Distant view of the Royal Palace complex from the Mekong River

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Information about the creation of the object depicted in the image: 1886-1919

The Royal Palace was built on a site considered auspicious by King Norodom's royal astrologers and ministers; it is located opposite where the waters of the Upper Mekong, the Lower Mekong, the Basak and Tonle Sap rivers converge. It was built in 1866 during the French Protectorate (1847-1953) by the architect Neak Okhna Tepnimith Mak, and has been extensively modified and remodelled by subsequent monarchs. Most of the buildings in the Palace compound follow the layout of the buildings of Angkor, but incorporate both modern Khmer and Western design elements. In Khmer culture, the Palace functions on three levels: as the residence of the ruler, as a venue for court rituals and ceremonies, and as a symbol of the Kingdom.

Source for information about the object depicted in the image: Jeldres, Julio A. The Royal Palace of Phnom Penh and Cambodian Royal Life. Bangkok: Post Books, 1999.

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