Visit The Royal Palace and the legendary Silver Pagoda.The Royal Palace was built by the French in 1866 on the site of the old town. The wooden temple was originally built by King Norodom in 1892 to enshrine royal ashes and then rebuilt by Sihanouk in 1962. The pagoda's steps are of Italian Marble, and inside, its floor is comprised of more than 5,000 silver blocks which together weigh nearly 6 tons.
All around are cabinets filled with presents from foreign dignitaries - the pagoda is remarkably intact, having been granted special dispensation by the Khmer Rouge, although 60% of the Khmer treasures were stolen from here.In the center of the pagoda is a magnificent 17th century Emerald Buddha statue made of Baccarat crystal. Behind it is a 198 pound golden Buddha studded with 9,584 diamonds, dating from 1906. It was made from the jewelry of King Norodom.
The gold Buddha image is flanked by bronze and silver statues of the Buddha. The wall enclosing the Silver Pagoda is galleried; its inward face is covered in frescoes, painted at the turn of the century, which depict epic scenes from the Ramayana.
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