Beyond Angkor Thom’s Royal Palace – The Royal Citadel, Forgotten Shrines, and a Mystery of Form and Function

The Royal Palace is one of the more popular areas in Angkor and today I hope you’ll read on as we take a look at the larger royal citadel area, uncover some lost shrines, and chart a rarely visited area.

The Royal Palace as you well know was the seat of successive kings through the formation and peak of the Angkorian Empire, a walled complex located inside Angkor Thom it features numerous well-traversed attractions such as the Terrace of the Elephants on its eastern front, the Phimeanakas temple, the beautiful royal ponds, and such as depicted below

1. East gopura
2. Sanctuary remains
3. Remains of four sanctuaries
4. Cruciform terrace
5. Phimeanakas
6. East pond
7. Large pond (Srah Srei)
8. West pond and Queens Terrace
9. Wall, basin, and base structure remnants
10. Annex with basin

So, while that may be the key sights, covered in detail here, it’s far from the full story. Let’s start with its evolution

The Evolution of the Royal Palace

Built upon by consecutive kings, the first phase of the Royal Palace likely dates to the late 9th or early 10th century, and its enclosure wall from the late 10th or early 11th century. While exact dates are not known, a brief and general guide to the evolution may look like this

• 9th century – Phimeanakas & North and South Kleangs – Started by Rajendravarman and completed by Suryavarman I
• 10th century – Royal Palace Walls – 600 by 250 m walled complex surrounding the Pimeanakas, with five gopuram – Suryavarman I
• Mid-11th century – Baphoun – started by Suryavarman I and completed by Udayadityavarman I
• 11th century – First stage of the royal terraces, later damaged in war
• 12-13th century – Angkor Thom’s walls and gates, Bayon Temple, and possibly Preah Palilay – Jayavarman VII
• 13th century – Royal terraces covered and new terraces added – Jayavarman VII
• 15th century – War and empire collapse
• 15-16th century – Tep Pranam is modified/added

So, why am I mentioning Baphoun, Preah Palilay, and Tep Pranam which are outside of the Royal Palace? Yes, but, not exactly

The Royal Citadel

The Royal Palace, as we commonly know, is a fortified ‘island’, double-walled with a moat, but what few consider is that it is actually set within a larger expansive walled area that occupies almost half of the northwest quadrant of Angkor Thom. Let’s call it the Royal Citadel in the absence of any official naming.

Let’s view it in the context of Angkor Thom to get our bearings (Satellite image © Google Earth)

This outer walled area encloses Baphoun, Preah Pallilay, Tep Pranam, several “islands” with small shrines and basins, a large defensive wall that featured a lookout and terrace, a complex water network, a massive basin being the Duan Mea and its shrines, plus the Royal Palace with the Terrace of the Leper King and Terrace of the Elephants forming its eastern wall.

1. Royal Terraces
2. Royal Palace
3. Royal Palace Wall
4. “Royal Citadel Wall”
5. Tep Pranam
6. Preah Palilay
7. The void
8. Royal Palace annex
9. Baphoun
10. Island with shrine and permanent basin
11. North-South defensive wall and terrace
12. Island and exposed wall
13. Duan Mea North Island and temple vestige
14. Duan Mea South Island and temple vestige
15. Trapeang Duan Mea
16. Island with two basins, terrace remains, and vestiges
17. ‘Large terrace – Monument 58
18. Two ruinous terraces immediately outside the wall
19. Marsh like area storing a mass of stonework
20. Hidden Terrace

This GIF may help to visualize things

via GIPHY

Quick Facts

• Royal Citadel wall est. length: 4 km (1.3 km x .7 km)
• Royal Citadel est. walled area: .93 km2
• Royal Palace outer wall est. length: 1.9 km (.65 km x .3 km)
• Royal Palace inner wall est. length: 1.65 km
• Royal Palace est. walled area: .14 km2

Beyond the “tourist zone” there are scant trails through dense jungle that are mostly only used by locals who herd wild water buffalo from up north to graze at the Duan Mea, tree sappers, and locals hunting and collecting deadwood for fires. Trails to any vestiges are almost non-existent but this is far from being an unimportant area, actually, I get the strong feeling it holds a host of secrets that could help paint a better picture of different eras and in the least how this massive ancient civil works project functioned.

