City tour, Phnom Peng

A week in Cambodia -11/18/2023-11/24/2023

Phnom Penh -11/18/2023

City Tour

First stop Wat Ounalom Monastery located on Sisowath Quay near the Royal Palace. Dating back to the 15th century, this revered Buddhist temple holds a significant place in the country’s history. Legend has it that Wat Ounalom was founded by the revered monk Samdech Huot Tat, also known as Preah Sri Soryapor, during the reign of King Ponhea Yat. Over the centuries, the temple has played a pivotal role in Cambodia’s spiritual and intellectual landscape, serving as a center for Buddhist education, religious ceremonies, and scholarly pursuits.

The name of Wat Ounalom commemorates one of the holiest relics in Cambodia, a hair (lom) from the word (unna) between the eyebrows of the Buddha.

The main entrance gate to Wat Ounalom with a view of the famous white Stupa in the background.

Wat Ounalom is another of Phnom Penh's five original monasteries (1422). Wat Ounalom is recognized as the ‘headquarters’ of Cambodian Buddhism. The patriarch, the chief abbot of Cambodia, resides here.

View of the gate from the interior courtyard.

Next to the entrance is a large golden bell.

Closer view of the bell.

The compound is made of forty four buildings and was home to over 500 monks and housed a huge library consisting of over 30,000 titles. During the regime of the Khmer Rouge, many of the buildings along with many religious statues and symbols were damaged, but most of which have since been restored.

The monastery is famous for its large white Stupa, traditional Khmer architecture, and Buddhist teaching.

At the entrance is a large golden statue of the monk Samdech Huot Tat

This area is usually for large gathering and praying area.,

Golden statues at the far end of the room.

Praying room with Buddhist sculptures

Closer view of the sculptures.

Wat Ounalom Monastery is also an important place of memory for Cambodians, especially for Buddhists. It houses ancient artifacts and manuscripts, some of which were saved from the destructions of the Khmer Rouge period.

The monastery is really well maintained. Stupas are steeple shaped mausoleums holding the bones and ashes of the deceased placed throughout the grounds of the pagoda.

Stupas on the side of the monastery.

Various sculptures in the courtyard of the monastery.

National Museum

Next, we are headed to the National Museum

The National Museum of Cambodia is the largest museum of cultural history and is the country's leading historical and archaeological museum.

The museum houses one of the world's largest collections of Khmer art, including sculptural, Khmer 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 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. The museum promotes awareness, understanding and appreciation of Cambodia's culture and heritage, aiming to educate and inspire its visitors

One of the many courtyard inside the museum

Stone statue in the courtyard.

Stone statue of Ganesha

The Buildings of the museum are inspired by Khmer temple architecture. There are more than 14,0000 items housed in the museum

This is a fruit tree is called Santol. It has a thick inedible ring and a juicy tangy fresh cotton like texture. Cambodian consume it fresh or use it in savory dish.

We did not get inside the museum, we just walked around the ground of the museum.

During the Khmer Rouge regime from 1975 to 1979, the museum closed 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. After closing in the Khmer Rouge period for almost four years, the museum was tied up and reopened on April 13, 1979.

The Central market

The Central market in Phnom Penh's is housed in a fantastic art deco building that was built under the rule of the colonial French and it was, once, the largest market in Asia.

The Art deco building is shaped in the form of a cross with a nice central dome.

Under the dome is where you will find all the Jewelry stores selling gold and silver jewelry, antique coings, fake brand name costume jewlery and watches.

Since we were not interested in Jewelry nor clothes that are located inside so we wentto the periphery of the market.

A lady buying some seafood.

Lots of seafood...

It is funny how each food stall is set up. They are all sitting in a metal cart above the floor.

Notice that the salesperson is sitting on a stool with one feet on top and the other feet is wrapped in plastic so he can move his feet around and not be touching the fish. He has a cutting board and here you can see him scale the fish.