Sambor prey kouk

[ken svay]

Finally veered off the main road and toured sambor prey kouk.
The road in has been graded and judging by the men in fluoro jackets with dumpies it is about to be sealed.
The area is beautifully forested with the same species of trees as at angkor.
It is a very significant place being the old capital of the chenla empire,issanapura.
The many temples and towers are chenla period mostly but some are early angkorian,we dont know of course why they faded away from here and moved to angkor.It was a very large city in its day and only two ks from the steung sein,the river that winds its way from the dangraek mountains to the tonle sap.
Some of the towers are magnificent and it is all on a very small scale compared to the angkor complex.Some of the octagonal towers are just exquisite and many have the pedestals where statues of various gods stood pre looting.One is in a french museum and hopefully when this site is properly looked after the khmers will retrieve it.
There is one magnificent original statue,put back together in the 1920s by the PP museum and completed with an arm found in the clean up of 2003.Today, this god with a scythe who looks like the grim reaper was clad in a golden silk garb and with the sun overhead shining through the open top of the tower and illuminating the silk looked magnificent.
One of the most striking things that I ever seen here.
Virtually no tourists and few vendors made for a wonderful walk through the forest,it is really a special place not the pile of rocks as it was described to me.
However once the road is sealed they are expecting 200,000 visitors a year and most of its charm will be gone.

[andyinasia]

this god with a scythe who looks like the grim reaper was clad in a golden silk garb

You've found yourself!

[ken svay]

Perhaps i have.
Today i learned of the famous khmer artist called svay ken.

[SunSan]

Are you heading up to Preah Vihear? Beyond Tbeng Meanchey there are several prasats on the left and right sides of the road, signposted in Khmer only. In good condition with outer walls. Nobody goes there (maybe Shitegeist has been).

Pre Angkorian, all made of bricks.

[charliethreezero]

I loved the place... one of my favorites in the kingdom.. went about 4 years ago when travelling PP to SR (with a nights stay in KT) by car, will dig some pics up and post later.

C30

[Jacked Camry]

Remember going there in 1994 and finding a complete lintel just lying on the ground. Wanted to do something about it, but didn't know what. Took a picture, but unfortunately lost all my old photos in a flood way back when. Probably long looted by now.

[MoodyMac]

[Typhoon]

its well worth the stop, when I went on new years day 2009 there was no one else there. The ride out there from KT was pretty good too, although it was all a bit hazy! Nice pics MM.

[DieHard]

Looks beautiful.