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Temples of Angkor Wat

The temples of Angkor display a coherent set of architectural and decorative elements. Most of the temples are based on the concept of the "temple mountain", i.e. the architectural representation of the mythical Mount Meru, center of the world and home of the gods. In some cases, the main temple building is shaped as a pyramid, in other cases the roofs of the temple sanctuaries are designed as multi-leveled, stylized mountains. Many are surrounded by a moat, representing the ocean around Mount Meru.

Mythical figures such as Naga, the serpent king, and apsara, celestial dancers, adorn most of the temples, whether dedicated to a Hindu god or Buddhist practice.

Angkor Wat Temples:

Angkor Wat  |  Bakheng  |  Bakong  |  Banteay Kdei  |  Banteay Samre  |  Banteay Srei  |  Beng Mealea  |  East Mebon  |  Kravan  |  Lolei  |  Neak Poan  |  Preah Khan  |  Preah Ko  |  Pre Rup  |  Ta Keo  |  Ta Prohm

Angkor Wat

Noted for its architectural and artistic perfection, not to mention its sheer size, Angkor Wat is the most famous and no doubt the most remarkable of all of Cambodia's ancient temples. Combining great technical mastery on an unprecedented scale with extraordinary architectural and artistic innovations, Angkor Wat has a unique place in the long ancient Khmer tradition of the royal "Temple-Mountain.". Built in the 12th century in the reign of King Suryavarman II, this was the residence of Vishnu, the divine palace in which the King himself was to reside after death. The construction is thought to have taken some thirty years of intensive labor.

In the "Middle Period", notably in the 16th century, Angkor Wat, then known as Preah Pisnulok (the posthumous name of its royal founder), became a site of Buddhist pilgrimage not only for the Khmer people but for much of Southeast Asia, and indeed for other more distant Asian peoples. Today, the Khmer people see in "Little Angkor" (the familiar name of Angkor Wat), the symbol of their nation.

Angkor Wat, forming a rectangle of about 1,500 by 1,300 metres, covers an area including its 190 metre wide moats - of nearly 200 hectares. The external enclosure wall defines an expanse of 1,025 metres by 800, or 82 hectares. It is the largest monument of the Angkor group.

Site

Constructed to the south of the capital (Angkor Thom), Angkor Wat is sited in the southeast corner of the ancient city of Yashodhara built by Yashovarman I and centred on Phnom Bakheng.

The westward orientation of Angkor Wat is opposite to the orientation of sanctuaries dedicated to divinities. In Brahmanic funerary rituals, the rites are performed in reverse of the normal order - the ritual procession does not follow "pradakshina" (keeping the monument to one's right), but rather in the opposite direction, the "prasavya?". Hence, the bas-reliefs are to be viewed in an anti-clockwise direction.

Exterior

The moats surrounding the external enclosure of the monument are bordered by steps with a moulded sandstone perimeter, and are five and a half kilometres in overall length.

They are crossed only at two places - to the east by a simple bank of earth, and to the west by a 200 metre-long and 12 metre-wide sandstone-paved causeway, lined with columns along its sides. A cruciform terrace decorated with lions, precedes this causeway and is bordered by naga balustrades.

The temple enclosure, formed by a high laterite wall incorporates a colonnade of 235 metres composed of a three-part gopura - the towers of which are cruciform in plan and galleries that link with two pavilions at either extremity which served as passageways for elephants.

Kuk Ta Reach

Kuk Ta Reach, the "Sanctuary of the Royal Ancestor" is the traditional name of the series of porticos in this colonnade leading into the interior of Angkor Wat. Of the many divinities and spirits worshipped here, 'Ta Reach' is by far the most important. Embodied in a colossal four-armed statue worshipped in the portico to the south of the main entrance, Ta Reach's protective powers are known throughout the Angkor region. Over the past decades, local caretakers have restored parts of the Ta Reach statue with cement. In 2003, the cement replica head was replaced by the original that had been stored for safekeeping at the National Museum of Cambodia.

