Banteay Chhmar

Banteay Chhmar
បន្ទាយឆ្មារ
Commune and village
Banteay Chhmar

Location within Cambodia

Coordinates: 14°4′16″N 103°5′59″E / 14.07111°N 103.09972°ECoordinates: 14°4′16″N 103°5′59″E / 14.07111°N 103.09972°E
Country  Cambodia
Province Banteay Meanchey
District Thma Puok District
Villages 14
Time zone UTC+07

Banteay Chhmar (Khmer: បន្ទាយឆ្មារ) is a commune (khum) in Thma Puok District in Banteay Meanchey province in northwest Cambodia. It is located 63 km north of Sisophon and about 20 km east of the Thai border. The commune of Banteay Chhmar contains 14 villages.

The massive temple of Banteay Chhmar, along with its satellite shrines and reservoir (baray), comprises one of the most important and least understood archaeological complexes from Cambodia's Angkor period.

History

A prince battles a demon (north section of west gallery, third enclosure wall)

Like Angkor Thom, the temple of Banteay Chhmar was accomplished during the reign of Jayavarman VII in the late 12th or early 13th century. One of the temple's shrines once held an image of Srindrakumara rajaputra (the crown prince), probably a son of Jayavarman VII. The long Old Khmer inscription found at the site (K.227), and now on display in the National Museum, Phnom Penh, relates how this prince or a king (samtac) was protected on two different occasions by four royal servants, all of whom lost their lives in his defense. The inscription lists the names of these officials and informs us that their respective images were once placed in the four corners of the shrine.

The Site

The complex resembles Angkor Thom and other structures attributed to Jayavarman VII. It is one of two sites outside Angkor with the enigmatic face-towers. Besides that, its outer gallery is carved with bas-reliefs depicting military engagements and daily life scenes very similar to the well-known ones in Bayon.[1]

The complex is oriented to the east, where there's a dried baray (about 1.6 by 0.8 km), which had a temple on an artificial island (mebon) in its centre. There are three enclosures, as typical. The external one, largely ruined, was 1.9 by 1.7 km and surrounded by a moat. The middle enclosure, provided with a moat too, is 850 by 800 m. It contains the main temple, surrounded by a gallery with reliefs 250 by 200 m which constitutes the third inner enclosure.[2]

Besides the main temple and the mebon there are other eight secondary temples. Four stelae detailing Jayavarman VII's genealogy were placed (though they remain unfinished) at each of the four corners of the third enclosure wall, mirroring the stelae that occupied the four corner-shrines (Prasat Chrung) of the king's capital at Angkor Thom.

Modern Threats

Because of its remote location and its proximity to the Thai border, the complex has been subjected to severe looting, especially in the 1990s. In 1998, 2000 and 2002 the temple was listed by the World Monuments Fund as one of the hundred most endangered sites in all countries.[3]

As example, in 1998 a group of soldiers stole a 30-meters section from the southern wall.[4] The bas-reliefs of Banteay Chhmar once displayed eight exceptional Avalokiteśvaras in the west gallery, but now only two of these images remain: in January 1999 some looters dismantled sections of the western gallery wall containing these wonderful bas-reliefs. The truck that transported them was intercepted by Thai police by chance, and the 117 sandstone pieces of the wall were recovered. At present, these are on display in the National Museum of Cambodia at Phnom Penh. However, there has been no serious investigation of that theft.[4]

Villages

  • Kouk Samraong
  • Koet
  • Kbal Tonsaong
  • Banteay Chhmar Cheung
  • Bangtey Chmar Khang Lech
  • Kbal Krabei
  • Banteay Chhmar Tboung
  • Trapeim Thlok
  • Thma Daekkeh
  • Thlok
  • Kouk Samraong Lech
  • Srah Chrey
  • Prey Changha
  • Prasat Tbeng
  • Dang Rek

References

  1. ↑ Bacus, Elisabeth A.; Glover, Ian C.; Sharrock, Peter D., eds. (July 31, 2009). Interpreting Southeast Asia's Past: Monument, Image and Text. University of Hawaii Press. pp. 13–24. ISBN 978-9971-69-405-0.
  2. ↑ Banteay Chhmar on CISARK site
  3. ↑ World Monuments Watch 1996-2008
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Lafont, Masha (2004). Pillaging Cambodia: the illicit traffic in Khmer art. McFarland & Company. pp. 52–56. ISBN 978-0-7864-1933-3.

Bibliography

External links

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