Andy Brouwer's Cambodia Tales

Other temples and historical sites

Wat Kohak Nokor (below) is located in the Baray District along National Route 6 midway between Phnom Penh and Kompong Thom. An eleventh century site, it has a collection of laterite and sandstone buildings in a well-maintained park, surrounded by a large enclosure wall. Originally dedicated to Hinduism, modern concrete statues of lions have been added recently but look sadly out of place: (below left) the concrete lions are on guard at the main entrance to the temple; (middle left) gopura entrance with lintel; (middle right) a sturdy laterite wall encloses the main temple site; (below right) a youngster stands guard at the temple entrance.The pictures are courtesy of Lisa Cox, who recently visited the temple.

The main entrance to Wat Kohak NokorA gopura entrance at Wat Kohak NokorA sturdy laterite wall encloses the complexA youthful temple guardian

Prasat Khnong Khum (below) also known as Prasat Preah Tot, lies very close to Route 6, in the Stoeng Sai district of Kompong Thom at Roka village. With a modern monastery closeby, this single laterite-built prang has richly worked foliated lintels above the doors and on the ground in excellent shape. Also preserved are two heavily carved supports on each side of the main entanceway. Lisa Cox supplied these photographs of the site: (below left) worshippers lay offerings at the main entrance; (middle left) monks at the nearby monastery; (middle right) the ground is littered with carved lintels and linga pedestals; (below right) a quality lintel carving in the Sambor Prei Kuk style.

Worshippers lay offerings at Prasat Khnong KhumMonks take a breather in the shade of a nearby monasteryThe central tower of Prasat Khnong KhumA finely carved lintel still in situ at the temple site

 

A carving of Vishnu hewn out of bedrock at Kbal SpeanKbal Spean is a sacred site located on the Kulen mountain range, downstream from the main Phnom Kulen park area that has become so popular since the mountains re-opened to the public in 1998. Like its more popular neighbour, Kbal Spean is famous for its underwater and partially submerged riverbed rock carvings, as well as waterfalls amid beautifully forested lowland. Centuries-old carvings of Vishnu, Lakshmi and sandstone lingas abound on a 200 metre stretch of riverbed and along the riverbank and are now beginning to attract visitors in increasing numbers. The photograph (left), taken by Sok Thea of Angkor Adventures, shows a reclining Vishnu, partially underwater. Its believed other ancient sites in the area remain to be discovered, but crudely gouged holes in the riverbank testify to thieves having long been aware of the importance of Kbal Spean.

One of the ruined towers on Phnom BokThis picture of Phnom Bok ('the ox-hump mountain') was captured by Kazuo Iwase and shows one of the ruined sanctuaries of this Angkorean-era temple, lying on top of one of the hills dominating the Angkor region but rarely-visited by tourists to the complex. The sandstone temple, constructed by King Yasovarman I, was built at the same time as Phnom Bakheng and Phnom Krom in the latter part of the ninth century and is almost identical to Phnom Krom with three towers dedicated to Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. It lies fourteen kilometres from the more popular Phnom Bakheng and for many years was a strategic military post, accessible via the road to Banteay Samre through the village of Pradak. The hill itself, is much higher than its two sister hills, at 235 metres, but provides equally spectacular views of the surrounding countryside. The decoration, apsara carvings and reconstructed frontons are better preserved than at Phnom Krom, having suffered less from exposure to the elements. The temple does suffer however, from the close proximity of a modern pagoda, a common occurrence in Cambodia.

 

Prasat Andet, a 7th century tower along Route 6Like Phnom Bok and many ancient Khmer temples in Cambodia, Prasat Andet is nestled snugly alongside a modern Buddhist wat. Located about an hour northwest on Route 6 from Kompong Thom, it was built in the latter part of the seventh century under Jayavarman I in the Prei Kmeng style with one single brick tower. A beautifully sculpted Harihara (a combination of both Vishnu and Shiva) statue from the site can be seen in the National Museum in Phnom Penh. Photo by Kazuo Iwase.

 

Thirty minutes by boat along the Mekong River, north of Kompong Cham, lies the 7th century temples of Han Chey. In the Prei Kmeng style, the brick-built tower or prasat pictured below (bottow row, left) is sited in the courtyard of a modern pagoda. Nearby, is a cella, a square, windowless building of sandstone slabs with a flat roof and an interesting lintel (top row, left and right), and is very similar to a cella located at Sambor Prei Kuk. Nearer to the river but on the same site is a laterite shrine (bottom row, middle and right). All of the photos below are courtesy of Kazuo Iwase.

A square cella at Han CheyAn excellent lintel above the doorway to the cella at Han Chey

A 7th century brick prasat at Han CheyA shrine made of laterite at Han CheyThe rear view of the laterite shrine at Han Chey

Angkor Borei was known as Vyadhapura in the sixth century. The two main structures in the area, some 20kms east of Takeo town, are the tower on top of Phnom Da and the magnificent scenery and village (below left) and the nearby Asram Maha Rosei (bottom right). Both pictures are by Kazuo Iwase. Click here to read more about the site.

The temple of Phnom Da at Angkor BoreiThe temple of Asram Maha Rosei

The brick shrine of Phnom BayangPhnom Bayang lies south of Phnom Penh and a short distance from the provincial capital of Takeo. Known as Sivapura in its heyday, a series of brick towers were built in the reign of King Bhavavarman II in the mid-seventh century. At the top of a tiring hill climb, Phnom Bayang (right) is the best preserved of the ruins. These pictures are courtesy of Kazuo Iwase. Read Ray Zepp's tale of his visit to Phnom Bayang here.

A detailed lintel carving of a reclining Vishnu on Phnom TamauPhnom Tamau is located forty kilometres south of Phnom Penh on Route 2. Just before you reach Cambodia's largest zoo, there are two small hills, both with brick shrines atop them. On one hill, the excellent lintel shown left, is of a reclining Vishnu and another with a carving of the Sea of Milk, lies close to a ruined shrine. A brick sanctuary populated by monkeys and a lintel showing a dancing Siva, are situated at the summit of the other hill. Both are popular picnic locations at weekends.

 

Prasat Premea Chuung Prei, located 5km before Skun on National Route 6, has a laterite temple on one hilltop (below; top row, left) and two lintels (top row, right) and a fragment of colonette on another, but no second sanctuary. Off the beaten track, Prasat Kompong Preah, with two brick towers (middle row; left & middle), carved lintels and colonettes, is sited a few kilometres from Chhnok Tru, a small port north of Kompong Chhnang on the Tonle Sap river, at the southern tip of the Great Lake. Prasat Thnot Chun consists of a brick prasat (middle row; right) and a large upturned lintel in the Pre Rup style and can be found in the Baray district in Kompong Thom, some 10kms southeast from Santuk, off Route 6. Some 20kms before Kompong Cham on National Route 7 and another 20kms north lies Vat Tuk in the village of Tuk Chha. There are two temples; one at the foot of the hill consisting of three structures and a laterite wall; at the top of the hill are a brick tower, broken gopuras, damaged lions statues and an enclosure (bottom row). The photos below are courtesy of Kazuo Iwase, a Bangkok-based friend, who has been busy spending his weekends visiting these temples and has kindly supplied me with some of his pictures.

The laterite temple of Prasat Premea Chuung PreiA worn lintel at Prasat Premea Chuung Prei

The main brick tower at Prasat Kompong PreahThe twin towers of Prasat Kompong PreahThe brick temple of Prasat Thnot Chun

A doorway & lintel at Vat TukThe damaged tower of Vat Tuk The lions of Vat Tuk

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