Wat Ratchanatdaram (Loha Prasat)

Among the temples of the old city rises something unusual: a dark, tiered structure bristling with dozens of slim metal spires, more castle than ordinary temple, climbing in levels to a single point. This is Wat Ratchanatdaram, home to the Loha Prasat, one of the very few metal-spired monasteries of its kind left in the world.

The name Loha Prasat means, roughly, the metal castle or iron monastery, and it refers to the remarkable tiered building at the heart of the temple, crowned with many metal spires, dozens in all, each marking a level of the structure.

The form is ancient and rare, drawn from a type of building described in old Buddhist tradition, of which only a handful have ever been built across the centuries and across the Buddhist world. This one, raised in the nineteenth century, is among the last survivors of the form.

The spires, restored to a dark metallic finish, give the building its unmistakable silhouette, quite unlike the gilded, tiled temples around it, so it stands out at once among the spires of the old city.

Inside, a central spiral stair climbs up through the tiers, past small meditation cells and a relic near the top, and the climb is part of the experience, ending with a view out over the rooftops and the nearby Golden Mount.

Each level was meant for meditation and study, so the building is not just a monument but a vertical monastery, its design expressing layers of the Buddhist path as you climb toward the relic at the summit.

The temple around it is an old and royal one, with halls and courtyards, set near the canal and the old city wall, and it sees fewer visitors than the famous riverside temples, so it is often calm.

It sits close to the Golden Mount and the old temple quarter, so the two unusual landmarks, the metal-spired castle and the hilltop chedi, can easily be seen together in one walk.

The dark spires are at their most striking in the low light of early morning or late afternoon, when they catch the sun against the sky, a favourite of photographers who know the spot.

As a working, royal temple, it asks for the usual respect: modest dress, quiet behaviour, and shoes removed where required, and visitors should be mindful of any worship underway.

A few practical notes. Entry to the structure carries a small charge; dress modestly, and come in the cooler hours for the climb and the light. It is an easy walk from the Golden Mount and the old quarter.

Climb the spiral stair through the tiers of the metal castle to the relic and the view at the top, and the building's strange, rare form makes sense as a path traced in stone and metal. Loha Prasat is one of the last of its kind. When you come back down among the old temples, its dark spires stay fixed in your eye.