| This
temple is situated at the Thai border on top of the 625 metres high
Preah Vihear mountain in Svay Chhrum village, Kantuot commune, Choam Ksan
district, 108 kilometres north of Tbaeng Meanchey, the capital of Preah Vihear province. The temple is 800 metres long and 400 metres wide. The Cambodian side
of the mountain is very steep while the Thai side is gently rolling. The
sanctuary is perched on the edge of the cliffs with amazing views over the
seemingly endless Cambodian jungle to the south.
The temple is not yet
restored but has some very spectacular carvings and lintels.
The orientation of the long stairways leading up to the central
sanctuary is north-south and deviates less than 1 degree.
There are no halls with doors or windows in the central sanctuary
opening towards the east. Only in Gopura II the rising sun is visible.
There are no western views from any floors of the temple because the hill
towards west is obscuring the view.
|
Originally the temple was known as
Sreysikharesvara ("The power of
the mountain"). Construction started in the late 9th century, 100
years before the start of Angkor and was
used to worship Shiva Brahmanism. Preah Vihear was the ultimate sacred
temple for the Khmers and provided a place for worship and respect for
kings and scholars during more than 300 years. Preah Vihear was more than
a temple it was a special sanctuary for study and reflection on the close
connection between the heavens and the earth as well as the divinity of
Shiva. The Cambodian flag now flies proudly over the temple which has been
fought for and argued over for a lifetime. In 1962, the International
Court ordered that the temple belonged to Cambodia, but in subsequent
years ownership has changed hands many times, particularly during the
civil war when the Khmer Rouge and the Cambodian army took turns in
wrestling control from each other. Today, Cambodia benefits from the many
visitors, though by far the vast majority come from Thailand. Visitors do
not need a visa to enter Cambodia but receive special permission to cross
the border to visit the temple before returning.
|