Bas-Relief Galleries

The bas-reliefs cover the inner walls of the galleries of the lower enclosure and comprise of panels two metres in height with a total area of more than 1,000 square metres excluding the corner pavilions. Limited to the zone that would have been accessible to the public, they represent legendary and historic scenes for the enlightenment of the faithful.

These galleries, which are open to the exterior and form the temple's third enclosure wall, are sculpted in bas-reliefs representing historical and epic scenes. The friezes were, for the most part, executed during, or shortly after, the reign of Suryavarman II. Only the northeastern corner - the northern section of the eastern gallery and the eastern section of the northern gallery were left bare at that time, to be sculpted later, in the 16th century. These late reliefs are notably inferior in quality of conception and execution, due most probably to a rupture in the artistic tradition between the fall of the capital at Angkor in the 15th century and the 16th-century restoration. The scenes represented are as follows:

• The Battle of Kurukshetra, between the Pandava and the Kaurava families, from the Mahabharata epic tale.The reliefs sculpted on the southern section of this western gallery represent a concluding episode of the Mahabharata, a renowned Indian epic tale.This is the Battle of Kurukshetra, when the Pandava and Kaurava clans meet in final, deadly combat. Interestingly, the Mahabharata is virtually unknown in modern Cambodia. Unlike the Ramayana, which continues to permeate all aspects of Khmer culture, the Mahabharata would seem to have faded from cultural practice and memory with the decline of the Angkorian Empire.
• Historical scenes depicting the reign of Suryavarman II. The reliefs sculpted on the western section of this southern gallery commemorate a series of historical events from the reign of King Suryavarman II, the founder of Angkor Wat in the 12th century. As the brief inscription engraved next to the image of Suryavarman II identifies this king by his posthumous name, Paramavisnuloka, the reliefs themselves are thought to have been sculpted shortly after his death.
• Heavens and Hells: the consequences of one's acts can be pondered as the blessed delight in celestial bliss above while the wicked suffer in agony below. The reliefs sculpted on the eastern section of this southern gallery represent the 37 Heavens and 32 Hells derived from Indian tradition. The Hells, on the lower registers, are pictured in greater detail than the Heavens above. Each Hell is in fact identified by an accompanying inscription. Thus we read "Avici", "Raurava", etc., names still known and feared in Cambodia.
• "The Churning of the Sea of Milk". The reliefs sculpted on the southern section of this eastern gallery represent the "Churning of the Sea of Milk", a popular episode from Vishnu lore. The Gods (northern part) and the Demons (southern part) use the serpent Vasuki as a cord wound around Mount Mandara, emerging from the Sea; pulling alternately on either end of the serpent, together they churn the Sea of Milk in order to extract the nectar of immortality. Seizing the nectar as it is formed, the Gods are victorious, and thus thereafter immortal.
• Victory of Vishnu over the Asura demons. The reliefs on this northeastern corner (northern section of the eastern gallery and eastern section of the northern gallery) were sculpted in the 16th century, some four hundred years after the original construction of Angkor Wat and the sculpture of most of the temple's gallery walls. These reliefs clearly demonstrate that, though Cambodia had by then become a Theravadin Buddhist nation, the Khmers had not yet forgotten their past Brahmanic culture. The scenes on the northern section of the eastern gallery, are thought to have been extracted from the Indian Harivamsa, show the God Vishnu, in the center, singularly defeating the Demons.
• Victory of Krishna (an avatar of Vishnu) over the demon Bana. The scenes on the eastern section of the northern gallery, thought to have been extracted from the Indian Harivamsa, show Krishna, one of Vishnu's many avatars, defeating his rival Bana. A variety of Gods are represented here, including Shiva at the western end.
• Combat between the Gods and the Demons. All the major Brahmanic Gods, identifiable by the attributes they brandish and the animal mounts they ride, are represented on the western portion of this northern gallery. Each God is shown in singular combat with a Demon. In a similar way to other sculpted galleries of Angkor Wat, the God Vishnu, pictured here in the center of the long panel, is pre-eminent.
• The Battle of Lanka, from the Ramayana epic tale. The reliefs of the northern portion of this western gallery illustrate a renowned episode of the Ramayana, the Indian epic tale which recounts the exploits of Prince Rama (an avatar of Vishnu). We see here the Battle of Lanka, in which Rama's monkey army led by the monkey General Hanuman fights the Demon King Ravana's army. Rama's army seeks to rescue his wife Sita, who has been captured and held hostage in Lanka, Ravana's island kingdom.

