The Temple Preah Vihear [ Khmer Monuments ]
Preah Vihear is a mountain Temple sacred to the Hindu God Shiva from the period of the Chenla Empires and that of their successor's, the Khmer Empire. It is located on the Cambodian side of the Thailand border but positioned on a mountain at the each of a cliff overlooking Cambodia and is more easily accessible from Thailand. It is a spectacular Temple on a peak 1,720 feet high which juts out of the Dangrek Mountains [ which are the natural border between Thailand and Cambodia ].The complex is triangular, 500 feet long and 525 feet wide. Construction started about 893 by King Yashovarman to honor Shiva as an extension of the Indianisation Period of history of the region. The ascent route is 2,625 feet long and passes through five Gopuras each connected to one another by staircases and avenues in a procession that evokes the ascent of Mount Meru [ as is the style of all Khmer architecture ]. The Temple complex is rich in bas relief, such as that depicting the churning of the sea of milk , statues of lions, nagas, inscriptions dated 1026, gold and hematite [ red paint ] residues to show how the Temple was painted, and the traditional carvings of Kala, Simhamukha and Rahu of the Hindhu mythology. To understand more we recommend you refer to the Indianisation, Khmer art style and Khmer Empire links.
