Preah Khan

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Preah Khan

The name Preah Khan means “Sacred Sword”. The temple was built of laterite and sandstone on the site of the lake of blood, the former battle field between the Khmers and Chams in 1191 by Jayavarman VII to honor his father.

The plan layout of this temple is in the shape of a cruciform facing East and is dedicated to four religions; the North section is for Shiva, the West for Vishnu, the South section is for animism with the central area for the Buddhist.

In the angkor period the King used this temple to house the Sacred Sword which symbolized the power of the King. Coronations were also carried out here.

Originally the central tower housed also a Buddha dedicated to the name of the King’s father but the statue was removed in the 16th century and a sandstone stupa erected. There the ashes of the highest Buddhist Minister were deposited.

Between 1991 and 2005 the temple has been restored by the American Foundation “the World Monuments Fund”.

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