National Museum, Phnom Penh

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The National Museum in Phnom Penh, capital of Cambodia, is the country's leading historical and archaeological museum. It houses the world's largest collection of Khmer art, although as a centre of Khmer historical commemoration it tends to be overshadowed by the great temple complex at Angkor and the associated museums and displays in the Siem Reap region.

The museum was built in 1917–20 by the French colonial authorities then in control of Cambodia, in a traditional Khmer style, with French influence.

Cambodia's National Museum, Located near the Royal Palace, offers a charming setting for a stunning collection of ancient Khmer art. Predominantly constructed of sandstone, the sculptures date from both the Angkorean and pre-Angkorean eras. These exhibits are complemented by more recent examples of Cambodian art. The museum is housed in a terra-cotta-roofed structure of traditional Cambodian design, which was built between 1917 and 1920. Until recently, the building was also home to a large colony of Cambodian freetail bats, which lived in the rafters. They moved out after renovations to the roof and ceilings in March 2002.

[edit] Literature

• Lenzi, Iola (2004). Museums of Southeast Asia. Singapore: Archipelago Press, 200 pages. ISBN 981-4068-96-9. 

[edit] External links

• The Wikimedia Commons has media related to National Museum, Phnom Penh.
• Cambodia Yellow Pages information
• Cambodia Cultural Profile (Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts/Visiting Arts)