Preah Poan

The name of this cruciform gallery - 'the Thousand Buddhas' - dates from the Middle Period, when the prestige of Angkor Wat spread across Buddhist Asia. Over the course of time the faithful erected here a great number of statues of the Buddha in stone, wood or metal, hence the gallery's name. Some of the statues still remain while others are exhibited or kept in conservation storehouses. Others have, for diverse reasons, been lost forever. Together, these Buddhist statues testify to an artistic school unique to the temple of Angkor Wat.

The majority of Angkor Wat's 41 inscriptions dating from the Middle Period are found here, on the pillars of Preah Poan. Largely in Khmer, sometimes including Pali phrases, they date from the 16th to 18th centuries and record pious works performed at Preah Pisnulok by pilgrims, including members of the royal family. The authors inscribe their "vows of truth" and declare their "pure faith" in the religion of the Buddha. These stone inscriptions make an invaluable contribution to our understanding of the ideology of Theravada Buddhism as it became Cambodia's principal and official religion. Inscriptions in other languages, such as Burmese and Japanese, further demonstrate the cross-cultural attraction the temple has long exerted.

Bakan

Originally the principal sanctuary of Angkor Wat's uppermost terrace was open to the four cardinal points, and probably sheltered a statue of Vishnu, the supreme god of the temple. Later, when Angkor Wat became a center of Buddhist pilgrimage, the four entranceways into the central sanctuary were filled in with sandstone blocks; each of the newly constituted walls was then sculpted with a deep relief of the standing Buddha. In 1908 archaeologists opened the southern entranceway. In the place of any original Vishnu statue, they found multiple statue and pedestal fragments, as well as a sarcophagus. Further research carried out in the well of the central sanctuary in the 1930s revealed, at a depth of 23 meters, the temple's original foundation deposits: two circular gold leaves embedded in a laterite block.

A number of inscriptions at Preah Poan and Bakan, along with the artistic style of these Buddha figures, indicate that the enclosure of the central tower and its transformation into a Buddhist sanctuary was a royal work executed in the latter half of the 16th century. This architectural and iconographic transformation translated into space the conceptual transformation of the central Brahmanic sanctuary into a Buddhist stupa. Here the four Buddhas of the past, facing each of the four cardinal points, surround the garbha - the maternal matrix - which encloses Maitreya, the Buddha of the future. The Bakan illustrates in a most spectacular manner the evolution of Angkor Wat over time: as the ancient Vishnuite temple became a sacred Theravadin Buddhist site, Angkor Wat undoubtedly played a primary role in the conversion of Cambodia into a Theravadin nation.

Bakheng

In the period before the end of the 9th century, the king Yashovarman transferred the capital of Hariharalaya (in the region of Roluos) to Yashodhara (in actuality 'Angkor') by choosing the small hill of Bakheng (some 60m in altitude), to be the symbolic centre. Phnom Bakheng, in effect was given the Khmer name 'Vnam Kandal', or the 'Central Mountain'.

On the summit a pyramid was built, comprising of five tiers, surmounted by a central sanctuary that sheltered a linga. This structure differs from all other similar Angkorian architectural models as the interior was not filled with fine compacted sand, but rather this monument is constructed directly on the rock.

An extremely complex study by a scholar has resulted in an understanding of the number of towers and their position in space that demonstrates the ensemble is a materialization of the Indian cosmic calendar.

