Monks walking near Wat Phnom

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Information about the beginning date of the object depicted in the image: c. 1372

Information about the alteration of the object depicted in the image: 1890-1894

Information about the restoration of the object depicted in the image: 1926

The Phnom, or Wat Phnom, marks the center of the settlement which eventually grew into the city of Phnom Penh. Khmer legend has it that in 1372, a woman named Penh found four statues of the Buddha on the banks of the Mekong, and she built a pagoda on a hill to house the images. The hill was named Phnom Don Penh or Hill of the Lady Penh. The sanctuary was allegedly rebuilt in 1434, 1806, 1890-1894, and the modern structure dates to 1926.

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