The Preah Khan temple

The Preah Khan temple complex situated at the northern edge of the Angkor Archaeological Park is one of the most significant buildings erected during the ancient Khmer empire. Dedicated by the great king Jayavarman VII to his father in 1191, Preah Khan serves today as an outstanding example of a large linear temple complex in a dense jungle setting. Cambodia tour

 
Preah Khan was built by Jayavarman VII, at the west end of the king's Jayatataka baray, on the site of Jayavarman's victory over the Cham invaders (1181). It functioned not only as a temple but also as a monastery and university, including elements of Buddhist, Vaishnava, and Shaiva worship. Jayavarman himself was a Buddhist, but most of the Buddha images were destroyed by a later king (most, but not all, authors blame Jayavarman VIII) who reverted the temple to exclusively Hindu use.
In plan, the site is a large, east-facing, moated temple/city that is approached by causeway. The city dimensions (fourth enclosure, just inside the moat) are 800m x 700m, which is almost a half-mile on a side. The temple dimensions (third enclosure) are 200m x 175m (650' x 575'). The site is complex, and (deliberately) has been only partially restored. The photographs on these pages begin with the main (eastern) outer entrance, above, and proceed west, more or less down the axis of the site and out the other side.

Rectangular in shape and occupying 138 acres, Preah Khan’s boundaries are defined by a protective moat and fortified walls adorned by monumental carved stone garudas—eagle-like divine beings. The temple complex includes entryways, towers, ceremonial spaces, courtyards, shrines, and a variety of connecting corridors. Additional special features of Preah Khan include its two-story pavilion, the once-bronze-plated sanctum sanctorum, and its Hall of Dancers.