Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Throne Hall. This was traditionally only
used
by the king and queen, though it's now
used to admit visiting dignitaries. Just to the north of the gate, the
Moonlight Pavilion
(Preah Tineang Chan Chhaya) was built for twilight performances of classical
Cambodian dance, as a dais for the king to address the crowds and as a venue for state
and royal banquets.
1
The Throne Hall
he present
Throne Hall
(Preah Tineang Tevea Vinicchay) was inaugurated by King Bat
Sisowath in 1919 as a faithful reproduction of Norodom's wooden palace, demolished in
1915. As befits a building used for coronations and ceremonies, it's the most impressive
building in the royal compound, topped by a much-photographed four-faced tower. The
roof has seven tiers (counted from the lowest level up to the base of the spire) tiled in
orange, sapphire and green, representing, respectively, prosperity, nature and freedom.
Golden nagas at the corners of each level protect against evil spirits.
The hall's broad entrance staircase, its banisters formed by seven-headed nagas, leads
up to a colonnaded veranda, each column of which is topped by a garuda with wings
outstretched, appearing to support the overhanging roof. Peering into the
Throne Room
from the east door, you'll find a ceiling painted with finely detailed scenes from the
Reamker
(see box, p.65) in muted colours, and walls stencilled with pastel leaf motifs
and images of celestial beings, hands together in
sompeyar
. Down the centre of the hall
runs a 35m-long, deep-pile carpet, its pattern and colours matching the surrounding
tiles flanked by rows of gilt standard
lamps
, the lampshades supported by ceremonial
nagas. The north and south entrance doors are protected by large mirrors, which are
believed to deflect bad spirits. Unfortunately, since access to the throne room is
forbidden it is almost impossible to get a proper view of the two elaborate golden
coronation thrones
ahead. They occupy a dais in the centre of the hall, above which a
nine-tiered white and gold parasol, symbolizing peacefulness, heaven and ambition, is
suspended; two large garudas guard the thrones from their position on the ceiling.
At the rear of the hall is an area where the king holds audiences with visiting VIPs
and where the busts of six royal ancestors are displayed.
Anterooms
off the hall are used
for different purposes: there are separate bedrooms for the king and the queen, to be
used during the seven nights after the coronation, during which the royal couple have
to sleep apart; another room serves as the king's prayer room; the last room is used to
store the king's ashes after his death, while his chedi is being built.
The Royal Waiting Room
The imposing
Royal Waiting Room
(Hor Samranphirum), to the north of the Throne
Room, is used on coronation days, when king and queen mount ceremonial elephants
from the platform attached to the east side of the building for the coronation
procession. A room at ground level serves to store the royal musical instruments and
coronation paraphernalia. The pavilion is currently home to a collection of artefacts
gifted to the monarch by foreign heads of state.
The Royal Treasury
Just south of the Throne Hall is the
Royal Treasury
(Hor Samritvimean), also known as
the 'Bronze Palace', which houses regalia vital to the coronation ceremony, including
the Great Crown of Victory, the Sacred Sword and the Victory Spear.
The Pavilion of Napoleon III
The incongruous grey cast-iron building with a domed clock tower and observation
gallery is the
Pavilion of Napoleon III
,
used by Empress Eugénie during the inauguration
of the Suez Canal in 1869. Presented to King Norodom by Napoleon III in 1876, the
pavilion was re-erected here and now serves as a museum of
royal memorabilia
,
although it was closed for refurbishment at the time of writing. Downstairs, glass cases
