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 The Grand Palace |
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The Grand Palace |
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 Phra Sri Rantana Chedi The Reliquary, shaped like a golden cedi, is part of the upper terrace. |
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Large statues of mystical figures stood guard at the entrance to one of the Grand Palace's temples. They were decorated with beautifully colored ceramic tiles and easily allowed one to imagine the majesty that was once the Kingdom of Siam. |  |
 Anne standing on the steps of the Reliquary |
 Phra Mondhob |
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Within the walls of the Grand Palace are many buildings and temples, over 30, to enjoy. As shown by the pictures (above) many are elaborately decorated and have ornate roof structures. Many others contain (below) shrines to various revered entities. |
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The center picture (above) is a shrine devoted to the elephant. Elephant shrines were common throughout all of Thailand as the elephant is a revered animal there. Not only have they played an important role in building much of Thailand they have also been important to the history and culture of Thailand. It is said that the kingdom will fall when the last white elephant dies and, from what we were told, only one white elephant remains today. |
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Mystical Figures of the Kingdom of Siam |
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Throughout the Grand Palace many statues of mystical figures can be found. Most, like above and below, combine animal features with human forms. From what I understand these figures evolved from the imaginations of the artist and are valued for their aesthetic inspiration. Others, like below, are more elaborately decorated or covered with a brilliant gold. |
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| Continue to the next page to view more pictures taken at the Grand Palace. |