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Sambor Pre Kuk
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one of the many octagonal towers
which are unique to this complex |
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The 7th Century Termple City Of Sambor Pre Kuk is among the Oldest Angkorian Sights. It is
Situated 30kms from Kompong Thom; half way from Siem Reap and Phnom Penh;
It is a long day excursion or good excuse to break the journey or
stay overnight on Kompong Thom on the way to or from Phnom Penh.
South Group S1 one of the largest buildings
The Lion temple
Sambor Prei Kuk was the Site of
an ancient Chenla city and known as Ishanapura. From the 7th Century It
was occupied until AD 944 under the reign of Rajenarvaman I ;The city came into decline and was eventually abandoned.
Impressive carved lintel on the lion Temple
Interior of Prasat N7
I the brick
temples are largely un-restored and are in a lovely forested location well
away from major towns. The Ancient brick interiors are in surprisingly good
condition; especially when considering the climate and that they
predate Angkor Wat by 600 years.
Most of the towers contained impressive statuary; but
like Koh Ker they were either looted of moved by he Apsara Authority
to safety.
Some
reproductions have been put in place see below.
the Figures of Durga (left) and Harihara (centre and right) are
featured in the northern group of temples
 The area was
bombed by the Americans during the War in Vietnam damaging some of the
buildings and creating bomb craters around the site. The building right and
below had a direct hit from a US bomb.
 The Octagonal
Towers in the North Group of temples are impressive with carvings depicting
the Flying Palace which was the home of the guardian spirits
Flying Palace relief
the Interior of Prasat Tor; the Lion Temple
Among my favourite sights are Prasat N18 which is almost totally covered
in Strangler fig roots. It is one of the most spectacular examples of a
destroyer (the tree) being the supporter. the roots are tearing the building
apart yet also holding the structure together.
A
gateway in the Northern group is equally spectacular.
The Tangled mass of tree roots out side and inside make Prasat N18 one of
the highlights of Sambor Prei Kuk. it is a tight squeeze at the back of the
doorway but inside is equally impressive. Bring a wide angle lens here. I
used a Sigma 10-20mm for some of these shots and the temple interiors. On
two separate visits we had days with overcast skies and heavy rain showers;
The sun eventually made an appearance on my last visit on 18th
November 2007
doorway with Sanskrit inscriptions
an orgy of tree roots
the creepy interior of N18
For some very
interesting images and temple plans; the Japanese website
www.angkor-ruins.com
has been
invaluable for me identifying remote temples. the Site is in Japanese with
some English translations. It is must see site for temple enthusiasts and
researchers.
the Pages on
Sambor Prei Kuk start here
http://www.angkor-ruins.com/khmer_t/spk/spk.htm
For more information
on Sambor Pre Kuk Please visit Andy Brouwers web site
for a detailed
account of his journeys there in 1999
http://www.btinternet.com/~andy.brouwer/kthom.htm
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