Kon Ko Temple (Svay Leu)

Remains of a group of three brick temples with a long “library” immediately fronting the south tower which is preceded by the remains of an entrance gopura, a moat, and then another large laterite gopura which may have joined to a wall but little remains of such are seen.

While the site is quite ruinous, and well protected by bamboo thorn at the time of visiting, you can immediately sense this was an imposing site and you’ll surely get that feeling when nearing the east gopura. This gopura (or entrance) unlike the rest of the site is constructed from laterite with a base of sandstone. Either side of the entrance door is flanked by windowed chambers that decrease in size which are flanked again by smaller chambers. Heading into the gopura, it’s quite a cavernous space. There are also remnants of a lintel and unfinished door columns fronting the entrance.

Through the gopura and it feels like there was a causeway here and today it is actually met by the moat. Continuing on there is what appears to be the remains of another entrance, this time in brick, and an elongated “library” or annex building fronting the remains of the three towers. The library building has an entrance on the west while the three towers open to the east.

The central tower is flanked by two other towers and all are mostly in ruin and partly buried. Overall, the site is a grand mass of brick rubble.

Historical Photos

Images come from the publication Les sites archéologiques de la région du Bhnaṃ Gūlen (Phnom Kulen) by Jean Boulbet and Bruno Dagens via Persee.fr.

Rodney Charles LHuillier

Living in Asia for over a decade and now residing in beautiful Siem Reap. Rodney Charles L'Huillier has spent over seven years in Cambodia and is the author of Ancient Cambodia (2024) and Essential Siem Reap (2017, 2019). Contact via [email protected] - more..