The largest of the palace buildings is the Chakri Mahaprasat , the Grand Palace Hall. Built in 1882 by British architects using Thai labour, the exterior is a peculiar blend of Italian Renaissance and traditional Thai architecture. It's a style often referred to as fa·ràng sài chá·dah (Westerner in a Thai crown) because each wing is topped by a mon·dòp – a heavily ornamented spire representing a Thai adaptation of the Hindu mandapa (shrine). The tallest mon·dòp, in the centre, contains the ashes of Chakri kings; the flanking mon·dòp enshrine the ashes of Chakri princes. Thai kings housed their huge harems in the inner palace area, which was guarded by combat-trained female sentries.
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