Preah Khan, Siem Reap

Preah Khan, Siem Reap

The Preah Khan is one of the largest temple complexes at Angkor, spread over 56 hectares to the north-east of Angkor Thom.

The Preah Khan is one of the largest temple complexes at Angkor, spread over 56 hectares to the north-east of Angkor Thom. It was commissioned in the 12th century as a Buddhist complex by King Jayavarman VII to honor his father, but was largely renovated with Hindu imagery by King Jayavarman VIII in the 13th century. The temple's foundation stela, now housed in the Conservation d'Angkor, is a block with faces measuring 1.85 metre x 0.58 metre that provide valuable information on the history and administration of the site.

Laid out in traditional Khmer style, the east-oriented complex is enclosed within fortified walls featuring 72 garudas holding nagas, which is surrounded by a wide protective moat. The main entrance is to the east, and the other cardinal directions have additional entrances. There are causeways over the moat lined with devas and asuras leading to the gates. The complex is a maze of towers, entryways, courtyards, shrines, libraries, and connecting vaulted corridors. There is a central Buddhist sanctuary dedicated to the Bodhisattva, surrounded by 3 successive layers of rectangular galleries. To the east is the Hall of Dancers, with the walls featuring apsaras. North of this is a two-storey pavilion with round columns and no stairway access to the upper level, believed to have been a granary. There are water basins in the corner. In the other cardinal directions are 3 satellite temples dedicated to - Shiva in the north, previous kings and queens in the south, and Vishnu in the west.