It is interesting to note, in Zhou Daguan’s Customs of Cambodia, when describing the Royal Palace he records it as being “five to six li” in circumference which is between 3 and 4 km. That comes close to the measurement of the outer citadel wall although it depends somewhat on his estimation and the length of the Li which has varied over time.

This area beyond the Royal Palace is far from being a mundane space of little importance, it can be seen that this area experienced major civil works, hosts a range of structural features including defensive walls, shrines, water storage, and hydraulic system. So, let’s step through each feature

The Outer Wall of the Royal Citadel (see Map: 4)

The outer enclosure wall if completely still standing would have a length of 1.3 km and a width of around .7 km. It’s an earthen wall with dirt piled over a laterite base structure for the most part.

It appears higher in some places than others possibly due to the surrounding lay of the land. On both sides of the north wall, there is a deep gulley, several meters so, likewise on the western wall, although not so much on the southern side where there are scant remnants of a wall structure remaining.

An exposed section on the northern side shows a tiered structure several meters wide and tall as seen in the picture below. Laterite capping on top of the wall can be seen in places while the third picture is a side profile of the wall and gulley.

Along the northern side of the wall, there are several sections left exposed after small excavations at some stage and things may be more fascinating than they at first seem. In one section, several bas-relief pieces can be seen albeit crudely placed. Would there be a feature wall here? If they are not part of a feature wall are they pieces from the Terrace of the Leper King area, and why here?

Some researchers note that the city was invaded and sacked in 1353 following which large earthen walls were built, while other researchers doubt there was such an invasion.

Royal Terraces – Terrace of the Elephants and Terrace of the Leper King (see Map: 1)

Both the Terrace of the Elephants and Terrace of the Leper King are well known and popular, but it is interesting to consider the original design in terms of Hindu Mythology and the desire to represent Mount Meru plus the extensive moat and hydraulic works surrounding this area.

Was the front of this royal enclosure not also surrounded by water to fully create the representation of “Mount Meru” or the “Ocean of Milk”?

In my own mind at least, the effect of all the effort in creating a double-moated palace would be lost if it wasn’t. Not so much for the king who would cross the inner moat on entry or exit but to onlookers, watching the king arise on the Terrace of Elephants it would not all appear to be an island without it. All that said, there would appear to be no evidence to confirm such an idea. Although, the avenue leading to Victory Gate was lined by canals on either side, and the Prasat Suor Prat and Kleang terrace would also appear to have been fronted by a water feature.

It’s also interesting to note the modifications to the Leper King Terrace over time, having been rebuilt after attacks as noted by Marchal, and also dismantled or replaced in part by the terrace of Tep Pranam. Did the terrace originally extend all the way to the northern wall of the “Royal Citadel”?

The Hidden Terrace (see Map: 20)

Curiously, at the northern end, just north of Tep Pranam, near the current refuse area and hidden to all bar the curious, there is a long 30 m or so section featuring a bottom row of bas-reliefs. More detail here. The remains extend to the east and north almost all the way to what is labeled as Terrace D.

In this same area, research and excavation in the 1900s uncovered a series of culverts formed of laterite. To keep freshwater flowing through Angkor Thom, and indeed the Royal Palace with its ponds, water features and moat would have required some complex engineering.

Preah Palilay, Tep Pranam, and the Great Void (see Map: 5,6,7)

This area, just inside the north wall of the 3rd enclosure is also a great puzzle. Henri Marchal notes the modification of the Terrace of the Leper King to build Tep Pranam, and current scholars suggest this area was active and sustained a community beyond the so-called collapse of the empire post the 15th century.

Preah Palilay was believed to be modified over time and into a Buddhist shrine with Tep Pranam as mentioned being added later. Several stupas surround the area as can what appears to be the base of structures along with being a staging area for lots of pieces many perhaps related to the original Terrace of the Leper King in its entirety, see the “Hidden Terrace” mentioned earlier. To the north of Preah Palilay, is Terrace R, also a later addition.

The area south and southwest of Preah Palilay is a large void although I would speculate that to be far from the truth. A canal extended into the area just south of Preah Palilay and some remnants can be seen although it really is hard to know what might be original and what may have been placed there over the years.

In the area immediately north of the northwest corner of the Royal Palace, the scrub is quite dense making it hard to gauge but some laterite was seen and it appears to have a basin.