The 16th century seems to have marked a period of renewal of this place and a conversion to Theravada Buddhism. The temple became a symbolic beacon for pilgrimages to the Angkor region with the quincunx of the highest towers almost completely engulfed within an immense seated stone Buddha (the lower part of this image was still partially visible in the early 1920.

A Middle Period inscription records the name 'Bakheng', or 'Virile' that suggests (despite the fact the central sanctuary was covered by this Buddhist image) the earlier concept of a linga was still present in the historic collective memory. It is curious but significant to note that Muslim pilgrims left an inscription at the monument in Arabic praising Allah. This stele was removed in the 20th century for preservation reasons.

Without doubt we could explain this by the well-known tolerance that characterizes religious history in Cambodia. At the same time, as this is an important pilgrimage site at Angkor, perhaps it was also considered so by others?

Bakong

The Bakong is the first real pyramidal shaped temple built in Cambodia to take the form which researchers have come to call "temple mountain". Before the Bakong, this architectural type had not fully emerged, and even at Ak Yum, on the southern dike of the Western Baray, the form is not yet totally achieved.

Before entering an enclosure measuring 400 by 300 meters which is surrounded by an exterior wall and a moat somewhat wider than it is deep, we find ourselves in a larger enclosure measuring 900 by 700 meters. In this outer enclosure, ruins and remains of at least 22 sanctuaries are found. These sanctuaries can perhaps be considered satellites of the central complex in that some of them, instead of facing east, turn to face the central pyramid.

The naga (serpent) with seven heads found on the side of the entrance causeway appears here for the first time in the place which will be taken by future naga balustrades. The brick towers, located at the foot of the pyramid, still have their original wooden supporting beams despite the ravages of time.

Banteay Kdei

At this Mahayana Buddhist monastic complex at least two different styles are evident, relating to Angkor Wat and Bayon styles. Various sanctuary towers were also apparently joined only after their construction by a system of galleries and vestibules that exploit the use of the cloister. Changes and additions to the design following the original construction result in the sometimes confused and unbalanced present-day layout.

The ensemble is on a single level and consists, within two successive enclosure walls, of two concentric galleries from which emerge towers, preceded to the east by a cloister. This temple is similar in design and architecture to Ta Prohm and Preah Khan, although smaller and less complex.

There is no information concerning the exact dedication of this temple, and a 10th century inscription found in the western gopura of the second enclosure has been noted to have been sculpted on re-used stones possibly from the neighbouring temple of Kutisvara.

The east gopura entrance in the outer laterite enclosure (as are the other axial entrances) is surmounted by smiling Lokesvara visages similar to those at Ta Prohm, and the doorway flanked by garudas in each corner. The large Buddhist cruciform terrace immediately in front of the temple is slightly raised and decorated with naga and garuda-balustrades and lions that are in the Bayon style.

As at Ta Prohm and Preah Khan, there is a vast rectangular hall that perhaps served as a space for ritual dance. The square columns, like those at the entrances to the Bayon, are decorated with paired or single dancing apsara sculpted in low-relief. Bas-relief dvarapala flank the entrances, surrounded by devata. The central sanctuary, which still carries some traces of sculpture, was probably rough-cut in order to receive a metal facing.

The gopura of the third enclosure is cruciform in plan, has internal columns and is covered by vaults. In the internal courtyard and walls of porches are Buddha images defaced in the period following Jayavarman VII's reign. The vaults of these outer galleries, constructed in both laterite and sandstone, has in places, collapsed. Access from the rear of this complex leads to the eastern entrance of Ta Prohm temple.

In 2001, a team from the University of Sophia (Japan) uncovered 274 fragment pieces of Buddhist sculpture while pursuing a research excavation in Banteay Kdei. Most of the excavated statues are sculpted from sandstone and these were found together with a small number of metal artifacts.

Banteay Samre

This monument that takes its name from the Samre people is found to the east of the earth embankment forming the eastern wall of the East Baray. There is a legend connecting the naming of this monument with a farmer who mistakenly killed the king then ascended the throne.

