OUR NATIONAL MUSEUM

FROM THE EARLY YEARS
CAMBODIA

Many of Cambodia's most famous works of art are contained in its National Museum. Many visitors, of course, would rather see these famous statues and sculptures in the places where they originally came from than in a museum, but as well as probably being safer there, the museum building is a very beautiful. It was designed by George Groslier, with help from the School of Fine Arts, in an attractive traditional style. From a distance it looks like a temple, only, like the School of Fine Arts, it is red. As you walk up the steps to the huge main doors, however, you will notice that the building now combines traditional with modern elements to make it more suitable for its purpose.

The museum first opened in 1918 as part of the School of Fine Arts, but a year later was named the 'Museum of Cambodia'  by royal command of King Sisowath. At that time, the museum contained over one thousand items, including three hundred books on Khmer art and architecture. In 1966, the museum was taken over from the French by a Cambodian administration. By that time, the number of items had grown considerably and needed more space, which was provided three years later by Vann Molyvann, the famous Cambodian architect. Only a decade later, however, between 1975 and '79, the museum was closed and both the building and many of its items were seriously damaged. In April, 1979, the museum was opened again, but had to wait until 1994 before its broken roof was repaired and the whole museum made beautiful once again.