Wat Preah Keo Morakot and the silver floor of Phnom Penh’s Royal Palace
Published on 09/16/2026 at 17:55 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWS
Wat Preah Keo Morakot in Phnom Penh, widely known in English as the Silver Pagoda, is the royal temple embedded within Cambodia’s Royal Palace compound and distinguished by a ceremonial hall paved with silver tiles around a central emerald-hued Buddha image from the twentieth century.
Wat Preah Keo Morakot within the Royal Palace of Cambodia
Wat Preah Keo Morakot stands inside the southern section of the Royal Palace complex in central Phnom Penh, on the side of the compound facing Samdech Sothearos Boulevard near the meeting point of the Tonlé Sap and Mekong rivers.southern section of the Royal Palace complex The pagoda forms part of a wider ensemble of throne halls, courtyards and ceremonial pavilions that occupy the palace grounds in the Cambodian capital.
Officially named Preah Vihear Preah Keo Morakot, a Khmer title meaning “Temple of the Emerald Buddha”, the sanctuary functions as the royal chapel beside the palace rather than a conventional city monastery with a resident monastic community.Preah Vihear Preah Keo Morakot The complex thus stands at the intersection of religious practice and royal ceremony, anchoring Buddhist observance within the courtly setting of the Cambodian monarchy.
The silver floor and precious images in the main hall
The feature that gives Wat Preah Keo Morakot its English name of Silver Pagoda is the floor of the main temple hall, paved with thousands of silver tiles whose combined weight reaches several tonnes and whose individual panels are laid out in regular rows across the vihear.silver tiles that cover the floor Above this metal surface rises a collection of Buddha images and shrines that draw together precious metals, gemstones and traditional Khmer ornament.
The sanctum centres on a principal Buddha image carved in emerald-coloured material, a figure that lends Wat Preah Keo Morakot its Khmer name and is framed by additional statues in gold and other materials on tiered platforms around it.Temple of the Emerald Buddha The ensemble includes a well-known solid-gold Buddha of life size adorned with diamonds, placed among glass-inlaid stupas and other decorative elements that reflect light off the silver floor and the metallic surfaces of the sculptures.life-sized solid-gold Buddha adorned with diamonds
Architecture, materials and historical background
The current temple hall of Wat Preah Keo Morakot belongs to a phase of construction in the late nineteenth and twentieth centuries, when the original wooden structure was replaced by a building in brick and concrete finished with a pagoda-style roof and rich exterior ornament.originally built of wood in 1892 and rebuilt in 1962 The form combines traditional Khmer temple composition with materials associated with that more recent era, placing the silver floor and precious images within a hall designed for ceremonial gatherings.
Wat Preah Keo Morakot serves as a royal and state pagoda where kings of Cambodia have taken part in Buddhist rites and national ceremonies, linking the monarchy with Theravada Buddhist practice through spatial arrangement and ritual use.Royal and state pagoda Its position beside the main throne halls and within the walled palace grounds ties the temple closely to the political history of the country, while its silver floor and emerald-hued central image make it a distinctive expression of Khmer craftsmanship and religious devotion.
Visiting Wat Preah Keo Morakot: what travellers from Western Europe should know
- Wat Preah Keo Morakot lies within the Royal Palace compound in central Phnom Penh, on the south side of the complex along Samdech Sothearos Boulevard near the junction of the Tonlé Sap and Mekong rivers.
- Access to the temple involves passing through the palace grounds, with approaches across paved courtyards and stairways leading up into the main hall where the silver floor is laid.
- The pagoda stands close to the Tonlé Sap riverfront in Phnom Penh, so visits can be combined with walks along the embankment and nearby streets laid out around the palace.
- The official language in Cambodia is Khmer and the currency is the Cambodian riel.
- Entry requirements depend on your nationality; UK travellers can check the FCDO travel advice at gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice, Irish travellers the Department of Foreign Affairs at ireland.ie.
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Frequently asked questions about Wat Preah Keo Morakot
Where is Wat Preah Keo Morakot located?
Wat Preah Keo Morakot stands within the Royal Palace compound in central Phnom Penh, in the southern section of the complex along Samdech Sothearos Boulevard near the junction of the Tonlé Sap and Mekong rivers.
What should visitors expect on a visit?
Visitors encounter a royal temple hall whose interior floor is paved with silver tiles and whose central focus is an emerald-hued Buddha image, framed by additional precious statues and ornamental shrines inside the palace grounds.
What makes Wat Preah Keo Morakot distinctive?
The combination of its role as the royal chapel of Cambodia’s kings, its silver-covered floor and its principal emerald-coloured Buddha image, all set within the Royal Palace complex beside the Tonlé Sap riverfront, gives Wat Preah Keo Morakot a character closely tied to both Khmer religious tradition and the ceremonial life of the Cambodian monarchy.
