Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
(to the left) are scenes of land warfare with infantry and elephants. There are more martial
bas-reliefs along the exterior of the temple's south walls.
The once-grand entry gallery is now a jumble of fallen sandstone blocks, though else-
where a few intersecting galleries have withstood the ravages of time, as have some
almost-hidden 12th-century inscriptions. Sadly, all the
apsaras
(nymphs) have been de-
capitated by looters.
Unique to Banteay Chhmar was a sequence of eight
multiarmed Avalokiteshvaras
on the
exterior of the southern section of the temple's western ramparts, but several of these were
dismantled and trucked into Thailand in a brazen act of looting in 1998. The segments in-
tercepted by the Thais are now on display in Phnom Penh's National Museum; the two
figures that remain in situ - one with 22 arms, the other with 32 - are truly spectacular.
Banteay Top
Set among rice paddies southeast of Banteay Chhmar, Banteay Top (Fortress of the Army)
may only be a small temple, but there's something special about the atmosphere here.
Constructed around the same time as Banteay Chhmar, it may be a tribute to the army of
Jayavarman VII, which confirmed Khmer dominance over the region by comprehensively
defeating the Chams. One of the damaged towers looks decidedly precarious, like a bony
finger pointing skyward. To get here from Banteay Chhmar, go south (towards Sisophon)
along NH56 for 7km and then head east for 5km.
BUDDHIST TEMPLE
Satellite Temples
There are nine fascinating satellite temples in the vicinity of Banteay Chhmar, all in a ru-
inous state and some accessible only if you chop through the jungle. These include Prasat
Mebon, Prasat Ta Prohm, Prasat Prom Muk Buon, Prasat Yeay Choun, Prasat Pranang Ta
Sok and Prasat Chiem Trey.
BUDDHIST TEMPLE
Activities
It's possible to see silk being woven, and purchase top-quality silk products destined for
the French market, at
Soieries du Mékong
(Mekong Silk Mill;
www.soieriesdumekong.com
;
7.30am-noon & 1.30-5pm Mon-Fri)
, 150m south of where NH56 from Sisophon meets the
Sleeping & Eating
