Banteay Chhmar ( km, បន្ទាយឆ្មារ ) is a commune (
khum
Administrative divisions of Cambodia have several levels. Cambodia is divided into 24 provinces (''Khaet''; km, ខេត្ត, ) and the special administrative unit Phnom Penh. Though a different administrative unit, Phnom Penh is at provin ...
) in
Thma Puok District in
Banteay Meanchey province in northwest
Cambodia
Cambodia (; also Kampuchea ; km, កម្ពុជា, UNGEGN: ), officially the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochinese Peninsula in Southeast Asia, spanning an area of , bordered by Thailand t ...
. It is located 63 km north of Sisophon and about 20 km east of the Thai border. The commune of Banteay Chhmar contains 14 villages.
The massive temple of Banteay Chhmar, along with its satellite shrines and reservoir (''baray''), comprises one of the most important and least understood archaeological complexes from Cambodia's
Angkor
Angkor ( km, អង្គរ , 'Capital city'), also known as Yasodharapura ( km, យសោធរបុរៈ; sa, यशोधरपुर),Headly, Robert K.; Chhor, Kylin; Lim, Lam Kheng; Kheang, Lim Hak; Chun, Chen. 1977. ''Cambodian-Engl ...
period.
History
![BanteayChmarRahu](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1a/BanteayChmarRahu.jpg)
Like
Angkor Thom, the temple of Banteay Chhmar was constructed during the reign of
Jayavarman VII
Jayavarman VII, posthumous name of Mahaparamasaugata ( km, ជ័យវរ្ម័នទី៧, c. 1122–1218), was king of the Khmer Empire. He was the son of King Dharanindravarman II (r. 1150–1160) and Queen Sri Jayarajacudamani.
He w ...
in the late 12th or early 13th century. One of the temple's shrines once held an image of Srindrakumararajaputra (the crown prince), a son of Jayavarman VII who died before him.
[Higham, C., 2001, The Civilization of Angkor, London: Weidenfeld & Nicolson, ] The temple doors record
Yasovarman I
Yasovarman I ( km, ព្រះបាទយសោវរ្ម័នទី១) was an Angkorian king who reigned in 889–910 CE. He was called " Leper King".
Early years
Yasovarman was a son of King Indravarman I and his wife Indradevi.
Yaaso ...
's failed invasion of
Champa.
[Maspero, G., 2002, The Champa Kingdom, Bangkok: White Lotus Co., Ltd., ]
The long
Old Khmer
Old Khmer is the oldest attested stage of the Khmer language, an Austroasiatic language historically and presently spoken across Cambodia, Southern Vietnam, and parts of Thailand and Laos. It is recorded in inscriptions dating from the early 7th ...
inscription found at the site (K.227), and now on display in the
National Museum, Phnom Penh
The National Museum of Cambodia ( km, សារមន្ទីរជាតិ) is Cambodia's largest museum of cultural history and is the country's leading historical and archaeological museum. It is located in Chey Chumneas, Phnom Penh.
Over ...
, relates how Prince Srindrakumara was protected on two occasions by four companions in arms, once against Rahu, and once on a military campaign against Champa. Their four statues, with one of the prince, was placed in the central chapel.
[
Another ]bas-relief
Relief is a sculptural method in which the sculpted pieces are bonded to a solid background of the same material. The term ''relief'' is from the Latin verb ''relevo'', to raise. To create a sculpture in relief is to give the impression that the ...
states Yasovarman II
Yasovarman II ( km, យសោវរ្ម័នទី២) was the ruler of the Khmer empire from 1160 to 1166. He succeeded Dharanindravarman II
Dharanindravarman II ( km, ធរណីន្ទ្រវរ្ម័នទី២; also titled ''Pa ...
was attacked by Rahu
Rāhu (Sanskrit: राहु, 16px, ☊) is one of the nine major celestial bodies (navagraha) in Hindu texts and the king of meteors. It represents the ascension of the moon in its precessional orbit around the earth, also referred as the ...
, but "saved by a young prince."
The site
The complex resembles Angkor Thom and other structures attributed to Jayavarman VII. It is one of two sites outside Angkor with the enigmatic face-towers. Besides that, its outer gallery is carved with bas-reliefs
Relief is a sculptural method in which the sculpted pieces are bonded to a solid background of the same material. The term ''relief'' is from the Latin verb ''relevo'', to raise. To create a sculpture in relief is to give the impression that the ...
depicting military engagements and daily life scenes very similar to the well-known ones in Bayon
The Bayon ( km, ប្រាសាទបាយ័ន, ) is a richly decorated Khmer temple related to Buddhism at Angkor in Cambodia. Built in the late 12th or early 13th century as the state temple of the King Jayavarman VII ( km, ព្រ ...
