Preah Khan doesn’t really distinguish itself from the rest of the Angkor crowd. Like Angkor Wat, Jayavarman VII lived here and called it his capital before completing the larger Angkor Wat. Like Ta Prohm he dedicated the temple to a parent, this time to his father. Like other temples it contains a mixture of defaced Buddhist and Hindu features. It has a moat, but a small one. It has some jungle growth within but not as much as Ta Prohm.

The most striking part of Preah Khan are the carved walls and figures, mostly of Buddhist characters and deities. Many of the figures are intact and parts of the temple have been restored.

The other notable aspect of Preah Khan is its name, which translates into “The Sacred Sword”. I see a great movie with a vengeful monk in the works: Preah Khan coming to theaters near you.

 

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See what other blogs are saying about the Preah Khan temples:

“Originally called Nagara Jayasri, or the holy city of victory, the temple’s complex consists of numerous shrines and intervening courts, which are surrounded by a small moat and a sturdy wall. Flanking the four gateways into the temple’s main precinct are statues of gods and giants holding sacred nagas.

Im Sokrithy, chief of the information department at the Apsara Authority, said Preah Khan is known for having a mix of gods within its temple walls. The main temple is dedicated to Buddhism, while another was built to honor the Hindu god Vishnu.”
–The Cambodia Daily