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Prasat Ak Yum is temple in the Angkor region of Cambodia. The first structure on the site was a single-chamber brick sanctuary, probably constructed toward the end of the 8th Century, scholars believe. Later the temple was remade as a stepped pyramid structure, with a base approximately 100 meters square. The expansion probably took place in the early 9th Century during the reign of King Jayavarman II, who is widely recognized as the founder of the Khmer Empire. Although the ruins are today visually unimpressive compared to many others in the Angkor region, they are significant as a forerunner of the temple mountains that became a standard form of Khmer architecture.
When the eight-kilometer long West Baray reservoir was constructed in the 11th Century, Ak Yum was partially buried by the southern dike. The temple was excavated in the 1930s under the direction of archaeologist George Trouvé.
[edit] References
- Higham, Charles. The Civilization of Angkor. University of California Press 2001.
