The Khleangs are two buildings of unknown purpose on the east side of the Royal Square in
Angkor Thom
Angkor Thom ( km, អង្គរធំ ; meaning "Great City"), alternatively Nokor Thom ( km, នគរធំ ) located in present-day Cambodia, was the last and most enduring capital city of the Khmer empire, Khmer Empire. It was established in ...
,
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 ...
, located just behind the twelve towers of
Prasat Suor Prat
Prasat Suor Prat ( km, ប្រាសាទសួព្រ័ត) is a series of twelve towers spanning north to south lining the eastern side of a royal square in Angkor Thom, near the town of Siem Reap, Cambodia. The towers are made from rugg ...
and separated by the royal route that leads from the Angkor Thom Royal Palace to the Victory Gate. They are oriented along the north-south axis. The two were not built at the same time—the northern building (North Khleang) was built under King
Jayaviravarman and the southern (South Khleang) under his successor
Suryavarman I
Suryavarman I ( km, សូរ្យវរ្ម័នទី១; posthumously ''Nirvanapada'') was king of the Khmer Empire from 1006 to 1050. Suryavarman usurped King Udayadityavarman I, defeating his armies in approximately 1002. After a protra ...
[Higham, C., 2014, Early Mainland Southeast Asia, Bangkok: River Books Co., Ltd., ]—but they are of similar design (although South Khleang is slight narrower). They have given their name to the Khleang style, which is characterised by relatively simple
lintel
A lintel or lintol is a type of beam (a horizontal structural element) that spans openings such as portals, doors, windows and fireplaces. It can be a decorative architectural element, or a combined ornamented structural item. In the case of w ...
s with a central
kala
Kala or Kalah may refer to:
Religion Hinduism
*Kāla, a Sanskrit word meaning ''time''
*Kāla, a Hindu deity of time, destiny, death and destruction closely related to Yama and Shiva.
*Kalā, a Sanskrit word meaning ''performing arts''
* Kala Bo, ...
. Other buildings in the style are
Phimeanakas
Phimeanakas ( km, ប្រាសាទភិមានអាកាស, ''Prasat Phimean Akas'', 'celestial temple') or Vimeanakas ( km, ប្រាសាទវិមានអាកាស, ''Prasat Vimean Akas'') at Angkor, Cambodia, is a Hindu ...
and
Ta Keo
Ta Keo ( km, ប្រាសាទតាកែវ, ) is a temple-mountain in Angkor (Cambodia), possibly the first to be built entirely of sandstone by the Khmer Empire.
The site
Ta Keo was the state temple of Jayavarman V, son of Rajendrava ...
.
Rectangular sandstone buildings set opposite the Elephants Terrace, behind the
Prasat Suor Prat
Prasat Suor Prat ( km, ប្រាសាទសួព្រ័ត) is a series of twelve towers spanning north to south lining the eastern side of a royal square in Angkor Thom, near the town of Siem Reap, Cambodia. The towers are made from rugg ...
. ‘Khleang’ means ‘storeroom’ but it is unlikely that this was the function of the structures, A royal oath of allegiance is carved into the doorway of one Khleang indicating that they may have served as reception areas or even housing for visiting noblemen and ambassadors. The North Khleang was built in wood under Rajendravarman II and then rebuilt in stone by Jayavaraman V, probably before the construction of the South Khleang. The Khleangs are unremarkable upon close inspection but picturesque from a distance, standing among the
Prasat Suor Prat
Prasat Suor Prat ( km, ប្រាសាទសួព្រ័ត) is a series of twelve towers spanning north to south lining the eastern side of a royal square in Angkor Thom, near the town of Siem Reap, Cambodia. The towers are made from rugg ...
.
Gallery
File:Noerdlicher Khleang7.JPG,
File:Suedlicher Khleang4.JPG,
File:Noerdlicher Khleang2.JPG,
File:Noerdlicher Khleang1.JPG ,
File:Suedlicher Khleang3.JPG,
See also
*
Khmer
*
Angkor Wat
Angkor Wat (; km, អង្គរវត្ត, "City/Capital of Temples") is a temple complex in Cambodia and is the largest religious monument in the world, on a site measuring . Originally constructed as a Hinduism, Hindu temple dedicated ...
*
Angkor Thom
Angkor Thom ( km, អង្គរធំ ; meaning "Great City"), alternatively Nokor Thom ( km, នគរធំ ) located in present-day Cambodia, was the last and most enduring capital city of the Khmer empire, Khmer Empire. It was established in ...
*
Khmer Empire
References
External links
www.theangkorguide.comOnline English translation of original manuscript published in 1944 by Maurice Glaize
Angkorian sites in Siem Reap Province
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