Wat Preah Keo Morakot (Silver Pagoda)

Located in the southern area of the Royal Palace complex, Wat Preah Keo Morakot (Silver Pagoda) was previously called Wat Uborsoth Rotannaram, where the King performed religious rituals every Buddhist Silas Day. King Norodom Sihanouk stayed there for only one year before embracing monastic life on July 31, 1947. The royal family and government representatives continue to hold Buddhist rites there, with monks from various pagodas including Wat Unaloam and Wat Botumvattey invited for ceremonies.

Tourists commonly call it Preah Vihear Preah Keo Morakot because it is devoid of resident monks.

Construction and Renovations

Originally constructed with brick and wood from 1892-1902 by King Norodom in traditional Cambodian architectural style, a Banhchos Khan Seima ceremony was held on February 5, 1903. After sustaining damage, Queen Kosamak Neary Rath requested renovations. The temple was demolished and rebuilt in reinforced concrete on the same site in 1962 under supervision of her son, Samdach Preah Norodom Sihanouk. The structure remained the same, but silver tiles filled the floor and imported Italian glass stone encased the columns.

The temple earned its name from the main Buddha statue featuring a rare emerald (Keo Morakot in Khmer), while Westerners call it the Silver Pagoda due to its 5,329 real silver tiles covering the floor.

Art Collection

The shrine houses 1,650 works of art, mostly Buddha statues in gold, silver, and bronze, some with diamond embellishments. These are gifts from the monarch, royal family members, dignitaries, and worshippers.

A notable gold Buddha statue in front of the throne weighs 90kg and is adorned with 2,086 diamonds, with the largest diamond in the crown. King Sisowath commissioned this statue in 1904 following King Norodom’s recommendation. After King Norodom’s cremation, his gold coffin was melted down to create a Buddha statue honoring Preah Srei Araymetrey, named Preah Chin Raingsei Rachik Norodom.

The Preah Keo Morakot (Emerald Buddha) is the temple’s most notable feature, located in the center atop a throne. A small glass cabinet contains what Buddhists consider to be Buddha’s ashes, brought from Sri Lanka in 1956 by Head Monk Lvea Em from Wat Langka in Phnom Penh. An adjacent cabinet displays a gold Buddha statue given in 1969 by Queen Mother of King Norodom Sihanouk, guarded by Naga and symbolizing Buddha’s time at Muchalonti Pond.

Ream Ke

A grand gallery surrounds the temple featuring the complete Ream Ke epic in traditional paintings. These paintings, 642 meters long and 3 meters high, were created by 40 painters under Oknha Tep Nimit’s guidance between 1903 and 1904. While similar to the Indian Ramayana, the Cambodian version differs enough to require careful examination. Sculpted figures like La Khon Khaol and Sbek Thom depict concepts used by astrologers for future predictions.

The paintings deteriorated due to weather, structural damage, and visitor vandalism. Poland and Cambodia collaborated on preservation efforts in 1985, lasting five years before funding cuts. The Cambodian government continues exploring preservation methods. Before the Pali School opened on December 16, 1930, monks used the gallery for Pali language classes.

Surrounding Structures

Two stupas surround Preah Vihear Preah Keo Morakot. The southern stupa contains ashes of King Ang Doung (King Sihanouk’s great-great grandfather), while the northern stupa holds King Norodom’s remains (King Sihanouk’s great-grandfather). Both stupas were dedicated on March 13, 1980.

A statue of King Norodom mounted on horseback, erected in 1875 as a memento from French King Napoleon III, was placed in front of the pagoda in 1892 without a roof. King Sihanouk ordered the roof’s construction after Cambodia’s independence on November 11, 1953.

Keung Prah Bat

The footprints of four enlightened Buddhas are preserved in Keung Preah Bat: Kok Santhor, Neak Komonor, Kasabor, and Damonakodom. Buddhists believe a fifth Buddha, Preah Srei Araynetrey, has not yet been born and will appear 5,000 years after the fourth Buddha enters Nirvana.

Borapat Kailasha of Phnom Khan Malineati

The artificial hill Phnom Khan Malineati Borapat Kailasha (or Phnom Mondul) represents where Buddha left footprints on stone. It features a Buddha statue and depicts the 108 life blessings Buddha must experience before achieving enlightenment.

Kunthabopha Stupa

Constructed in 1960, this stupa houses the ashes of Princess Norodom Kunthaboph, King Norodom Sihanouk’s daughter, who died of dengue fever at age 4. Its style was inspired by the ancient Banteay Srei temple in Siem Reap.

Bell Hall

Located west of the pagoda, the bell hall signals opening and closing during festivities and formerly summoned monks studying Pali in the palace.

Sutta Pitaka

A northern structure houses the Sutta Pitaka, part of Buddhism’s primary scripture canon (Tipitaka), containing Buddha’s dialogues. It comprises five text groups: Digha Nikaya (long discourses), Mijjhima Nikaya (medium discourses), Samyutta Nikaya (grouped discourses), Anguttara Nikaya (numbered topics), and Khuddaka Nikaya (miscellaneous texts). The Dhammapada distills Buddha’s teachings on mental discipline and morality, while the popular Jatakas contain stories of Buddha’s previous lives.

The Vinaya Pitaka contains over 225 monastic discipline rules governing Buddhist monks and nuns, each with explanatory narratives and ordered by offense severity.

Abhidharma Patika

The Abhidharma Patika includes philosophical, psychological, and doctrinal classifications and discussions through seven works featuring vocabulary glossaries, psychological process classifications, and metaphysical analyses. The building also houses Shiva’s mount Nandi, discovered buried in Kandal province’s Koh Thom area in 1983 and thought to be 80% silver.