Anastylosis transformed this monument with its well-preserved exceptional ornamentation. Dated to shortly after Angkor Wat, its compact, well-balanced proportions echo other monuments of the period such as Beng Mealea and Chau Say Tevoda.Viewed from the east, the approach is by a 200 metre causeway paved in laterite and bordered by a naga balustrade in the style of Angkor Wat.

The imposing external laterite enclosure wall must have formed, one of the walls of a tile-covered gallery joining a gopura that would have been far more impressive than the existing projecting entrance with portico.

It is interesting to note that many scenes on the pediments of the upper levels have been identified as episodes from the Vessantara Jataka. The presence of Buddhist scenes in a Hindu temple and the fact that in some places certain sculpted motifs, probably also Buddhist, have been mutilated makes a statement about the religious tolerance of the monument's patron. Few temples present an iconography so complete and in such an excellent state of preservation, and particular attention should be given to the following scenes:

"A stone tank, with a hole pierced in the top of it and with a drainage channel in the bottom, has also been restored and placed in the large room adjacent to the central sanctuary. It is considered to be some form of sarcophagus, enabling the procedure of periodic ablution of mortal remains which were placed here."

Banteay Srei

Banteay Srei temple was founded by an important dignitary who served during the reign of Rajendravarman and then in the reign of Jayavarman V. Commenced in 967 AD, this work attracted the support of his brother and sister, as attested by inscriptions on the stone door jambs of the lateral sanctuaries of the central group.

The ensemble is dedicated to the god 'Tribhuvanamaheshvara'. The sculptures are of exceptional refinement and because of this Banteay Srei often earns the epithet 'the jewel of Khmer art'.

At this temple, for the first time pediments appear with stories notably those on the north and south libraries. These exhibit themes related to Shivaism (the demon Ravana shaking Mount Kailasa above which Shiva is enthroned; with Kama arriving to disturb his meditation). Other pediments portray Vishnuist themes such as 'The Rain of Indra' and 'The Killing of Kamsa'.Two other famous pediments from this monument now can be found at the National Museum of Cambodia, Phnom Penh and at the Musé national des Arts asiatiques - Guimet, Paris. Numerous lintels also display sculptures from Indian mythology.

Proof of the continued occupation and therefore the maintenance of Banteay Srei and the surrounding site called Ishvarapura (with the Siem Reap river as the source of water), is provided by one important inscription of the early 14th century that can be seen on a stone door jamb of the gopura in the third enclosure.

A recent joint project between the APSARA Authority and the Swiss government entitled, 'Conservation of Banteay Srei' officially commenced at the beginning of July 2002.This project is planned for a three-year period from 2002 to 2005. It focuses on the conservation and improvement of the site covering restoration and maintenance of the temple; landscaping of the surroundings and protection of the natural environment in addition to a detailed study of the history of the site.

Beng Mealea

Built in the 12th century, the layout and style of Beng Mealea is very similar to Angkor Wat. Its current state, however, is dominated by the jungle: Trees have grown out of towers and vines entangle columns. Lintels and other building blocks lay around in a tumble and require visitors to climb up and down as they approach the completely collapsed central tower. This is how the early expeditions must have found the temples of Angkor...

There is a wooden walkway towards the center of the temple. On the little circuit, a couple of beautiful carvings narrate scenes from the Ramayana (Sita in the fire to test her innocence) and the Churning of the Sea of Milk (gods and demons tugging on the snake, which is wrapped around the mountain, which in turn is supported by the turtle, an incarnation of Vishnu).

To explore the rest of the complex requires climbing up and down many piles of sandstone blocks. Enclosing the vast area of Beng Mealea is a moat, now partially dried up and used by water buffaloes, women washing clothes and other aspects of village life.

The long drive, at least two hours from Siemreap, and the fact that Beng Mealea is not included in the Angkor entrance ticket may be the reason that this place sees few people. The area has been demined and basic visitors' facilities are in the process of being built.

