National Museum of Cambodia, National museum and art institution in Phnom Penh, Cambodia
The National Museum of Cambodia occupies a 1917–1924 building designed by George Groslier, its reddish-brown stone and timber facade topped by a tiered tower with a white spire. Wings flank a central porch where a stone Buddha faces outward. Inside, over 14,000 Khmer sculptures, bronzes, ceramics and ethnographic objects are arranged around a courtyard.
Founded in 1920 during the French colonial period, the museum was meant to preserve and document Khmer art. During the regime years the institution lost many staff members and parts of its collection but was able to rebuild after 1979.
The collection preserves masterpieces of Khmer sculpture, including statues from Angkor that visitors can view up close. Local art enthusiasts regularly come here to reconnect with their own artistic traditions and share them with younger generations.
The building opens daily in the morning and closes in the afternoon, with several exhibition rooms arranged around the inner courtyard. Signage in several languages helps with orientation through the collections.
The building's plan measures 54 by 66 metres and stands on a 2.5-metre base. Its carvings were made by Khmer teachers and pupils of the school that shared the site, and the twelve windows and three main doors carry scenes from Khmer legends. Two crystal plaques at the entrance, one in Khmer and one in French, date from the 1920s.
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