Preah Khan of Kompong Svay (not be mistaken with Preah Khan temple in Angkor), also called Prasat Bakan by the locals, is a remote archeological site located 100 km from Siem Reap as the crow flies in Preah Vihear province at the eastern end on the ancient royal road from Angkor.
Preah Khan is the single biggest temple complex built during the Khmer Empire occupying an impressive footprint of about 22 kilometers square, 11 times larger than Angkor Wat and 2 times larger than the city of Angkor Thom. Because of its remote location (more than 200 km one way from Siem Reap including about 70 km of unpaved road) it receives less than 10 visitors daily.
The layout of the temple is unique compared to the other sites in Angkor as it is oriented northeast. It has been proposed that the temple is aligned with the raising sun during thee summer solstice.
A large baray of 3 km long lies on the east with a temple called Preah Thkol in the middle similar to the West Mebon in Angkor. It was built between the 10th and 13th centuries in different stages during the reigns of Kings Suryavarman I, II and Jayavarman VII. The influence of Jayarvaman VII is clearly visible in Prasat Preah Stun which has with a four-faced tower similar to the Bayon temple (see picture below).
Rediscovery
The rediscovery of Preah Khan is credited to French explorer and artist Louis Delaporte who lead a expedition there in 1873. At the end of their visit they took many statues which are now at the Guimet museum in Paris : among them, a naga garuda and an elephant statue from Preah Damrei (see picture below).
Because of its remote location and lack of security, the site was badly sacked during the 1980’s and 1990’s and even more recently in 2003. Even so, some beautiful pieces like doors and lintels are still there. The causeway crossing the moat (mostly dry like in Beng Mealea) has many garuda carvings on both sides.
Exploring the site can be quite difficult because of the dense vegetation there and the absence of clear paths.
Recent archeological missions
The Cambodian Archaeological Lidar Initiative (CALI) known for his groundbreaking discovery of the first Khmer empire city, Mahendravarpata, in Phnom Kulen and in 2014 did a survey of Preah Khan in 2015 and confirmed the previous layout of the temple. They confirmed that Preah Khan was an important iron smelting center at the height of the Khmer Empire. 90 structures were identified within the four enclosures of the temple.
Another project called The Two Buddhist Towers lead by a multidisciplinary team of researchers (UCLA, University of Illinois, University College London, EFEO,…) aims to study the transition from Mahāyāna to Theravāda Buddhism at Preah Khan did some excavations in 2015 and 2016. Three Chinese coins dating from the 10th and 11th century were found confirming the importance of his site during the Khmer Empire.
LIDAR image of Preah Khan of Kompong Svay
Main entrance of Preah Khan of Kompong Svay
Buddha niche at Preah Khan Kompong Svay
Atmospheric entrance in Preah Kompong Svay
Garudas below the main bridge of Preah Khan of Kompong Svay
The same garuda bridge by Louis Delaporte in 1873
Remain of a lion statue
Laterite towers in Preah Khan Kompong Svay
Beautiful door at the main temple of Preah Khan Kompong Svay
Temple ruin in preah khan kompong svay second enclosure
Temple ruin in preah khan kompong svay second enclosure
One of the two elephant statues remaining statue at Preah Damrei. Louis Delaporte took one back to France in 1873.
Bayon like temple in Preah Khan Kompong Svay
Beautiful Naga with Garuda at Preah Damrei
Tree growing on one of the temples of Preah Khan of Kompong Svay
Devata at Preah Damrei
Preah Stun , a surprising Bayon look alike temple in the jungle
Preah Khan of Kompong Svay is best visited during the dry season when the unpaved road is in fairly good condition. It is a 1-day trip from Siem Reap that can be combined with a visit to Koh Ker or Beng Mealea. A 2-day trip with a visit to Preah Vihear can also be arranged. If you like to do a private photography tour of this enigmatic and beautiful temple, please contact me.
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