It could be speculated that the area contained wooden structures that are long gone.

If we consider Zhou Daguan’s notes of the king having five wives and concubines in the thousands, along with female staff also in the thousands, then this would seem a reasonable place for supporting infrastructure. Zhao Daguan notes

The king has five wives, one principal wife and one for each cardinal point. Below them, I have heard, there are four or five thousand concubines and other women of the palace. They also divide themselves up by rank. They only go out of the palace on rare occasions.

Canals

In places, the depth and scale of the canals (now dry) are boggling and could reach 4-5 m deep with a width even greater. The overgrowth and density of the jungle making hard to fully gauge. As you see from the layout map above, there is a very large canal on the north side of the northern wall, perhaps a feeder, which is mirrored inside of the wall, yet, neither fully surround the wall to create a moat thus appearing as a matter of function rather than aesthetics or symbolism.

The outer canals on either side of the western 3/4 of the northern and southern wall and the western wall are quite cavernous while many of the inner canals are seemingly shallow.

The short video below is taken from the southwestern corner of the outer enclosure wall and while hard to see for the dense jungle and foilage, looks down into the cavernous canals on either side.

Trapeang Duan Mea (see Map: 15)

A cruciform-shaped basin that is 470 m in length and 180 m in width not including its two “arms”. It’s hard to know how much water it would hold without knowing the depth it would have operated at in conjunction with the surrounding channels but it is obviously quite substantial. Its purpose could simply be the obvious, water security and perhaps even flood mitigation for the Royal Palace while its functionality in combination with the canals is not as clear nor is when it was constructed. It would also be hard to imagine a body of water so close to royalty not featuring a diety or significant shrine.

Today, you can often see wild water buffalo grazing here and occasionally people fishing with hand nets albeit in quite shallow water with it nearly drying up during the dry season. In the northeast corner you can see a piece of stone that has the outline of a face, perhaps preceding carving. (First image in the set credit Google Earth).

Was it also used for leisure, and perhaps even for fish stocks, how did it function in connection with the canals and greater area?

The Pyramids of Duan Mea’s North and South Islands (see Map: 13,14)

Located on the north and south island of the Duan Mea are two well hidden and ruinous pyramid-like structures. I use the word pyramid loosely as they are heavily overgrown making it difficult to get a complete view, but most certainly they start from a large earthen base, have a stepped rise, then rising up to a point several meters high. They also appear to have been excavated at their cores some time ago.

The jungle here is dense and difficult to navigate, and this was the one sole area where I could capture a sense of scale and form yet it doesn’t really do it justice, also noting the brick and stone debris. The photo was also taken partway up the mass, they are quite large and if you are familiar with Preah Palilay, the scale feels similar.

Located in the center of the island the ground rises up until you meet a base that allows for walking around the structure. I also use the word structure loosely too as it’s mostly earthen formation with a lot of debris seen. Regardless, it’s most certainly significant and intriguing as to what role they played or the symbolism invoked. Laterite, sandstone, and brick are seen here but no ornate pieces or devata at least from a walk around through the scrub.

Alternatively, are they simply mounds of piled-up remains of older temples removed when forming the basin, meaning the Duan Mea was formed at a later period? That’s far from uninteresting and answers a host of questions. Or were they just rudimentary military lookouts?

Update: Found in old French notes dating back to 1937, Vincent Goloubew excavated part of the mound on the south island of the Duan Mea (see image below) and found it to be a stepped pyramid describing it as “a system of superimposed brick walls, interrupted by laterite steps, and forming like the first steps of a stepped pyramid, regularly oriented, according to the four cardinal points” translated from French. He recorded it as measuring 53 m and a height of 25 m but was left to speculate that it may have featured a wooden structure to form a belvedere as no pedestal or statue was found. The northern side did not appear to have the same stepped construction. He goes on to conclude that these remains on either side of the Duan Mea are likely related to the terrace of the North-South wall to the east and built before the time of Jayavarman VII. He also wonders as to whether future excavations may reveal that this area was once the site of an ancient temple predating the Phimeanakas.

An ancient doorway and passage in Angkor Thom’s Wall
Goloubew also notes a causeway discovered by Marchal, built of laterite, that connects from the northwest corner of the “citadel” enclosure through to the wall of Angkor Thom while also speculating on the possibility of a doorway that was later covered over by works in the time of Jayavarman VII.

