The museum houses one of the world's largest collections of Khmer art, including sculptural, ceramics, bronzes, and ethnographic objects. Its collection includes over 14,000 items, from prehistoric times to periods before, during and after the Khmer Empire, which at its height stretched from Thailand, across present-day Cambodia, to southern Vietnam.
The National Museum of Cambodia is located on Street 13 in central Phnom Penh, to the north of the Royal Palace and on the west side of Veal Preah Man square. The visitors' entrance to the compound is at the corner of Streets 13 and 178. The Royal University of Fine Arts is located on the west side of the museum. The museum is under the authority of the Cambodian Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts. The museum buildings, inspired by Khmer temple architecture, were constructed between 1917 and 1924, the museum was officially inaugurated in 1920, and it was renovated in 1968.
George Groslier (1887–1945), historian, curator and author was the motivating force behind much of the revival of interest in traditional Cambodian arts and crafts, and it was he who designed this building that is today ‘traditional Khmer’ architecture. It is perhaps better described as a building enlarged from Cambodian temple prototypes seen on ancient bas-reliefs and reinterpreted through colonial eyes to meet the museum-size requirements.
The foundation stone for the new museum was laid on 15 August 1917. Some two-and-a-half years later, the completed museum was inaugurated during Khmer New Year on 13 April 1920 in the presence of H.M King Sisowath, François-Marius Baudoin, Résident-supérieur, and M. Groslier, director of Cambodian Arts, and Conservator of the museum.
The original design of the building was slightly altered in 1924 with extensions that added wings at either end of the eastern façade that made the building even more imposing.
Control of the National Museum and Arts Administration was ceded by the French to the Cambodians on 9 August 1951 and following Independence in 1953, the then Musée National de Phnom Penh was the subject of bilateral accords. In 1966 Chea Thay Seng was the first Cambodian Director of the Museum and Dean of the newly created Department of Archaeology at the Royal University of Fine Arts. This university that form its foundation as the Ecole des Arts Cambodgiens in 1920 was intimately linked with students, artisans and teachers who worked to preserve Cambodian cultural traditions, can still be found to the rear of the museum.
During Khmer Rouge regime of 1975-79—devastated all aspects of Cambodian life including the cultural realm. The Museum, along with the rest of Phnom Penh, was evacuated and abandoned. The Museum, closed between 1975 and 1979, and was found in disrepair, its roof rotten and home to a vast colony of bats, the garden overgrown, and the collection in disarray, many objects damaged or stolen. The Museum was quickly tidied up and reopened to the public on April 13, 1979. However, many of the Museum's employees had lost their lives during the Khmer Rouge regime.
Together with the adjacent Royal University of Fine Arts and its Department of Archaeology, the National Museum of Cambodia works to enhance knowledge of and preserve Cambodian cultural traditions and to provide a source of pride and identity to the Cambodian people. The Museum also serves a religious function; its collection of important Buddhist and Hindu sculpture addresses community religious needs as a place of worship. A permanent exhibition, Post-Angkorian Buddha, supported by UNESCO and a number of individuals and local businesses, opened in 2000 to extend the religious function of the Museum.
Under the auspices of the Cambodian Department of Museums, the Museum not only manages its own collection, staff, and premises but also supports and oversees all other state-run museums in Cambodia. Its activities are further supported by private individuals, foreign governments, and numerous philanthropic organizations. The activities of the Museum include the presentation, conservation, safekeeping, interpretation, and acquisition of Cambodian cultural material, as well as the repatriation of Cambodian cultural property. Looting and illicit export of Cambodian cultural material are a continuing concern.
Outside of Cambodia, the Museum promotes the understanding of Cambodian arts and culture by lending objects from its collection for major international exhibitions. This practice was in place before Cambodia’s recent decades of unrest and was reinstituted in the 1990s, starting with an exhibition held at the National Gallery of Australia in 1992. Subsequent exhibitions have been held in France, the USA, Japan, South Korea, and Germany.
Phnom Penh is the gateway to the Mekong River and its rural islands. Escape the busy city on this bike tour, which allows you to cover more of the islands country trails and small villages than you ...
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House #34, St. Monivong. Sangkat Srachock. Khan Daun Penh., Daun Penh, Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Best Value!
