Siem Reap : Phnom Bakheng Temple

The temple was built in 907 CE during the reign of King Yasovarman I. The temple is located on a natural hilltop, located in the center of the city of Yasodharapura or Angkor I, and is located between the temples of Angkor Wat and Angkor Thom. From the foot of the hill to the top of the temple, it is 78 meters high. The temple is located between two other mountains, Phnom Krom and Phnom Bok.[1] The temple is a natural hilltop temple, considered a mountain temple with five towers and five levels. The temple is located on the side of the road from Angkor Wat to Bayon, where it can attract many tourists at sunset. The temple was built in the late 9th and early 10th centuries by King Yasovarman I (889-910), who followed the Hindu religion. The height of the mountain is 65 meters. The temple has 109 peaks and is 45 meters high. The temple represents Mount Meru. The temple has 7 floors, the lower floor, five levels and an upper floor, which represent the 7 heavens of God Indus in Hindu mythology. The place where foreign tourists often come to gather before they finish their tour of Siem Reap before nightfall is the Phnom Bakheng Temple, which is a gathering place for hundreds of tourists every day to watch the sunset and see the scenery of almost the entire Angkor area.This temple is truly unique because the 108 pagodas are arranged in an even pattern, 12 large pagodas and one in the middle on the upper floor. Today, many of the pagodas have collapsed. The 12 pagodas on each level represent the 12 animals of the year, and the 108 pagodas probably symbolize the 4 lunar periods, which are 27 days long in each period. In each direction, we can only see 33 pagodas, which represents the 33 deities in Hinduism. The stairs to the temple are very steep. On the steps of the five levels, there are lions guarding the way. The temple is surrounded by a stone wall with a gopura. In addition, there is a temple at the foot of the hill with two lingas and two libraries. On the hill is the temple of King Chanthak, which is located in the middle of the entrance to the temple. In the central tower, there was originally a linga of Preah Isora. The tower has doors in all four directions. The four towers on the upper floors also have linga of Preah Isora, but only have doors in two directions. The central tower has a statue of an apsara. The inscription is on the west side of the north gate of the central tower. According to the inscription, the temple of Phnom Bakheng is located in the center of the city of Yasothapura. This is confirmed by the discovery of the old city walls of the city in the late 9th century. The temple was originally named Yasotharakiri. Later it was called Phnom Kandal. This name was probably thought of as a comparison between Phnom Bok and Phnom Krom, and this mountain is in the middle. It is currently called Phnom Bakheng Temple. We first find this name in the temple's inscriptions in the 16th century.