The ‘Islands’ and Shrines (see Map: 10,12,13,14,16)

Starting from the back of Preah Palilay and heading counter-clockwise, at least nine ínslands are formed by the canals and water channeling. The larger two forming the north and south islands of the Duan Mea as mentioned earlier.

One island, immediately west of Preah Palilay, does have a shrine, constructed of laterite, opening to the east and containing a large pedestal with a yoni indicative of the 10-11th century (authors guess). To the west of this shrine is a permanent basin constructed of laterite with sandstone remnants and there appears as there may have been a structure attached or alongside this basin. So far I have been unable to find a name or record for it, more here.

The next island heading west is smaller in width and one solitary piece of sandstone can be seen here. Continuing west, the next island is formed by a break in the North-South Defensive wall, as per the wall it features a laterite core covered in an earthen mass. No other vestiges can be seen here.

The next island heading west has no vestiges that can be seen. The next island west has three basins, one reasonably large, and some laterite and sandstone pieces are seen. There are also the remains of what’s reported to be a terrace located on the southern edge of the island.

The North-South Defensive Wall (see Map: 11)

I use the name ‘defensive wall’ as I have no other and assume that to be its purpose gained from Henri Marchal’s notes and his description of Terrace O. The wall runs North to South located directly west of the Royal Palace and is around 540 m long.

At its northern end, its construction can be seen having a laterite core (perhaps 6m wide and 3-4 m high) covered in a mass of dirt. It meets with a large gully, and directly opposite it would appear the wall continues, covered in dirt, creating an island mentioned earlier.

Heading south, around 125 m from the northern end, there is a gap in the wall likely created in more recent times that allows a path from the NW corner of the Royal Palace through to the Duan Mea (1st picture below). Just south of this gap and up the top of the wall set in dense scrub is what Henri Marchal described as a terrace (Terrace O) and possible lookout. Today, beneath this scrub, laterite, sandstone, and part of a pedestal can be seen in this area but it’s very difficult to establish the layout being covered in dense scrub and part buried (2nd and 3rd picture below). Along the top of the wall there are sharp drops and hidden holes concealed by the vegetation making it a bit of a dangerous area.

The “defensive wall” is an intriguing feature and one is left to wonder about its construction era, and its true purpose.

The Royal Palace (see Map: 2)

Finally, we get to the Royal Palace itself. Inside the palace walls are also an ongoing mystery of function and transformations over time, that and the well-known features are covered in the post here. It’s worth a moment just to speak about the moat. On its eastern side, the Royal Palace is of course fronted by the Terrace of the Elephants which forms the eastern side of the 2nd enclosure wall and providing a causeway across the inner moat and into the east entry gopura of the inner or 1st enclosure.

Heading around the walls of the southern side, western side, and northern side (in part) the moat is quite deep, 2-3 meters, and the wall features chambered entrances allowing access to the palace which are quite fascinating. The southern entrance is partly overtaken by trees and partly ruinous making it quite scenic and photogenic. It appears these entry chambers too, would have had a water element crossed by a stone causeway along with chambers to each side perhaps containing deities.

The outer wall around the outside of the moat is quite ruinous, although the inner wall is in quite a good shape excepting a  collapsed section on the southwest corner. It features shaped laterite giving the wall an impressive and grand look very fitting of a royal palace.

Conclusion

More questions than answers, and that in a nutshell, is Angkor Thom, the world’s greatest mystery box that’s still being unpacked.

The Royal Palace is often viewed solely as the walled area behind the Terrace of Elephants leaving a huge gap in knowledge and understanding of multiple eras of kings, the evolution of the Royal Palace across those eras, and moreover, insight into what may possibly be some highly advanced civil works. There are also several seemingly forgotten ancient shrines waiting to unlock new knowledge and new wonder.

The questions are endless, from the evolution of structural works, the numerous transformations over time, and the function of civil works, mystery shrines, not to mention symbolism in the cultural context of the time.

While it’s not suitable for visitors currently, with dense jungle and scant trails, plus, the need to respect the ongoing traditional ways of life which are also themselves a treasure, it’s an area of great wonder and beauty.

Finally, to express a great sense of gratitude to the Khmer people for allowing all of us to explore and engage in the wonder of their sacred ground.