Toek Khuob (Ta Seng village)

Also recorded as Aur Tuk Haub Temple and Prasat Chei/Chey, it is located about 4 km west of Preah Khan of Kampong Svay near the ancient route that led to Beng Mealea. The site is quite ruinous and from lay observation, it would appear to possibly be a construction type that early French researchers would label “palais” which may well be a type of ashrama.

Even more interesting though, is the presence of a square pit, that is demarcated by slab-style sema, similar to those seen surrounding the Buddhist terraces of Angkor. The sema are all still in situ, some fallen, some standing. Nearby, a pedestal can be seen that was perhaps originally at the center and one might assume the cause of the fallen sima as it was dragged off for looters to access any concentration deposits.

One day, I am sure archaeological research will tell us much more but we at least know this was another site that has Angkorian and post-Angkorian heritage.

Historical Notes

Dwelling near the Spean Komeng. A few hundred meters to the east from the culvert called Spean Komeng (no. 181) rose, parallel to and about 10 meters to the north of the main road, a residential building now in ruins. It is a limonite gallery oriented east-west along its long axis, it is divided into three rooms (fig. 138). The central room is wider and projects over the two large facades; it is accessed by a door pierced in the middle of the south face, preceded by a limonite flight of steps. This door is framed in sandstone. The front edge of the lintel is decorated with various figurines: in the center a character wearing the mukuta and adorned with ordinary jewels is seated on the folds of the någa and shaded by his fan-shaped teres: on the left are represented four women carrying flowers, on the right successively going from the center to the periphery, a seated figure, a standing woman holding a flower, a kneeling figure, hands joined, then another standing woman, holding a flower.

Doors made in the shear walls communicate the central room with the side rooms. These also open to the outside through doors pierced in the small sides. They each come to light through a large window pierced in the south face and lined with seven limonite bars of rectangular section.

This building was vaulted; the vault has collapsed inside.

The whole of the monument rests on a limonite base, 1 meter high, which overflows on the wings, forming, in front, the small sides, terraces preceded by access steps.

Inventaire descriptif des monuments du Cambodge, E. Lunet de Lajonquière, 1902

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..