Wat Ounalom

Wat Ounalom (Khmer: វត្តឧណ្ណាលោម, UNGEGN: Vôtt Ŭnnaloŭm, ALA-LC: Vatt Uṇṇālom, IPA: [ʋɔət ʔunnaːloːm]; also Wat Unnalom and several other spellings) is a wat located on Sisowath Quay in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, near the Chaktomuk Royal Palace. As the former seat of Cambodia's Mahanikaya Order, it is regarded as the most important wat in Phnom Penh and the central institution of Cambodian Buddhism. It was established in 1443 and consists of 44 structures.

Originally, Wat Ounalom is believed to have been an ancient religious site, as it contains the large Ounalom Stupa, which was built over an older Angkorian-era stone sanctuary. Evidence suggests that it was constructed during the reign of King Barom Reachea (Chao Phraya Yat). The temple’s name, “Wat Ounalom,” derives from the main stupa — the central one among five — located to the west of the temple. Wat Ounalom is said to be older than the city of Phnom Penh itself.

The main complex houses a stupa that contains what is believed to be an eyebrow hair of The Buddha and an inscription in Pali.