Phnom Chisor Temple

Phnom Chisor is a popular ancient temple and contemporary monastery site located around 50 km south of Phnom Penh in Takeo Province, Cambodia. The ancient temple is quite large and wonderous, built on the hillside with a spectacular staircase that leads down to two entrance pavilions down on the plains below with the outer pavilion some 700 m away to the east which is further preceded by an ancient basin.

The temple proper, on the hillside, features a group of six brick temples with the largest being the central temple with a front building open to the east that is surrounded by five secondary temples, also open to the east, plus there are two “libraries” that open to the west. All of that is contained within a galleried and chambered laterite enclosure wall.

The central temple, as mentioned is a large brick square brick temple with a very large hall attached to its front. The brick temple still features rendering, which is interesting, but from which era I am not sure. Inside, you can pray under a conglomeration of colorful flashing lights.

Around the site, there are plenty of curious fragments that can catch your eye and while many of the brick towers and libraries are ruinous, there is certainly enough remaining to really admire what is a true wonder of ancient architecture.

The ancients were determined to have the temple on the hillside, the extensive laterite support structure on the eastern side shows as much. In the second picture, looking down the staircase towards the first gopura (mostly blocked by the tree), then there is another gopura way off in the distance and you can maybe see the water in the ancient basin, named Tonle Om.

There are lots of decorative lintels, and pediments in some cases, still in situ around the entrances of the enclosure and on the entrances of some of the temples.

The outer gopura – or Sen Rovieng/Sen Roveang Temple

Inside the remains, a stupa has been placed housing a reclining Buddha. There are several lintels still in situ.

You can reach the gopura by taking a dirt road that comes directly from the south and there is another dirt trail that winds its way westerly to the gopura closer to the temple.

East Gopura – Sen Thmoul Temple or Sen Thmol

The entrance pavilion, or gopura, or Sen Thmoul temple, up to you, is more decayed than the outer gopura but there are some lintels in situ and the wonderful staircase that leads to the top (not in use).

Layout Plans

via Inventaire descriptif des Monuments du Cambodge – 1902-1912 – Étienne Lunet de Lajonquière

Inscriptions

Four inscriptions were registered from here,

• K. 31 – in situ, doorframe north edicule featuring 13 lines in Khmer dating to 941
• K. 32 – a stele that is now located in the Angkor National Museum featuring 10 lines in Sanskrit, 10 lines in Khmer and 1 line in Sanskrit across its sides
• K. 33 – a stele that is in the Guimet Museum featuring 10 lines in Khmer
• K. 34 – a stele that is in the Guimet Museum featuring 16 lines in Sanskrit, 2 lines in Khmer, 31 lines in Khmer, and 2 lines in Khmer across its sides

Getting to Phnom Chisor

you can take road 2 out of Phnom Penh but you may want to check around as to how roadworks are progressing, in early 2022 it was still pretty rough but passable. Getting to the top, you can take the stairs on the northwestern side of the mountain that lead up to the monastery or ride a moto up the road from the south side, originating near the school, labeled as “auto rd” on Google maps. It’s a dirt road with loose gravel, a little steep in places. There is ticketed parking for motos at the top. There are some drink stalls, toilets, and snack shops near the temple too.