Temples

Built under the reign of King Jayavarman VII, KROL KO is a small temple made of sandstone. Buddha and Lokeshvara were omnipresent at the temple. This temple is a good example of an escape from iconographical destruction occurred at the end of the reign of the King.

Known in English as the River of 1,000 Lingas, Kbal Spean has hundreds of Brahmanist yoni and lingas which have been carved into the stone riverbed of Steung Siem Reap. The river is said to represent the life force which joins the phallic and feminine carvings creating blessed water.

The East Mebon rises up from the middle of a huge dry reservoir, the east Baray (7.5 km x 1.83 km) that was capable of holding 55 million cubic meters of water. The same architect who built Bat Chum built the Mebon. An inscription indicates that the divinity of this Temple was dedicated on Friday 28th January 953 at 11 AM.

Chau Srei Vibol was builtend of the 11th century; it sits about 17 kilometers directly east of Angkor Wat. Surrounded by huge moats (about 1450 meters east-west and 970 meters north-south), the largest after those of Angkor Wat.

Boeng Melea is a largest temple built in the middle of the 12th century following a layout similar to Angkor Wat. Located 60 kilometers northeast of the town of Siem Reap and enveloped in luxuriant jungle vegetation, it was recently re-opened to visitors.

Bayon was erected under the reign of Jayavarman VII, towards the end of the 12th century; this extremely complex temple is sometimes viewed as embodying a type of Angkorian “baroque” in comparison with Angkor Wat. The smiling face depicted on many of its towers is enigmatic.

The Buddhist temple was built around 960 by the same architect who built the temple of East Mebon. He is the only Khmer architect whose name is known to us. It is a small Buddhist temple made of bricks, nestled among the rice paddies. Poems praising the temple´s builder are engraved on each of the door uprights.

     Baphuon was originally a state-temple mountain dedicated to Shiva when it was built in the 11th century (around 1060). During the 16th century an immense statue of reclining Buddha was erected on his western face when the temple was converted to Buddhism.

This monument dating back to the late 12th century, beginning of the 13th century under the reign of Jayavarman VII, is opposite the Sras Srang Royal Bath. Though not as popular as Ta Phrom or Preah Khan, it nevertheless provides an ideal setting to linger.

This monument dating back to the late 12th century, beginning of the 13th century under the reign of Jayavarman VII, is opposite the Sras Srang Royal Bath. Though not as popular as Ta Phrom or Preah Khan, it nevertheless provides an ideal setting to linger.