WESTERN BARAY

WESTERN BARAY & WESTERN MEBON

The western Baray, measuring an incredible

8km by 2.3km, was excavated by
hand to provide water for the intensive cultivation

of lands around Angkor.
just for the record, these enormous barays weren’t

dug out, but were huge
dykes built up around the edges. In the centre of

the western Baray is the ruin of the Western Mebon

temple, where the giant bronze statue of Vishnu,
now in the National Museum in Phnom Penh, was found.

The Western. Mebon is accessible by boat from the dam on the southern shore.

ROLUOS TEMPLES

The monuments of Roluos, which served as Indravarman I’s (r 877-89)
capital Hariharalaya, are among the earliest large, permanent temple built
by the Khmers and mark the dawn of Khmer classical art. Before the con-
struction of Roluos, generally only lighter (and less-durable) construction
materials such as brick were employed.
The temple can be found 13km east of Siem reap along NH6 near the
modern-day town of Roluos.

PREAH KO

Preah Ko was erected by Indaravarman I in the late 9th century, and was
dedicated to Shiva. The six prasats (stone halls), aligned in two rows and
decorated with carved sandstone and plaster reliefs, face east; the central
tower of the front row is a great deal larger than the other towers, Preah
Ko has some of the best surviving examples of plasterwork seen at Angkor
and is currently under restoration by a German team. There are elaborate
inscriptions in the ancient Hindu language of Sanskrit on the doorposts of
each tower.
The towers of Preash Ko (sacred Ox) feature three nandis (sacred oxen)
all of whom look like a few steaks have been sliced off them over the years
Preah Ko was dedicated by Indravarman I to his deified ancestors in AD
880. The front towers relate to male ancestors or gods, the rear towers to
female ancestors or goddesses. Lions guard the steps up to the temple.