Temples of Angkor - Cambodia - page 282

Spean Thmor
Spean Thmor OFFLINE MAP (Stone Bridge), of which an arch and several piers remain, is
200m east of Thommanon. Jayavarman VII constructed many roads with these immense
stone bridges spanning watercourses. This is the only large bridge remaining in the imme-
diate vicinity of Angkor. It vividly highlights how the water level has changed course over
the centuries and may offer another clue to the collapse of Angkor's extensive irrigation
system. Just north of Spean Thmor is a large water wheel.
There are more-spectacular examples of these ancient bridges elsewhere in Siem Reap
Province, such as Spean Praptos, with 19 arches, in Kompong Kdei on NH6 from Phnom
Penh; and Spean Ta Ong, a 77m bridge with a beautiful naga, forgotten in the forest about
28km east of Beng Mealea.
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Ta Keo
Ta Keo OFFLINE MAP is a stark, undecorated temple that undoubtedly would have been one
of the finest of Angkor's structures, had it been finished. Built by Jayavarman V, it was
dedicated to Shiva and was the first Angkorian monument built entirely of sandstone. The
summit of the central tower, which is surrounded by four lower towers, is almost 50m
high. The four towers at the corners of a square and a fifth tower in the centre is typical of
many Angkorian temple-mountains.
No one is certain why work was never completed, but a likely cause may have been the
death of Jayavarman V. Others contend that the hard sandstone was impossible to carve
and that explains the lack of decoration. According to inscriptions, Ta Keo was struck by
lightning during construction, which may have been a bad omen and led to its abandon-
ment.
Allow about 30 minutes to visit Ta Keo.
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