East Mebon

Five hundred metres north of the Pre Rup temple, there once existed a large expanse of water known as the Eastern Baray. Measuring two kilometres north-south and seven kilometres east-west, it is enclosed by an earth embankment and identified as the 'Eastern Lake' by Zhou Daguan in the 13th century and the 'Yasodharatataka' mentioned in ancient inscriptions.

It was realised during the reign of Yasovarman towards the end of the 9th century and supplied by waters from the Siem Reap river. This vast reservoir served to regulate the flow of the river and to irrigate the surrounding plain, is today given over to rice fields. To judge by the laterite steps that surround the small island of the Mebon, the original depth of water contained was approximately three metres and its volume must have been some 40 million cubic metres.

The Mebon has all the characteristics of a 'temple-mountain' symbolising Mount Meru - here there is a three-metre high central platform carrying the quincunx of towers. Originally the Mebon temple stood on an island surrounded entirely by the waters of the Eastern Baray - accessible only by boat. The centre of the baray was marked by this small island of 120 metres across on which the temple stands. The main entry pavilion of the Royal Palace and the Victory Gate of Angkor Thom were subsequently aligned along this axis.

Several inscriptions found in the vicinity as well as the foundation stele - dated 952 (only nine years prior to Pre- Rup) describe the placing in the various sanctuaries of the linga Sri Rajendresvara, of several gods - notably Shiva and Parvati "in the likeness of the mother and the father" of King Rajendravarman in addition to Vishnu with Brahma. Eight linga of the god in eight forms were also placed in the eight small towers of the surrounding court. The Mebon belongs to a group of temples consecrated to the memory of deified parents.

According to an inscription, the walls were originally covered externally with a lime-based plaster coating (as evident at Pre Rup temple) with the pitted hammer marks in the brickwork to adhere the stucco onto the towers, the only remaining evidence. Most lintels remain in place on this monument and are of excellent craftsmanship. On the central tower to the east, Indra on a three-headed elephant with flights of figures disgorged by makara, under a small frieze of figures in meditation; to the west, Skanda the god of war on his peacock with a line of figures holding lotus flowers; and to the south, Shiva on the sacred bull Nandin.

Kravan

Surrounded by a moat, crossed at the western side by a small access causeway, the five brick towers are set quite closely, built on a single terrace and open to the east. The brickwork has been constructed with care - the mortar-less joints, which have only a thin vegetal binder, remain absolutely tight.

In the early to mid-60s, this monument was extensively restored by the Ecole Française d'Extrême-Orient. Replacement bricks marked with the stamped letters 'CA' can be seen placed at intervals throughout the monument. Externally, the eastern side is decorated with dvarapala set in shallow niches, while the door panels are decorated with chevrons and small framed figures. Only the door frames, lintels with its line of small heads set in a frieze above and the octagonal banded columns are in sandstone. An inscription on the door jambs mentions the placement of a statue of Vishnu in 921AD.

At Kravan, the visitor can view bas-relief sculpture on the interior brickwork of the sanctuaries. In the central sanctuary chamber, to the left of the entrance can be seen a large figure of Vishnu with his right foot placed on a lotus pedestal supported by a kneeling figure. To the right, there is a second representation of Vishnu mounted on the shoulders of Garuda. The central wall portrays Vishnu with eight arms framed by six rows of standing figures. The northern tower is also sculpted with figures representing Laksmi, the wife of Vishnu. The three remaining towers have undecorated walls.

Lolei

Lolei is composed of four tower sanctuaries, the remains of the original ensemble that was without doubt more complex. The King Yasovarman consecrated Lolei to the memory of his ancestors, particularly his father, in 893 AD.

Built in two tiers, the island on which the temple is found is itself located in the middle (but to the north along a north south axis) of the first great Baray of the region, the Indratataka. This large reservoir, measuring 3,800 meters by 800 meters, bears the name of its constructor, Indravarman (the father of Yasovarman) who began to build the reservoir on the fifth day following his coronation, as recorded in a Sanskrit inscription.

