Architecture of Cambodia

The only remaining Angkorian buildings remaining are relating to religion. The Angkor period occurred approximately around 800 A.D. to 1450 A.D. Only relgious buildings and temples were made with stone. The reason why the other buildings did not survive was because they were likely made of materials such as wood, so they didn't last throughout time.

Angkor Wat

Angkor Wat, a temple complex at Angkor, was built for the king Suryavarman II in the early 12th century as his state temple and capital city. It has become the symbol for Cambodia, comprising it's flag.

Angkor Wat uses the temple mountain(a representation of mount meru, which was the home of the gods in hindu culture) and the galleried temple as a plan of architecture, two basic forms of Khmer temples.

Angkor Wat

Preah Ko
Preah Ko (meaning The Sacred Bull) was the first temple to be built in the ancient city Hariharalaya, which is close to the main group of temples at Angkor. It was called sacred bull because of all the bull statues located in of and facing the temple's center towers. These bulls were made to represent Nandi, which was the bull that served as a mount for Shiva (a hindu diety). Under the rule Khmer King Indravarman I in 879, the temple was built to honor the king's family members.

"Preah Ko consists of six brick towers arranged in two rows of three towers each perched on a sandstone platform. The towers face east, and the front central tower is the tallest. The front central tower is dedicated to Jayavarman II, the founder of the Khmer empire. The tower to the left is dedicated to Prithivindreshvara, King Indravarman's father; the tower to the right to Rudreshvara, his grandfather. The three rear towers are dedicated to the wives of these three men. The central towers all bear images of the Hindu god Shiva." - Wiki

Preah Ko

Banteay Srei

Banteay Srei was built in 967 A.D. , dedicated to the god Shiva. The name refers to "Citadel of women, or Citadel of beauty".Made of red sandstone, the temple is often called the "jewel of Khmer art".

Banteay Srei






The Khleangs

There were two square like structures, made of sandstone, that were built on both sides of the Angkor Wat. Khleang’ means ‘storeroom’ but it is unlikely that this was the function of the structures. It is unknown what purpose they were built for. A royal oath of allegiance is carved into the doorway of one Khleang. The North Khleang was built in wood under Rajendravarman II and then rebuilt in stone by Jayavaraman V, probably before the construction of the South Khleang. The Khleangs are unremarkable upon close inspection but picturesque from a distance.

Khleangs