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Ta Prohm and Preah Khan

King Jayavarman VII (1181-1218)
was a great builder, he had built:

The North Baray

Banteay Kdei

Ta Prohm

Preah Khan and and the water sancuary Neak Pean

Angkor Thom and the Bayon

Banteay Chhmar, a huge temple city in the Nortwest of Cambodia

and many temples more

Preah Khan

Ta Prohm, consecrated 1186, and Preah Khan, consecrated 1191, were ancestor temples, dedicated to the memory the kong's mother and father respectively.

Each temple was the core of a monastic unviversity. Ta Prohm was the theological college; Preah Khan was the medical university and hospital.

In Ta Prohm, and still more in Preah Khan, reliefs are scratched out. For the reason see Iconoclasm.

Ta Prohm

The city is surrounded by an enclosure wall, 1000 m by 670 m

Face towers make the gates in the cardinal directions. The east and south towers have collapsed.

The city was built of perishable material and has now totally gone.

The temple complex consists of

The central temple, enclosed by two galleries (the first and second enclosure); the central tower and the towers of the inner gallery form a mandala. Ta Prohm was dedicated

satellite temples at the North and the South

all included in a gallery with gates to the East and to the West (third enclosure).

This core is enclosed by two groups of kutis , monastic cells, 93 in total. Each group is aligned along a moat and enclosed by a wall (fourth enclosure).

Another moat encloses the whole complex.The moats supplied the inhabitants of the city with water.

This temple has been made famous by numerous trees left when the site was uncovered in 1920. The trees overgrow the walls; their decorative roots cling to the stones and force their way into any gaps of the masonry which they gradually destroy. See Female & Male Power in Angkor, entry: Decline...

Album: Ta Prohm

Preah Khan

This large temple complex is located northeast of Angkor Thom. A complex flat temple makes the core of a city. In Preah Khan more than 15,000 people lived, monks and their servants, and other citizens. This city was the core of a progressive health policy, centre of the education of medicines and mother of the 102 hospitals in the kingdom. The temple was dedicated to the Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara and to the memory of the king's father The city measures 870 m east-west by 700 m north-south. The temple, at the intersection of the city's axes, measures 220 m east-west by 170 m north-south.

The avenue
B To the North Baray
L Jetty and terrace

The city
A    Gates
G    Laterite wall, with Garuda reliefs
M    Moat
P    Royal palace (assumed)

The temple
C    Central Tower and enclosure
F    Fire Shrine
H    Hall of Dancers
N    North temple
R    Building on Stilts
S    South Temple
T    Enclosure wall of the temple
W    West Temple

The Enclosure Wall of the city G is topped by sandstone slabs; standing upright, they show the meditating Buddha again, mostly scratched out. Along the wall are 72 huge sandstone reliefs, every 35 m, depicting Garuda, holding two naga.

Inside the gate we are on a shady way across thick forest. Here was the classiest main road of the city, leading from the main entrance gate to the central temple. The houses of the city, made of perishable material, have totally gone; so has an assumed royal palace P in the northeast quarter of the city.

Link: NAGA & GARUDA - a conflict-ridden relationship

On the way, right side is a Fire Shrine F , called dharmasalla ( pilgrims' rest house ). Whilst the back side of the building is totally closed, the face to the road is opened by five square windows, the northernmost much bigger than the others. All windows were closed by two rows of balusters. In the vault are openings for the flue. Doors go to east and west. The corbelled vault covers a room of 4.50 m (!). This building was brilliantly restored by the World Monuments Fund.

.
The temple complex is intricate
Framed by an enclosure wall are:

Yellow: the Central Temple, dedicated to the Bodhisattva, and the Hall of Dancers to the East.

Reddish: On its east-west to the West axis a satellite temple, dedicated to Vishnu,

Green: On its north-south axis satellite temples dedicated to Shiva (north), and the memory of the king's uncle (south).

Later more buildings were perched into the open space between the axial and symmetric buildings; a charming architectural chaos came into being

The East Gate of the Temple
The structure is similar to the West Gate of Angkor Wat:

three gate towers, linked by graduated chambers and roofs;

two outer gate pavilions are linked by galleries with adjacent half galleries.

The gate is again some meters wider than the west face of the central temple.

Hall of Dancers

Friezes with apsara dancing on lotus flowers give the name of this cruciform gallery. Its structure is similar to the cruciform gallery in the third enclosure of Angkor Wat - so was its function: a space of transition from outside to inside. Probably here pilgrims handed over their offerings for the Bodhisattva to the monks.

Building on Stilts

To the north you see a building, standing on massive cylindrical columns. No stairway gives access to the second floor. This is sandstone copy of a wooden granary. The columns copy wooden piles. It is one of the buildings that were added later.

By local tradition it sheltered the ' preah khan ', the holy sword.

Central Tower and inner Enclosures

The Central Tower is framed by two concentric galleries. It is guarded by gods and demons as dvarapala and by devata - like a temple of Shiva . The inner walls of the Mandapa and of the central tower look bare; here are rows of dowel holes, remains of bronze panels. The outside was plastered and gilded. The centre of the tower, and of the entire temple complex, is the intersection of the main axes, now taken up by a stupa of modest style (16 th century). From here we have free sight in the cardinal directions: to the gates at the South, West, and North, and back through the Hall of Dancers and the East Gate. Originally the scene looked very different: The entrances of the different temples were closed by wooden doors. The vaults were hidden by wooden ceilings. The interior was illuminated by lamps or torches; their light was mirrored by the polished bronze walls. In the centre was a statue of the standing bodhisattva Lokeshvara with the features of the king's father. The courts of the inner enclosure are filled with small shrines which were added later.

