Ancient Remains & Temples

Kuk Ta Prohm

Also recorded as Kouk Taprohm Temple, it’s an ancient stele shelter.

Phnom Cheung Prei Temple

Also recorded as Phnom Thom by Lunet de Lajonquiere a name which seems to have been dropped in favor of the name of the mountain the temple resides on which is also the name of the district, Cheung Prei. The mountain area was developed into a kind of Buddhist-themed destination for tourists with a new … Read more

Kok Kvet Temple

Also recorded as Prasat Kok Khvet, it is a single laterite temple once featuring a brick superstructure and built upon a mound and laterite base that rises with three levels. It opens to the east with a sandstone doorframe flanked by unfinished sandstone columns and pilasters. Atop all that is a masterpiece of a lintel. … Read more

Wat Preis Meas

Monastery that features a large basin with laterite lining one side, along with numerous ancient pedestals, domed pieces (bollards?), and sema stones arranged around the perimeter of the pagoda.

Kuk Pring Chrom Temple

Also recorded as Prasat Kouk Pring Chroum and Kuk Prin Crum, it is a small walled site, once surrounded by a moat and featuring a large reservoir on its eastern side. The outer wall is around 30 m x 30 m with the remains of an entrance gopura on the east leading to a single … Read more

Toek Chha Kuk Toch

Also recorded as Kuk Toch and Preah Theat Toch, it is located 300 m north of the large sprawling complex of remains, Preah Theat Tuk Chha Temple. Overgrown (at least in early 2022), it’s an elongated structure, not a temple, but another type of functional building that early French researchers noted as “dwellings” or “palais”. … Read more

Wat Pong Chas

Remains of an ancient site located on the grounds of a contemporary monastery. The collection of remains includes numerous laterite blocks and sandstone remnants including pedestals, door frames, a decayed and broken lintel, sema stone, and other pieces.

Wat Da

A contemporary monastery that has a steam locomotive and passenger carriage on display! I don’t know but I will try to find out and update! The site also has a collection of curious bollards (?), ancient or not? Update: In my travels, I’d later learn that they are base sema that are deposited in wells … Read more

Wat Kdei Thlok

The monastery, also known as Wat Porpech, houses the remains of an ancient temple. On display beside the pagoda are a lintel and sandstone naga corner pieces. Further remains may be located inside the pagoda but sadly it was locked on last visit. Update – revisiting the site in 06/22 to see more remains stored … Read more

Wat Srayouv 

Monastery with a small shrine housing sema stones from an older pagoda/vihara.

Balang Temple

Remains of an ancient temple site including a sandstone pedestal

Phnom Punnareay Temple

Located atop a small mountain Prasat Phnom Punnareay features two small and very decayed brick temples. Oddly, they open to the south with remains of sandstone doorframes and false doors around the other sides. They don’t feature any decorative carvings although the brickwork is elaborate, emphasizing the eaves, base, and false doors. On the north … Read more

Wat Cranok

Small contemporary monastery in Kampong Leng. Several ancient statues and an inscribed stele (from nearby sites) were once held here.

Wat Phnom Thmor Rieng

Located atop a small mountain the monastery has a new shrine under construction, an old wooden pagoda, and a more recent pagoda. Funerary stupas occupy the side of the mountain that also offers great views over the plains and to the many mountains beyond.

Wat Po (Kulean)

Local monastery, The Temple of 5000 Buddhas and Northeast Region Vipassana Center, with a fascinating vision and construction program underway (Jan 2022). In the future perhaps, one hopes, an icon of contemporary Buddhism in Cambodia. Actually, I really look forward to a return visit especially to wander through the field of Buddhas, seemingly so methodically … Read more

Ta Krabei Temple

Also known as Prasat Ta Krabey/Ta Kwai/Ta Khwai and also Preah Tveang, it is a massively tall cruciform-shaped temple located in Cambodia on the border with Thailand. Constructed in sandstone it has an entrance on each side and housed a naturally formed linga. It is believed to have been constructed between the 11-12th century but … Read more

Firehouse of Banteay Chhmar Temple

Located inside the enclosure of Banteay Chhmar Temple are the remains of a “firehouse“, a structure that was typically placed along the ancient Khmer road network as a temple that coincided with a rest area for pilgrims and travellers. It is located on the east side of the temple proper. Its state of decay is … Read more

Terrace (Banteay Chhmar)

Fronting the western side of the large baray is a grand terrace that has recently been restored. Topped by lions flanking the entrances, the lower registers meeting the water of the baray feature beautiful carvings of Hamsa and lotus flowers.

Prasat Ta Phai

Also recorded/signposted as Prasat Chem Trey. Remains of a sandstone cruciform temple with an outer laterite wall, an entrance pavilion on the east, a large moat with what may have been another outer wall. The temple itself is only standing on two sides still featuring the massive carvings of smiling faces on its superstructure.

Wat Chas (Phnom Kulen)

Wat Chas is a small monastery nearby the eastern cliff edge of Phnom Kulen providing spectacular views from several points over Svay Leu and the plains below. It might be an amazing sunrise spot too, but the monastery gates never seem to be open that early.

Chan Temple

Ruinous remains of two odd rectangular sandstone temples. One could it assume it to be from the 11-12th century, and related to Prasat Ta Muen Thom, perhaps as a “palais” as French would record them, more on those here. One might also assume it to be an ashrama of the Suryavarman I era (1006 to … Read more

Wat

Monastery housing remains from an ancient site in a shelter including a very beautiful late-era sema stone, several pedestals, a bollard, and sandstone plinth.

Wat Svay Check

The monastery features several remnants from an ancient site including a rare round pedestal (assuming it’s ancient), two square pedestals, what may be a crown piece of the ancient temple, and a small and very decayed Buddha statue.

Wat Mony

Contemporary monastery that’s not recorded as once being an ancient temple site, although out of an array of generic sema stones surrounding the pagoda, one appears to be a little special. A small shelter on the northern side houses a piece of stone that may or may not be from an ancient site.

Bakan Temple (Pursat Province)

Contemporary monastery built upon an ancient site known as Prasat Bakan where the laterite blocks form a large rectangular base atop which is a pyramidic arrangement of blocks. Who did what and when is a little hard to know. Certainly, in recent times, a prayer hall has been added atop the base and more recently, … Read more

Wat Preah Theat (Pursat)

Contemporary monastery located on an ancient temple site retaining several sandstone remnants. (more to come soon) More pieces of the puzzle, including more “column” pieces, a frieze, a sandstone pedestal, and a sandstone lion.

Wat Kampong Preah

The contemporary monastery grounds of Wat Kampong Preah feature three brick temples, one in amazing condition, one a little less so, and another excavation pit revealing the base of a third structure. All three are on an east-west axis and open to the north. Unsurprisingly, the focus of attention is the larger standing temple and … Read more