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BANTEAY CHHMAR -
Banteay Meanchey Province
This enormous complex, which was a temple city, is one of the most
intriguing in the Khmer empire, both for it’s scale and it’s remote
location. Never excavated, Banteay Chhmar fits the picture of a lost
Khmer city with its ruined face-towers, carvings, forest
surroundings and bird life flying through the temple. It has a
romantic and discovery feel to it.
Banteay Chhmar dates from the late 12th to the early 13th
century and it means Narrow Fortress. It is thought
to have been built by Jayarvarman II. It was later rebuilt by
Jayarvarman VII as a funerary temple for his sons and four generals who
had been killed in a battle repelling a Cham invasion in 1177.
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Like Preah Khan, Angkor
Wat and Angkor Thom, Banteay Chhmar originally enclosed a city with the
temple at the heart. No traces of the city that surrounded the temple
remain.
The temple area covers 2km by 2 and a half km. It contains the main
temple complex and a number of other religious structures and a baray to
its east. A mote filled with water and a huge wall inside of that
encloses the center of the temple. This mote is still used to present
day by locals for fishing and daily chores. A bustling small market and
village bounds the east and south east and perhaps there has been
continuous habitation there since the founding of the temple.
Inside the mote, a stone rest house and chapel can be seen. The
highlight of Banteay Chhmar is the bas-reliefs, which are comparable
with the Bayon. They depict battle against the Chams, religious scenes
and a host of daily activities. In parts, the outer wall has collapsed.
On the west side a spectacular multi-armed Lekesvara can be seen. The
temples central complex is a jumble of towers, galleries, vegetation
and fallen stones. Beautiful carvings can be seen throughout.
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