Prasat Muang Tam ( th, ปราสาทเมืองต่ำ, , ; ) is a Khmer Hindu Temple in Prakhon Chai District, Buriram Province, Thailand. It is primarily in the

Khleang The Khleangs are two buildings of unknown purpose on the east side of the Royal Square in Angkor Thom, Cambodia, located just behind the twelve towers of Prasat Suor Prat and separated by the royal route that leads from the Angkor Thom Royal Pal ...

and

Baphuon The Baphuon ( km, ប្រាសាទបាពួន) is a temple at Angkor, Cambodia. It is located in Angkor Thom, northwest of the Bayon. It is Bhuddha Vihar History Built in the mid-11th century, it is a three-tiered temple mountain b ...

styles, which dates its primary phases of construction to the late-10th and early-11th centuries. The primary deity was

Shiva Shiva (; sa, शिव, lit=The Auspicious One, Śiva ), also known as Mahadeva (; ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐ, or Hara, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions within Hindu ...

, although

Vishnu Vishnu ( ; , ), also known as Narayana and Hari, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the supreme being within Vaishnavism, one of the major traditions within contemporary Hinduism. Vishnu is known as "The Preserver" withi ...

was also worshipped there. Like most Hindu temples, Muang Tam is oriented towards the east. It has a flat concentric plan, with a central sanctuary and two surrounded successively by an inner enclosure, ponds, and an outer enclosure. The ponds between the enclosures are an unusual feature of the temple, as is the central sanctuary, which is not elevated and has its towers arranged in rows of three and two. All the towers except the central one have been restored. Kala are particularly prominent in the

lintels 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 ...

of the temple. They are the best available aid in dating the structure, but the mix of styles (

and

) makes accurate dating impossible. Several of the lintels on the outer

gopura A ''gopuram'' or ''gopura'' ( Tamil: கோபுரம், Malayalam: ഗോപുരം, Kannada: ಗೋಪುರ, Telugu: గోపురం) is a monumental entrance tower, usually ornate, at the entrance of a Hindu temple, in the So ...

s are unfinished. A small probably contemporaneous with the temple, lay to the east, while a later, larger

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 ...

survives further north between Muang Tam and

Phanom Rung Phanom Rung ( th, พนมรุ้ง, ), or full name, Prasat Hin Phanom Rung ( th, ปราสาทหินพนมรุ้ง – ''Phanom Rung Stone Castle''), is a Hindu Khmer Empire temple complex set on the rim of an extinct volcan ...

References

* Freeman, Michael. ''A Guide to Khmer Temples in Thailand and Laos''. Weatherhill, 1998.

External links

The Official Website of Muangtam Sanctuary (Muangtum Temple)
Angkorian sites in Thailand Former populated places in Thailand 10th-century Hindu temples Buildings and structures in Buriram province Tourist attractions in Buriram province {{Thailand-struct-stub km:ប្រាសាទមឿងតាំ