ANGKOR NATIONAL MUSEUM

There is more to Siem Reap, Cambodia than the Angkor Temples

The Angkor National Museum is located on the road to Angkor Wat at Vithei Charles De Gaulle, Phnom Salakanseng, Siem Reap. The Angkor National would be classified as one of Cambodia's premier museum sites.

Upon entering this very modern museum through the foyer the visitor is ushered in a briefing room where there is a screen presentation of what the museum has to offer. It sets the scene for the upcoming journey back into an ancient civilization, that of the Khmer.

Leaving the briefing room, the visitor enters the Gallery of 1000 Buddha Images. This spectacular room displays rare Buddha statues and images from all periods in time and would be one of most prestigious collections you could imagine. There are images in niches around the interior walls which are highlighted by the colouring and lighting used.

The floor displays are highlighted by an eye catching antique Buddhist statue.

This gallery alone was worth the price of admission, let alone the splendour of the other seven galleries.

There are a total of seven other galleries which highlight this ancient civilization by both display and video presentations. The video presentations are very well done and appreciated by visitors who possibly had no knowledge of the achievements of the ancient Khmer empire. The galleries blend one into the other after leaving the Gallery of the 1000 Buddha, with the first two concentrating on the Pre-Angkor period of the civilization, religion and beliefs. The roles of the Great Khmer kings are honored in the next gallery with the 4 kings who formed the Khmer kingdom and who also presented the ancient cities of Angkor Wat and Angkor Thom to the world.

The next two galleries gave an insight into architecture and engineering tents of the two cities and give the visitor an educational background which would enhance their experience when visiting the Angkor complex. There is a large scale model of the Angkor temple area which gives the visitor a useful reference if viewed before their trip to the temples. The next gallery outlines the use of stone inscriptions to record how people lived in ancient Khmer times. The final gallery tastefully painted in earth colors blends in with the displays of Ancient costume.

To complete the museum experience, the souvenir shop has a selection of genuine Cambodian arts and crafts available for purchase.

For those whose knowledge of Khmer culture had been limited to the Angkor temples, this museum is an excellent background resource to visitors.