Having served as the official residence of the Kings of Thailand, the Grand Palace was built during the 18th century. Regarded as the spiritual heart of the Thai kingdom, Bangkok’s Grand Palace is essentially a complex of ancient buildings, which was the home of the King and his court for about 150 years. During that time, the Grand Palace was also the home of the entire administrative seat of government. Inside the crenulated walls were the country’s state departments and war ministry. Although the Thai Kings moved out of the palace at the turn of the twentieth century, the Grand Palace still remains as the seat of power in Bangkok.
The construction of the Grand Palace began during the reign of King Rama I in 1782 when he changed the capital to Bangkok. According the initial plans, the palace comprised of a number of wooden buildings, placed within the four sides of a high defensive wall, which measured a length of 1900 metres. The tower of gold was the first to be built. Soon after, more construction took place when the King ordered the building of the Temple of the Emerald Buddha to be made. This temple was set to be the royal temple, where the Monarch could pray to the Gods. Once the personal place of worship was built, the King hosted a coronation ceremony to mark the completion of one of the greatest architectural feats at the time. Covering an area of 218,400 square metres, the Grand Palace was filled with a large number of people on that day, all keen on watching the coronation of their Monarch.
Holding great semblance to the old palace in Ayutthaya, the design of the Grand Palace was made in the shape of a rectangle. All of the structures within the Grand Palace face directly to the north and are separated into three quarters, which is the Outer Court, the Inner Court and the Central Court.
The Central Court was where the King resided. Travellers are able to catch a glimpse of the majestic throne halls, where state businesses were conducted. The Outer Court housed the government departments, such as the civil administration for the treasury and army whilst the Inner Court was the home for the King’s royal court, daughter and consorts.
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