Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Sambor Prei Kuk
30km north of Kompong Thom • $3; site guides available for around $7 for 3hr; food stalls near the ticket booth • The site is easily visited from
Kompong Thom (return by moto $8, tuk-tuk $15, car $25; 1hr); if you're travelling independently, 5km north of Kompong Thom turn off north
along NR64 for 10km and then take the wide dirt road (clearly signed) on the right for the last 15km - it can be slow going in the rainy season
One of Cambodia's most important pre-Angkorian monuments, the Chenla-era (see
p.284) capital of
SAMBOR PREI KUK
once boasted hundreds of temples, although many of
them have now been lost, perhaps smothered by the encroaching forest. Sixty or so
temples remain, however, dotted among beautiful woodland, some of them now restored
and sporting particularly fine brick carvings and decorated sandstone lintels and columns.
It's all relatively modest compared to the great Angkorian sites, admittedly, although the
sylvan woodland setting and almost total lack of visitors more than compensates.
The site
The whole site is covered with the remains of towers, and carvings can be seen poking
out from piles of earth or partly covered by undergrowth - exploring at random can
throw up some real gems.
The temple divides into three main sections: the
north and south groups
, which date
from the seventh century, and the
centre group
, a ninth-century addition. Separated
from these by the access road are the ruined sanctuary tower of
Ashram Issey
and the
single-towered
Prasat Bos Ram
, which has a lion's-head channel through which holy
water flowed; it is now at ground level, but would originally have been more than 1m
up the wall of the tower. Also just north of the entrance road is a small shrine now
almost completely gobbled up by the roots of an enormous
strangler fig
, which seems
to sprout from the crumbling walls as if out of some enormous pot.
3
North group
he
north group
, sometimes called
Prasat Sambor Prei Kuk
after its central sanctuary
tower, was extended and restored during the Angkorian era. As with most Angkorian
temples, the main approach is from the east and the sanctuary's five towers are arranged
in a quincunx pattern. Carved into the brick on several of the towers are bas-reliefs of
“flying palaces”
, believed to be home to the local spirits who look after the temples
(several similar carvings can be found in the south group and at Ashram Issey). The
carved sandstone lintels and columns on some of the towers also remain in reasonably
good condition - look out for cute winged horses and tiny human faces - and there's a
fine image of a voluptuous Durga in the northeastern tower. Though there were once
numerous other towers here, about all you'll be able to spot amid the ruins is the row
of four on the west side. You'll also see a number of carved sandstone
pedestals
lying
around, each about 1.5m square and designed to carry a linga.
Centre group
Of the
centre group
's former buildings, only the main sanctuary tower,
Prasat Tao
,
survives, although it's a particularly photogenic structure, with entrance steps flanked
by reproduction lions and upper portions sprouting impressive quantities of weeds. The
carving around a couple of the tower's doors is well preserved, including intricate
foliage designs for which the Chenla period is famed.
Around 200m southwest of here, the crumbling
Prasat Trapeang Ropeak
stands
almost lost in the woods, still sporting the remains of eroded friezes and an unusual
triangular entrance that looks in imminent danger of collapse.
South group
The highlight of Sambor Prei Kuk is the so-called
south group
, built as the state
temple of Isanavarman I and also known as Prasat Yeay Poeun
(or sometimes Prasat
