Cambodia: Two women with "krama" headscarves in the fresh produce section of the New Central...

The "krama", more than any other item of clothing of everyday use, is quintessentially Cambodian. No other country in Southeast Asia uses this scarf-like head-wrapping, and it's arguably a sign of Cambodia's ancient links with Indian, the land of turbans par excellence. "Krama", which are made from cotton or silk, are most commonly found in red-and-white or blue-and-white check, and they have a considerable variety of uses. Phnom Penh lies on the western side of the Mekong River at the point where it is joined by the Sap River and divides into the Bassac River, making a meet place of four great waterways known in Cambodian as Chatomuk or 'Four Faces'. It has been central to Cambodian life since soon after the abandonment of Angkor in the mid-14th century and has been the capital since 1866.