The inscriptions in Khmer which can still be admired on all the door jambs present an exceptional interest for two reasons. Their calligraphy is in itself a work of art, a fact noted with emphasis by the first scientific explorers of the 1860s. The inscriptions also provide us with a wealth of details concerning the moment chosen for the consecration of the temple, as well as elaborating on the delicate division of tasks carried out by the several hundred servants attached to each tower.

The name Lolei is really a phonetic corruption, commonly used in Siem Reap Province, of Harihara + alay, the name of the first 9th century Angkorian capital centered around present day Roluos. Even after constructing the island and its sanctuaries, Yasovarman still had the idea to move his capital to the region of Phnom Bakheng, about fourteen kilometers to the northwest of Lolei, site of the future city of Yasodhara.

It is not implausible that Yasovarman was building at Lolei while moving his capital at the same time. The choice to establish Lolei at the center of the Indratataka at this time was of specific symbolic meaning and significance since it put the dedicated object (Lolei dedicated to Indravarman) at the heart of the work of the one to whom it was dedicated (the Indratataka built by Indravarman).

Neak Poan

Built by Jayavarman VII before the end of the 12th century, this monument - Neak Poan or the entwined naga - is an artificial island, measuring 350 meters on each side, built in the middle of a reservoir which is also man made. The modern name, Neak Poan, comes from the motif of serpents encircling the base of the central sanctuary.

An inscription notes that it is "a sacred island, drawing its charm from its ponds and clearing away the sins of those who approach it". The ponds in question number four. They were fed by a complex system of anthropomorphic and zoomorphic fountains. The mysterious curative function of its waters was all the more so, given that the myth of the deliverance of a group of shipwrecked sailors by the horse Balaha, a form of Lokesvara, is represented here.

The reservoir, which measured 3500 meters by 900 meters, was originally called Jayatataka or "the reservoir of Jaya [varman VII]". Its modern name is Veal Reach Dak or "plain of the royal reservoir", revealing the collective historical memory of the inhabitants of Angkor who are aware that its four cornered form originate from a Baray, a royal hydraulic project which today lies dry.

Preah Khan

In 1191 AD, ten years after his ascension to the throne, Jayavarman VII dedicated the temple of Preah Khan to his father Dharanindra, who is represented in the central sanctuary by Lokesvara, the savior god of Mahayana Buddhism who was much worshipped during Jayavarman VII's reign.

Preah Khan is one of the few monuments to have kept its original name. The founding stele is written entirely in Sanskrit with the name of the temple expressed as Jayacri.

During the Middle Period, a stupa (see photograph) was erected in place of Lokesvara in the central sanctuary. This had the advantage of symbolising Buddhism in all its forms.

The name Jayacri or Preah Khan means "sacred sword" which was at the same time the coronation name of its royal constructor.

More than a single temple , the monument was in its time a real city with a whole population divided according to their functions. The temple was also a site of Buddhist studies with its retinue of spiritual masters and their disciples.

Preah Ko

The temple of Preah Ko, the sacred bull to whom this complex of stone and brick is dedicated, is bordered by a moat to the north and a moat to the south.

The temple was officially called Paramesvara, a name which means Supreme God and usually designates Shiva. Here, however, the name Paramesvara also is the posthumous name of King Jayavarman II, the founder of the Angkorian empire. Preah Ko was dedicated by Indravarman in 879 AD (CE) to the memory of Jayavarman II, represented in the central sanctuary of the eastern side of the base platform. The side towers were dedicated to the ancestors of Indravarman himself.

The rectangular area enclosing the monument measures about 500 meters by 400 meters. The western section may also have once contained other buildings made of less durable materials which served as houses for ordinary inhabitants.

The temple of Preah Ko initiated the tradition of temples dedicated to ancestors which each subsequent Angkorian king had to build, preferably before constructing the temple which would be dedicated to his own destined cult.

From an artistic point of view, we should try to imagine the six sanctuaries of the platform covered in white, finely carved stucco. One can still see remaining sections of this covering which allows us to glimpse the great refinement which the sculptures of the temple once had.

