Photoblogger at mythicaldude has a series of interesting pictures of his trip to Udong, Cambodia’s capital city between 1618 and 1866. With this link, you will be able to meet some people of Cambodian Muslim community.

While I certianly enjoyed the magnificent vista from the beautiful new pagoda at the top of 509 steps, my main mission for the day was to visit Cham (Cambodian Muslim) communities in the Udong vicinity. There were a group of white-clad Buddhist pilgrims praying at the temple when I arrived.

Other photo of Phnom Udong can also be found here, by Stefan at Cambodia Log.

There are two separate buildings on this hill top. The one to the right looks like a temple, but it is a mosque. I remember reading an excellent text by William Collins about the Chams in Cambodia. Chams are a Muslim minority, successors of the Kingdom of Champa which used to exist on the territory of today’s Vietnam. Among other things, Williams reports that Udong is a spiritual and religious centre where the language and culture of the Chams is maintained and preserved today.

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3. First Visit to Angkor Wat