Kuch Oudom Hotel is a 3-star property, centrally located in Phnom Penh. The property is located a 9-minute walk from Vattanac Capital and a 5-minute walk from Wat Phnom. Tonle Sap River is only a 4-minute walk from the property. Free WiFi is provided.
All guest rooms in the hotel are fitted with a flat-screen TV, a minibar and air conditioning. Guests will also find a telephone, a safe deposit box and a desk. The private bathroom is equipped with free toiletries, bathrobes as well as a hair dryer. All rooms will provide guests with a fridge and a bottled water.
An American breakfast is available each morning at Kuch Oudom Hotel.
The 24-hour front desk offers ticketing services and tour arrangements.
Riverfront Park is 1.3 km from the accommodation while Old Market is a 6-minute drive away. Phnom Penh International Airport is 8 km away.
Daun Penh is a great choice for travellers interested in temples, museums and local food.
This property is also rated for the best value in Phnom Penh! Guests are getting more for their money when compared to other properties in this city.
We speak your language!
# 7DD, St. 258, S/K Chaktomuk, Daun Penh, Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Best Seller!
A 5-minute walk to Royal Palace and Silver River Palace is TT Guest house. Offering simple yet comfortable rooms with free WiFi, it offers guests a restaurant and 24-hour front desk.
TT Guest house is just a 394 foot-walk to Wat Botum Park, while it is 500 m to Royal Palace and Chaktomouk Conference Hall 2. The nearest airport, Phnom Penh Internaitonal Airport is 7.1 mi away.
Cooled with either air conditioning or a fan, rooms are equipped with cable TV and an private bathroom.
Enjoy the convenience of tour desk and laundry services at TT Guest house. Massage services are also available.
Daily breakfast is served at the guest house’s restaurant, which features a variety of Cambodian cuisine and Western dishes.
Daun Penh is a great choice for travelers interested in museums, temples and local food.
This is our guests' favorite part of Phnom Penh, according to independent reviews.
Couples in particular like the location – they rated it 8.0 for a two-person trip.
We speak your language!
Str.88 #96-98, Daun Penh, Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Breakfast Included
Situated away from the hustle and bustle of Phnom Penh, Eighty8 Backpackers Hostel offers accommodations with an outdoor swimming pool and a restaurant on site. With easy access to nearby local shops, markets and restaurants, guests can also benefit from a free WiFi throughout the property.
Eighty8 Backpackers Hostel provides both air-conditioned private rooms with an en suite bathroom and dormitory rooms with a shared bathroom. Other amenities include free bottles of water with tea/coffee making facilities in the private rooms and personal lockers, USB socket and a reading light in each bed of the dormitory rooms. Alternatively, guests have an option to stay in a sleeping pod room type with personal power sockets and reading lights included.
During their stay, guests can relax at a shared lounge where a large TV is featured or enjoy pool activities at the outdoor pool which can be set up for a game of pool volleyball or basketball. Other facilities include billiards, travel arrangements, laundry service, luggage storage, airport shuttle and car rental services.
Khmer and Western delights are served at Eighty8 restaurant from 07:00 to 22:00 hrs along with Cambodian beers and cocktails can be enjoyed at the bar from 07:00 until midnight.
Located just a 3-minute walk from Wat Phnom, Eighty8 Backpackers Hostel offers a shared Tuk Tuk for guests wishing to explore surrounding areas. Royal Palace Phnom Penh is 3 km away from the property, while Phnom Penh International Airport is a half an hour drive away.
Daun Penh is a great choice for travellers interested in temples, museums and local food.
This is our guests' favourite part of Phnom Penh, according to independent reviews.
This property is also rated for the best value in Phnom Penh! Guests are getting more for their money when compared to other properties in this city.
We speak your language!
58, St. 228, Chaktomok, Daun Penh, Daun Penh, Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Best for Traveller!
Located along Preah Monivong, Kravan Hotel offers stylish accommodation in Phnom Penh. It features an outdoor swimming pool and guests can enjoy meals at the in-house restaurant overlooking panoramic views of the city or have a drink at the rooftop bar. Free WiFi is offered throughout the property.
