Wat Mahatat takes its name from the relic housed in the main chedi here. Founded during the reign of Rama I in the 18C, the “temple of the Great Relic” is the site of the largest Buddhist university in Thailand. Visitors are often surprised by the relatively small size of the building (other more modern wings have since been built outside the walls) and the limited space in the inner courtyards, especially when they are told that the temple can house a thousand monks!