Preah Khan is a large sprawling site covering about 56 hectares (i.e. about
138 acres or almost a half-mile on each side). People lived within the outer
walls of Preah Khan and it's estimated that about 98,000 people lived there.
Inscriptions found at Preah Khan indicate that it was built over a site of a
battle that was famous during that time.
When you visit Preah Khan, it's good to have a map of the site
because it is like a maze inside. There are many doorways leading to
different hallways and openings. This is one of the temples I'd encourage
everyone to see. These photos of Preah Khan were taken in July
of 2003.
I hope you enjoy my photos of Preah Khan and the temples of Angkor
Wat.
This is a photo of Preah Khan as you approach the gopura.
Many of the Angkor temples have these long "causeways" leading
to the temples - kind of like grand entrances. There's a sense of anticipation
when first walking down one of these, approaching the gate to the temple.
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After passing through the gate, there's often a large open area with the entire
site surrounded by a tall wall. Lions or other figures stand guard next to
the stairs that lead into the interior.
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In some places, Preah Khan looks like a pile of rubble. But overall, it is
amazingly well preserved for its age. You can go into any one of these
doorways and travel through hallways and take bends and turns and explore
for hours. There are probably another 50 doorways like these.
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Everywhere there are stones and they all seem to have carvings of one kind
or another - beautifully done, some with some kind of religious imagery, others
that just tell stories of every day Khmer life in 1000 AD.
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