Koh Ker Temples

Koh Ker ប្រាសាទកោះកេរ្ដិ៍ best known for the Pyramid Temple(Prasat Thom) is about 120 km from Siem Reap and remains sparsely populated and surrounded by jungle. This is perhaps due to the relatively  recent and ongoing land min clearance, currently less around 50 of the 180 or so possible attractions are safe to visit.  Koh Ker is actually a good place to stay ‘on the beaten track’ as wondering off into the jungle with no local knowledge can be dangerous.  Prasat Bram, Koh Ker might be mistaken for the more popular Jungle Temple at Beng Mealea as it is equally overgrown with stranglers figs.

Koh Ker was the capital of the Khmer empire under the reign of the kings Jayavarman IV & Harshavarman II  from 928–944 AD where style of chiseled statues was developed and some might say the art of sculpture reached a pinnacle. There are less statues than might have been due to a millenium of looting, in any case  Koh Ker has been on the tentative heritage list by UNESCO since 1992.

Prasat Thom

Has become synonymous with Koh Ker being referred to as Koh Ker temple as often as not. While the shape of Prasat Thom is that of a Pyramid the literal meaning is simply “big temple ” over 7 floors or  35meters high with each floor being a remarkable 5 meters high. Visitors who manage to get to the top will be rewarded with views of rice fields , local villages houses, fresh jungle fresh and some mountain views – an in my view, well worth the climb.

Prasat Linga

Is the temple that the king built to keep the Hindu deity Shiva.  We can see a beautiful Shiva Linga in the middle of this temple with dense jungle around, speaking of which

Prasat Bram

Is another jungle temple with tree growing up covered the whole temple. Prasad Bram means ( five temple ). We can say ‘off beaten track temple’ because it usually quiet with few tourists, so you can feel  calm and peaceful in the jungle with the birds singing.

 

Construction sequence of the Koh Ker monuments in Cambodia