Carrara marble
White walls under golden roofs.
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Known as the Marble Temple, this is one of Bangkok's most elegant temples, in the royal Dusit district near the palaces and government buildings. King Chulalongkorn (Rama V) commissioned it in 1899 and Prince Naris, one of Thailand's great architects, designed it, pairing classic Thai tiered roofs in orange and gold with white Italian marble from Carrara on the walls and columns. The ordination hall holds a bronze Buddha cast as a copy of the famous Phra Buddha Chinnarat of Phitsanulok, with Rama V's ashes beneath its base, and its windows carry European-style stained glass, a rare mix in a Thai temple. The rear cloister lines up Buddha images gathered from across Asia in many different styles, and the temple itself appears on the back of the five-baht coin. The fee for foreign visitors is small, about one hundred baht per person in the latest listings, and the temple opens from the morning until about half past five, while the outer courtyard is open to anyone who just wants to look. Modest dress is required at royal temples: shoulders and knees covered, and shoes come off before entering the halls. Come early in the morning, before the heat, when the marble shines in the sun, or just before sunset. It sits a little outside the old city, so a taxi is easiest, and it pairs well with the royal plaza in Dusit.
White walls under golden roofs.
With Rama V's ashes beneath.
Images from across Asia.
Si Ayutthaya Road, Dusit, Bangkok
Wat Saket and the Golden MountA steep artificial hill crowned by a gleaming golden stupa, known as the Golden 20 minutes walk
Wat Ratchanatdaram and Loha PrasatA temple in the heart of the old city, on the same road that leads to the Golden21 minutes walk
Phra Sumen Fort and Santichaiprakan ParkOne of only two survivors of the fourteen forts King Rama I built in 1783 to gua25 minutes walkBecause its walls and columns are clad in white marble brought from Carrara in Italy when it was built in the late nineteenth century.
Yes: it is calmer and smaller, its style is quite different, and an hour is enough.