Banteay Srei

(The Women's Citadel)

Constructed : Late 10th century - 967
Religion: Hindu
Style : Banteay Srey
King : Rajendravarman II ★ 944 - 968 ★ & Jayavarman V ★ 968 - 1001 ★
Location : At 37 km in North East of Siem Reap, and about 20 km from the large circuit, the road of Banteay Srey is very practicable and now indicated well.

Comment : Jewel of Khmer art, this temple with restricted dimensions is well outside the whole of Angkor, in a zone still difficult of access a short time ago, which explains its relatively late discovery and its restoration which intervened only after the complete release in 1924.

It emanates from this small temple a very special softness, a kind of undoubtedly calms mainly with the colour of the stones used for its construction, a pink liking which slightly changes colour with the sun. The many sculptures, their smoothness and their excellent state of conservation contribute to the charm of this unit.

The term of "Banteay Srei" can be translated by "fortress of the women" but its real significance differs according to various interpretations. Some say that this temple was built by women, of other, that it was reserved to the women, or that many women there were found, but most probable in our eyes is that according to which the temple would have been built in homage to the women.
The visit of Banteay Srei is to be envisaged over at least a half-day, visits that one will be able to combine with that of Banteay Samre and, on the return at the end of the afternoon with the splendid sunset visible from the top of Pre Rup.

Banteay Samre

Constructed : Mid 12th century
Religion: Hindu
Style : Angkor Wat
King : Suryavarman II ★ 1113 - 1150 ★
Location : Outside of the large circuit, one finds Banteay Samre three kilometers in the East of East Mebon.

Comment : Banteay Samre is associated with a tasty legend which connects three temples: Eastern Mebon, Pre Rup and Banteay Srey, the legend of the king to soft cucumbers. Samres were large warriors, supposed to be mercenaries, shaven, tattooed and very impressive. It is said that the inhabitants of the village of Pradak, located beside this temple, are their downward. One of them, a gardener had inherited a divine soft cucumber seed that the king adored at the point to have condemned to died any person who would enter the cucumber field to steal them.

By greediness, it penetrated during the night in the field and was killed by the gardener. Not having a descent, one called upon “the elephant of the victory” of Mebon Oriental to appoint the future king, and it appointed the gardener. The late king was buried in Pre Rup, but its subjects refused to recognize the gardener for king and this one went to be locked up in Banteay Samre to protect himself. Enormous work of anastylose made possible to emphasize a splendid unit and well preserved. The visit of Banteay Samre is to be combined with that of Banteay Srey.

Temple Detail : The Banteay Samre temple with the Angkor Wat style which has feature in the central hall which places the tower of conical condition on top, has the unique atmosphere like the fortress. As for the cause of that the high peripheral wall and, there is constitution inside the inside perimeter kind of wall where quite the central hall stands in the bath pond. The temple is surrounded in the wall where the laterite is high, the corridor and the hall, two scripture houses are crowded in the space where the inside of that is narrow relatively.

As for the construct density with other things it is something which is not felt excessively. The stylobate section was a height, in order to be able to stretch the water inside. The lattice window of the corridor condition is good, also shape is beautiful. The temple itself is small relatively, but it has the long going/participating road on east west. As for the length on east going road 200 meters, on west going road 350 meters. As for the east going road being similar to the Angkor Wat west going road, the style which lays the sandstone on the stylobate of the laterite.

Banteay Prei Nokor

Constructed : N/A
Religion: N/A
Style : N/A
King : Jayavarman II ★ 802 - 850 ★
Location : Kompong Cham province.

Comment : Banteay Prei Nokor it makes first capital of Jayavarman II which is categorized to the Cham vicinity. As for plane surface in square as for the size one side 2.5 kilometer. Lap as for the wall with the earth base, as for height 5 - 7 meters, as for width they are 15 - 20 meters.

In the figure the left the ring moat which is 100 meters in width is drawn, but the ring moat is present existence really and high how is a different opinion.

Banteay Kdei

Constructed : Late 12th/Early 13th century
Religion : Mahayana Buddhism
Style : Bayon
King : Jayavarman VII ★ 1181 - 1218 ★
Location : At the place where meet the small
and the large circuit, opposite Srah Srang.

Comments : Banteay Kdei is a perfect example of all that one regrets in Angkor: a temple which was to be splendid but which suffers from the large basic manufacturing defects. The Khmers, by building certain temples are advantages troubled about decoration and details that structure it, sometimes making large errors of design. Use of bad materials, bases badly consolidated, weak points in constructions in particular by aligning certain stone etc.

Moreover, Banteay Kdei, as some other temples of Angkor was built in several times and the style of Angkor Wat keep close to that of Bayon in a very debatable manner. Lastly, work of restoration leaves a splendid entry to the East but was abandoned on most of the temple which threatens to collapse with many places when it is not already done.

It systems of galleries and vestibules that were added after the construction of the main towers makes it look like a cloister. It was built in sandstone, which has deteriorated quite badly. However, there remain some very beautiful lintels and pediments.

Temple Detail : The tower gate of the Bayon style where the human surface is attached to four side is small unexpectedly. Left and right of the tower gate are connected to the peripheral wall of the laterite. Passing by the tower gate, when it keeps walking through the quiet forest for a while, the next tower gate is visible. It has become the wide terrace where this with the east tower gate of the third lap wall, foreward the that is a rail of temple. The statue of Buddha is enshrined in the front of the tower Moai section.

When it passes the east tower gate, the passage which has the rail of temple on both sides is followed to the building which is called "hole of gopura". As for "hole of gopura" the roof falls, just the pillar has lined up, but the name probably is attached from the place where the relief is cut in the pillar.
The tip of "hole of gopura" is the east tower gate of the second lap wall. The second lap wall (has become in the corridor) inside to be a corridor which hits against the lap wall, on the center there is a central hall.

Passing by the central hall, when it keeps advancing to west, passing the west tower gate of the second lap wall, it reaches to the west tower gate of the third lap wall which has the cruciform terrace. When from here furthermore it keeps walking on west, the peripheral wall east tower gate is visible.

Bantey Kdei has become the constitution where the various buildings line up into the straight line in east western direction. It should have kept walking from the east tower gate of the peripheral wall to the west tower gate, facing intently toward west, (or the reverse course is traced). Inside of the peripheral wall atmosphere is good with the quiet forest. Inside the ruins the places where collapse was exposed dangerously are not few.

At this ruins Sophia university Angkor ruins international investigation committee has done investigation continuously. In 2001 there is on a north east of the third lap wall east tower gate, from the small Domae earth, the stone pillar where the statue of Buddha and thousand body France where the part of the neck of the total 274 bodies is separated are cut was discovered.

Banteay Prei

Constructed : Late 12th century
Religion : Mahayan Buddhism
Style : Bayon
King : Jayavarman VII ★ 1181 - 1218 ★
Location : On the large circuit, the left between Preah Khan and
Neak Pean, on the same small road and immediately after Prasat Prei.

Comments : Bantey Prei, the "fortress of the forest", is a small temple of Bayon style which presents an air of family with Ta Prohm but in much smaller and especially much less visited. Few tourists do not venture to make this small tour what makes of it a very calm and resting place. The corridor the central hall remains, also the mark of the ring moat is recognized. The large wood stimulates inside the corridor and stands.