Northwestern Cambodia - Cambodia - page 512

Preah Khan's history is shrouded in mystery, but it was long an important religious site,
and some of the structures here date back to the 9th century. Both Suryavarman II, builder
of Angkor Wat, and Jayavarman VII lived here at various times during their lives, sug-
gesting that Preah Khan was something of a second city in the Angkorian empire. Origin-
ally dedicated to Hindu deities, it was reconsecrated to Mahayana Buddhist worship dur-
ing a monumental reconstruction undertaken by Jayavarman VII in the late 12th and early
13th centuries.
At the eastern end of the 3km-long baray is a small pyramid temple called Prasat Damrei
(Elephant Temple). At the summit of the hill, two of the original exquisitely carved ele-
phants can still be seen; two others are at Phnom Penh's National Museum and Paris'
Musée Guimet.
In the centre of the baray is Prasat Preah Thkol (known by locals as Mebon), an island
temple similar in style to the Western Mebon at Angkor. At the western end of the baray
stands Prasat Preah Stung (known to locals as Prasat Muk Buon or Temple of the Four
Faces), perhaps the most memorable structure here because its central tower is adorned
with four enigmatic Bayon-style faces of Avalokiteshvara .
It's a further 400m southwest to the walls of Preah Khan itself, which are surrounded
by a moat similar to the one around Angkor Thom. Near the eastern gopura there's a
dharmasala (pilgrims' rest house). Much of this central area is overgrown by the forest.
As recently as the mid-1990s, the central structure was thought to be in reasonable
shape, but some time in the second half of the decade looters arrived seeking buried
statues under each prang (temple tower). Assaulted with pneumatic drills and mechanical
diggers, the ancient temple never stood a chance and many of the towers simply collapsed
in on themselves, leaving the depressing mess we see today. Once again, a temple that had
survived so much couldn't stand the onslaught of the 20th century and its all-consuming
appetite.
Among the carvings found at Preah Khan was the bust of Jayavarman now in Phnom
Penh's National Museum ( Click here ) and widely copied as a souvenir for tourists. The
body of the statue was discovered in the 1990s by locals who alerted authorities, making it
possible for a joyous reunion of head and body in 2000.
Most locals refer to this temple as Prasat Bakan; scholars officially refer to it as Bakan
Svay Rolay, combining the local name for the temple and the district name. Khmers in
Siem Reap often refer to it as Preah Khan-Kompong Svay.