Devata at Preah Khan

Albums:
Ta Prohm
Reliefs in Preah Khan

External Links
WMF
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ta_Prohm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Preah_Khan

Top

References

Glaize 1944, 219-224
Stierlin, p. 179 f.
Freeman/Jacques, p. 170-177.
Roveda 2005, p.400-407.

King Jayavarman VII (1181-1218) was a great builder, he had built:	The North Baray Banteay Kdei Ta Prohm Preah Khan and and the water sancuary Neak Pean Angkor Thom and the Bayon Banteay Chhmar, a huge temple city in the Nortwest of Cambodia and many temples more	Preah Khan
Ta Prohm, consecrated 1186, and Preah Khan, consecrated 1191, were ancestor temples, dedicated to the memory the kong's mother and father respectively. Each temple was the core of a monastic unviversity. Ta Prohm was the theological college; Preah Khan was the medical university and hospital. In Ta Prohm, and still more in Preah Khan, reliefs are scratched out. For the reason see Iconoclasm.
Ta Prohm The city is surrounded by an enclosure wall, 1000 m by 670 m Face towers make the gates in the cardinal directions. The east and south towers have collapsed. The city was built of perishable material and has now totally gone. The temple complex consists of The central temple, enclosed by two galleries (the first and second enclosure); the central tower and the towers of the inner gallery form a mandala. Ta Prohm was dedicated satellite temples at the North and the South all included in a gallery with gates to the East and to the West (third enclosure). This core is enclosed by two groups of kutis , monastic cells, 93 in total. Each group is aligned along a moat and enclosed by a wall (fourth enclosure). Another moat encloses the whole complex.The moats supplied the inhabitants of the city with water.
This temple has been made famous by numerous trees left when the site was uncovered in 1920. The trees overgrow the walls; their decorative roots cling to the stones and force their way into any gaps of the masonry which they gradually destroy. See Female & Male Power in Angkor, entry: Decline... Album: Ta Prohm

The avenue B To the North Baray L Jetty and terrace The city A Gates G Laterite wall, with Garuda reliefs M Moat P Royal palace (assumed) The temple C Central Tower and enclosure F Fire Shrine H Hall of Dancers N North temple R Building on Stilts S South Temple T Enclosure wall of the temple W West Temple
The Enclosure Wall of the city G is topped by sandstone slabs; standing upright, they show the meditating Buddha again, mostly scratched out. Along the wall are 72 huge sandstone reliefs, every 35 m, depicting Garuda, holding two naga. Inside the gate we are on a shady way across thick forest. Here was the classiest main road of the city, leading from the main entrance gate to the central temple. The houses of the city, made of perishable material, have totally gone; so has an assumed royal palace P in the northeast quarter of the city. Link: NAGA & GARUDA - a conflict-ridden relationship
On the way, right side is a Fire Shrine F , called dharmasalla ( pilgrims' rest house ). Whilst the back side of the building is totally closed, the face to the road is opened by five square windows, the northernmost much bigger than the others. All windows were closed by two rows of balusters. In the vault are openings for the flue. Doors go to east and west. The corbelled vault covers a room of 4.50 m (!). This building was brilliantly restored by the World Monuments Fund.
. The temple complex is intricate Framed by an enclosure wall are: Yellow: the Central Temple, dedicated to the Bodhisattva, and the Hall of Dancers to the East. Reddish: On its east-west to the West axis a satellite temple, dedicated to Vishnu, Green: On its north-south axis satellite temples dedicated to Shiva (north), and the memory of the king's uncle (south). Later more buildings were perched into the open space between the axial and symmetric buildings; a charming architectural chaos came into being
The East Gate of the Temple The structure is similar to the West Gate of Angkor Wat: three gate towers, linked by graduated chambers and roofs; two outer gate pavilions are linked by galleries with adjacent half galleries. The gate is again some meters wider than the west face of the central temple.
Hall of Dancers Friezes with apsara dancing on lotus flowers give the name of this cruciform gallery. Its structure is similar to the cruciform gallery in the third enclosure of Angkor Wat - so was its function: a space of transition from outside to inside. Probably here pilgrims handed over their offerings for the Bodhisattva to the monks.
Building on Stilts To the north you see a building, standing on massive cylindrical columns. No stairway gives access to the second floor. This is sandstone copy of a wooden granary. The columns copy wooden piles. It is one of the buildings that were added later. By local tradition it sheltered the ' preah khan ', the holy sword.
Central Tower and inner Enclosures The Central Tower is framed by two concentric galleries. It is guarded by gods and demons as dvarapala and by devata - like a temple of Shiva . The inner walls of the Mandapa and of the central tower look bare; here are rows of dowel holes, remains of bronze panels. The outside was plastered and gilded. The centre of the tower, and of the entire temple complex, is the intersection of the main axes, now taken up by a stupa of modest style (16 th century). From here we have free sight in the cardinal directions: to the gates at the South, West, and North, and back through the Hall of Dancers and the East Gate. Originally the scene looked very different: The entrances of the different temples were closed by wooden doors. The vaults were hidden by wooden ceilings. The interior was illuminated by lamps or torches; their light was mirrored by the polished bronze walls. In the centre was a statue of the standing bodhisattva Lokeshvara with the features of the king's father. The courts of the inner enclosure are filled with small shrines which were added later. Devata at Preah Khan