Andy Brouwer's Cambodia Tales

Koh Ker - a pictorial visit

One of the main temple complexes lost to the jungle for many years and only recently opened up to a few hardy adventurers is the former tenth century capital of Koh Ker (also known as Chok Gargyar - 'Island of Glory'), located in barren hill country some 85 kilometres (53 miles) northeast of Angkor, in the province of Preah Vihear. It was home to Jayavarman IV, the maternal uncle of the two previous kings and a great feudal landholder, who ascended the throne in 928. In only a few years, he'd built many colossal sanctuaries dedicated to Shiva, ruling over large numbers of people and in considerable splendour for twenty years until succeeded by his son Harshavarman I. The capital was moved back to Angkor in 944.

The monuments of Koh Ker are arranged into three main groups. The first group is headed by the chief monument and state temple of Prasat Thom and includes the artificial baray, Beng Rahal and the ruins of the walled capital. The second group is a row of towers to the east of the Rahal and a third group, are several towers along a road running south from the southern end of the baray. The whole region occupies an area of about 5 x 7 kilometres.

Beng Rahal is an artificial freshwater reservoir, about 500 x 1,200 metres, and is fed by a small tributary of the Stung Sen river. To the north and west of the Rahal are the remains of a walled enclosure, the walls of the ancient city of Jayavarman IV. The main temple of Prasat Thom (also known as Prasat Kompeng) opens to the east and comprises a series of structures. Two buildings ('palaces') and long galleries lead onto the ruins of a large sandstone gopura in front of the temple and through the laterite wall and its main gopura, Prasat Kraham. The 'Red Temple' is made of red brick, famed for its seated, lying and standing lion statues and is the largest structure in the group apart from the pyramid. Across a naga causeway, an inner sandstone wall encloses two libraries and twenty-one brick sanctuaries, which originally housed lingas. Nine small prasats are arranged in two rows and twelve towers line the corners of the terrace. At the western end of the structure is the square sandstone pyramid of seven tiers, reaching a height of 36 metres with stairways on the east side. Behind is a hill, as high as the pyramid and known as the 'Tomb of the White Elephant'.

The monuments of the second group, to the east of the Rahal, are arranged in rows. They consist of several isolated sanctuaries and two groupings, one of five and one of nine structures. Most of the sandstone towers in the second group are enormous and also housed large lingas. They include Prasat Krachap, consisting of four square buildings and one rectangular sanctuary, and the larger Prasat Banteay Pir Chan, with a central sanctuary in laterite and eight others in brick, alongside two libraries contained within two enclosures. Inscriptions indicate it was built in 937 and dedicated to Brahma. Several monuments lie along both sides of the highway leading to Beng Mealea. These consist of single sanctuaries or groups of three, usually square, brick-built and facing east. In the group of Prasat Andong, Ang Khna and Prasat Damrei, the latter temple was known for its large elephants and fine seated lions. Prasat Chen was dedicated to Vishnu, Prasat Bak to Ganesa, Prasat Pram is three square brick towers and two libraries and Prasat Neang Khmau comprises a tall laterite tower with an excellent lintel in situ.

In total, the main complex contained in excess of 35 key structures although as many as 130 are believed to be in the vicinity. The unique style of the Koh Ker period shows Khmer architecture and sculpture on a monumental scale. The many monuments at the Koh Ker site have yielded large numbers of gigantic sculptures, both human and animal, most of which are on display in the National Museum. They include a famous sandstone hand (above), discovered in the imposing structure known as Prasat Kraham, while two giant wrestling apes were found at Prasat Chen. Interest in Koh Ker was aroused by the Thai Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn, who has a keen interest in ancient Khmer architecture, and who recently visited the site with a heavily armed police escort. The photographs reproduced here were taken by Sok Thea from Angkor Adventures, who visited the site with Lisa Cox in April 2000 after a journey by 4WD across inhospitable countryside and through the villages of Svayle and Siyong. With the re-emergence of Cambodia's remotest areas from years of inaccessibility, if anyone else manages to visit Koh Ker, please let me know at andy.brouwer@btinternet.com.

Lisa's pictures from the trip can be viewed here . The pictures below, courtesy of Sok Thea, show various aspects of the complex and a number of different structures, only recently cleared of vegetation. (Top row, left to right): Lisa and Thea stop for the correct permission from police and army chiefs at Siyong; the seven-tiered central tower of Prasat Thom; a view over the forest canopy from Prasat Thom, with Phnom Kulen in the far distance. (Middle row): Prasat Kraham; Prasat Neang Khmau; a carved colonette from a doorway; another view of Prasat Thom. (Bottom row): a carved lintel from Prasat Neang Khmau; fronton & lintel from Prasat Kok; Prasat Khmao. Travelogues from the trip can be read here . Click once on any photo to see a larger version & position the mouse pointer over an image to view caption.

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