It is 1.1 km to Independence Monument while the Royal Palace and Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum are 1.6 km away. Central Market is 1.5 km from Kravan Hotel. The nearest airport is Phnom Penh International Airport, 10.1 km from the property.
Each room at this hotel is centrally air-conditioned and fitted with large soundproof windows that offer views of the city. Rooms are equipped with a flat-screen TV and a safe. Certain units have a seating area for your convenience. You will find a kettle in the room. For your comfort, you will find slippers and a hairdryer.
Guests can approach the 24-hour front desk for currency exchange, tour arrangements and ticketing services. Located on the rooftop, the fitness centre is equipped with "TechnoGym" machines. Alternatively, guests can indulge in various in-house spa treatments and massages.
The in-house restaurant serves up a selected of Asian cuisine and European dishes.
Daun Penh is a great choice for travellers interested in temples, museums and local food.
Couples particularly like the location — they rated it 8.5 for a two-person trip.
This property is also rated for the best value in Phnom Penh! Guests are getting more for their money when compared to other properties in this city.
We speak your language!
#17, St. 208, Sangkat Boeung Raing, Khan Daun Penh, Daun Penh, Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Best for Traveller!
Succo Gene Palace Boutique Hotel offers modern Khmer-style accommodation in Phnom Penh. It features an outdoor pool and massage services. Guests can enjoy meals at the in-house restaurant or have a drink from the bar. Free WiFi is available throughout the entire property.
It is 750 m to the National Museum, while Independence Monument and Wat Ounalom are 1 km away. The Royal Palace and Chaktomouk Conference Hall 2 are 1.4 km from Succo Gene Palace Boutique Hotel. The nearest airport, Phnom Penh International Airport is 10.4 km away. Airport transfers and shuttle services are available at an additional charge.
Well-furnished air-conditioned rooms feature classic wood furnishings and local fabrics. Bright and breezy, they have a flat-screen TV and a modern stone-finished bathroom with a bathtub and separate shower.
Guests can approach the 24-hour front desk for luggage storage, tour arrangements, concierge and ticketing services. Guests enjoy complimentary use of bicycles to explore the surrounding area. A business centre is also available. Alternatively, guests can indulge in a variety of massage treatments.
The hotel's casual open-air restaurant serves a variety of Khmer, Asian and Western dishes.
Daun Penh is a great choice for travellers interested in temples, museums and local food.
This is our guests' favourite part of Phnom Penh, according to independent reviews.
Couples particularly like the location — they rated it 8.3 for a two-person trip.
This property is also rated for the best value in Phnom Penh! Guests are getting more for their money when compared to other properties in this city.
We speak your language!
#18 St. 144, Riverside, Phnom Penh, Daun Penh, Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Best Deal!
Only 50 m from the Mekong River Front, Velkommen Guesthouse Phnom Penh is a Western-run property. Khmer and Western dishes are served at the on-site restaurant, which is open from 06:30 - 23:00.
Enjoying city or river views, all the air-conditioned guestrooms come with a cable TV, minibar and personal safe. Some rooms have a private balcony. The en suite bathrooms are equipped with a shower.
Velkommen Guesthouse Phnom Penh is a 5-minute walk from the National Museum, Royal Palace, Central Market and Old Market. Wat Phnom is a 5-minute drive away. It is a 20-minute drive from Phnom Penh International Airport.
Guests can arrange day trips at the tour desk and make use of the laundry services. The front desk operates 24 hours.
Daun Penh is a great choice for travellers interested in temples, museums and local food.
This is our guests' favourite part of Phnom Penh, according to independent reviews.
This property also has one of the best-rated locations in Phnom Penh! Guests are happier about it compared to other properties in the area.
Couples particularly like the location — they rated it 8.8 for a two-person trip.
This property is also rated for the best value in Phnom Penh! Guests are getting more for their money when compared to other properties in this city.
We speak your language!
Being the locals, we know the true value of our land. We always listen and arrange everything as your desire. Please kindly send us whatever about your trip,we will send you best offers quickly.
Guest Name: Miss. Justyna Angermaier
Country: Germany
City: Bangkok
N.of Person: 2 pax
Travel date:
Booked: Cambodia Trekking & Camping Tour
Tour Style: Trekking Tours
Duration: 2 Days
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