in devastating the city and burning most of it to the ground. All that remains today are the ruins of some of the temples and palaces that were made of bricks, and Ayutthaya is now a World Heritage Site.