.
The complex is oriented to the east, where there's a dried baray
A ''baray'' ( km, បារាយណ៍) is an artificial body of water which is a common element of the architectural style of the Khmer Empire of Southeast Asia. The largest are the East Baray and West Baray in the Angkor area, each rectangu ...
(about 1.6 by 0.8 km), which had a temple on an artificial island (''mebon'') in its centre. There are three enclosures, as typical. The external one, largely ruined, was 1.9 by 1.7 km and surrounded by a moat. The middle enclosure, provided with a moat too, is 850 by 800 m. It contains the main temple, surrounded by a gallery with reliefs 250 by 200 m which constitutes the third inner enclosure.[Banteay Chhmar on CISARK site]
Besides the main temple and the mebon there are other eight secondary temples. Four stelae detailing Jayavarman VII's genealogy were placed (though they remain unfinished) at each of the four corners of the third enclosure wall, mirroring the stelae that occupied the four corner-shrines (''Prasat Chrung'') of the king's capital at Angkor Thom.
Modern threats
Because of its remote location and its proximity to the Thai border, the complex has been subjected to severe looting, especially in the 1990s.[Higham, C., 2014, Early Mainland Southeast Asia, Bangkok: River Books Co., Ltd., ] In 1998, 2000 and 2002 the temple was listed by the World Monuments Fund
World Monuments Fund (WMF) is a private, international, non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation of historic architecture and cultural heritage sites around the world through fieldwork, advocacy, grantmaking, education, and trainin ...
as one of the top one hundred most endangered sites in the world.[World Monuments Watch 1996-2008](_blank)
/ref>
For example, in 1998 a group of soldiers stole a 30-metre section of the southern wall. The bas-reliefs of Banteay Chhmar once displayed eight exceptional Avalokiteśvara
In Buddhism, Avalokiteśvara (Sanskrit: अवलोकितेश्वर, IPA: ) is a bodhisattva who embodies the compassion of all Buddhas. He has 108 avatars, one notable avatar being Padmapāṇi (lotus bearer). He is variably depicted, ...
s in the west gallery, but now only two remain. In January 1999 looters dismantled sections of the western gallery wall containing these bas-reliefs. They were intercepted by Thai police and 117 sandstone pieces of the wall were recovered. They are now on display in the National Museum of Cambodia
The National Museum of Cambodia ( km, សារមន្ទីរជាតិ) is Cambodia's largest museum of cultural history and is the country's leading historical and archaeological museum. It is located in Chey Chumneas, Phnom Penh.
Overvi ...
in Phnom Penh.
Villages
* Kouk Samraong(គោកសំរោង)
* Koet(កើត)
* Kbal Tonsaong(ក្បាលទន្សោង)
* Banteay Chhmar Cheung(បន្ទាយឆ្មារជើង)
* Bangtey Chmar Khang Lech(បន្ទាយឆ្មារលិច)
* Kbal Krabei(ក្បាលក្របី)
* Banteay Chhmar Tboung(បន្ទាយឆ្មារត្បូង)
* Trapeim Thlok
* Thma Daekkeh(ថ្មដែកកេះ)
* Thlok(ថ្លុក)
* Kouk Samraong Lech(គោកសំរោងលិច)
* Srah Chrey(ស្រះជ្រៃ)
* Prey Changha(ព្រៃចង្ហារ)
* Prasat Tbeng(ប្រាសាទត្បែង)
* Dang Rek(ដងរែក)
World Heritage Status
This site was added to the UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...
World Heritage
A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for ...
Tentative List on March 27, 2020 (originally proclaimed September 1, 1992) in the Cultural category.- UNESCO World Heritage Centre
References
Bibliography
*
External links
Banteay Chhmar project summary
at Global Heritage Fund
Global Heritage Fund is a non-profit organization that operates internationally.
Founded in California, United States, California in 2002, its mission is to "transform local communities by investing in global heritage."
To date, it has partnere ...
Explore Banteay Chhmar
on Global Heritage Network
Global Heritage Fund is a non-profit organization that operates internationally.
Founded in California in 2002, its mission is to "transform local communities by investing in global heritage."
To date, it has partnered with over 100 public and ...
The fundamental 1937 article "Banteay Chhmar: Marvelous Khmer City in Cambodia" by George Groslier
Visit Banteay Chhmar
{{National parks of Cambodia
Communes of Banteay Meanchey province
Thma Puok District
Buildings and structures in Banteay Meanchey province
Angkorian sites in Banteay Meanchey Province