Pre Rup

King Rajendravarman, who engineered the return of the capital from Koh Ker to Angkor (Yashodhara), founded Pre Rup in 961 AD. Constructed in brick and laterite, this temple was constructed slightly after the Mebon that is emplaced at the centre of the Eastern Baray and erected by the same king. Both Pre Rup and the Mebon are situated on the same north-south axis.

The central sanctuary, at the summit of a three-tiered pyramid, enshrined the linga named 'Rajendrabhadreshvara' that through its name was directly associated with the king who venerated the god Shiva.

The stele of Pre Rup is known to be the longest Sanskrit inscription in ancient Cambodia and was not found in the usual place at the immediate northeast corner of the lower level, but rather nearby within a building not far distant. The inscription itself is today stored at the Angkor Conservation.

This monument of admirable proportions has suffered due to the ravages of time. Some breaches in the walls and other collapsed sections as they are in brick, pose particularly delicate technical problems for restoration. Elaborate technical choices for the reconsolidation of these structures have been undertaken that are not necessarily spectacular in the view of the casual visitor. Without a doubt, the restored sections of Pre Rup are excellent models of restoration techniques in brick.

Ta Keo (Preah Keo)

Ta Keo is a pyramid of five levels reaching a total height of 22m - the first two form the base of two enclosing courtyards, one surrounded by a simple wall and the other by a gallery, while the last three, through proportional reduction are a massive artificial plinth for the quincunx of sanctuaries.

This is the first realisation in sandstone of such a structure (generally dedicated to deified nobility) after the temple of Bakheng that crowned a natural hill serving as its core. Ta Keo is constructed with much more care in the systematic cutting and placing of enormous blocks of stone, the arrangement of which can be viewed easily, due to the absence of almost any moulding or decoration.

The reason for this temple remaining unfinished is unknown for it was abandoned soon after the start of its ornamentation. By these remaining fragments, this temple dates to the end of 10th century and the early years of the 11th. Inscriptions engraved on the door jambs of the eastern gopuras, relating to donations made to the temple (but not to its foundation) date from 1007.

Originally, the access to the monument was from the east across a moat by means of a paved causeway, preceded by lions in the style of the Bayon and lined with bornes. Some 500m further to the east is the bank of the Eastern Baray. The external enclosure wall forms a rectangle of 120m by 100m and is in sandstone on a laterite base. The second terrace dominates the first with an imposing moulded laterite base and four axial sandstone gopuras. From the courtyard, standing in front of the three tiers that form the 14m high central pyramid, one is left with a powerful impression.

The upper platform is square and almost entirely occupied by the quincunx of towers in their unfinished form. These open to the four cardinal points by projecting vestibules. The corner towers are set on plinths and are dominated by the central tower set on an elevated base with the development of its porticoes and frontons adding to its grandeur. Fragments of pedestals and of lingas are found both in and around the towers.

Ta Prohm

Known today as Ta Prohm or "Old Brahma", this monument was initially named "Rajavihara" meaning "royal monastery". In 1186 AD, Jayavarman VII consecrated several statues here, the most important of which was that of Prajnaparamita, the personification of the Perfection of Wisdom, a figure whom the King identified with his mother.

Reflecting without doubt a religious ideology, it is only some years later that the King dedicated another temple, Preah Khan, to his father whom he identified with Lokesvara. On an official level, this is clearly in the religious context of Buddhism of the Great Vehicle and, more specifically, in the context of a Khmer Buddhist context characteristic to Jayavarman VII's reign. However, one must be wary of too quick a judgement.

The word vihara in its original use, for example, should not be understood with the Theravadin eye of the modern era. On the other hand, all things considered, the one kilometer by seven hundred meters area delimited by the exterior enclosing wall can perhaps be regarded somewhat as a Vat (the modern Buddhist monastery).

Within the walls, many people of diverse capacities made up a cult. Ordinarily, the visitor enters the monument from the west to approach the heart of the complex. However, one must not forget that the ritual entrance was to the east.