Tor Temple

Tor Temple (Khmer: ប្រាសាទ​ទ), or Prasat To, is located north of Banteay Samre at the edge of what once would have been the East Baray. Three, of what appears to have been four buildings, are still standing and constructed almost entirely from laterite. There are sandstone doorways with two featuring lintels which appear to have been added during restoration some time ago and both are damaged.

Uniquely, the three buildings are of different types albeit built on a common base. One is a tall tower that would have been topped with a sandstone coronation (now seen split on the ground), one is a lower height elongated building with a pointed roof, and the other is a low height square building, typical of what is used for stele shelters noting that a stele was found at the site. The latter would have joined the main tower via a portico.

In 1935, Georges Trouve cleared the site and the layout plan below comes from his report at the time. He also noted, but not pictured on the map and still seen today were the remains of a “library” building limited to an outline of its base structure. He also noted other nearby remnants of buildings that were perhaps unfinished, an outer enclosure wall and gopura to the east and west of only which base structure remained.

A tall stele, inscription K.692, Dvarapala statue, and female statue were found here. (Trouve 1935)

Layout (Trouve 1935)

 

Just north of here is the ancient bridge, Spean Tor (hidden in scrub), and heading down the road that runs south from here to Banteay Samre you will see the remnants of the Northeast Baray Stele shelter, and a small shrine housing three boundary markers carved with a figure of Lokeshvara. A fourth and larger boundary marker, carved on all sides and carrying a short inscription was also found but perhaps it is in storage or at a museum now.

Further along, is Krol Romeas (not to be confused with the site of the same name north of Angkor Thom) which was once the outlet for the long dried-up East Baray.

 

References

• Trouvé Georges Alexandre. Le Pràsàt Tor. Description du monument et des vestiges avoisinants. In: Bulletin de l’Ecole française d’Extrême-Orient. Tome 35, 1935. pp. 207-232; doi : https://doi.org/10.3406/befeo.1935.3943 https://www.persee.fr/doc/befeo_0336-1519_1935_num_35_1_3943