The ancient capital Koh Ker

Koh Ker temple complex. Koh Ker, 49 kilometres west of Tbaeng Meanchey, was the capital city of Cambodia from 928 to 944. 

The temple site was built by king Jayavarman IV (928-942) to worship Treypuvanesvara, the God of happiness. He moved the capital because of an intimidating domestic crisis within the royal family. His son king Harshavarman I moved the capital back to Angkor in 944.

Left to the jungle for one thousand years, this almost inaccessible great archaeological site is not on the programme of most tourists.

• Neang Khmao temple sits on the east side of a 3 kilometres trail. 20 metres high, it resembles a small stupa
• Pram temple some 800 metres north of Neang Khmao, it is constructed from laterite and stone
• Chen temple Inside the temple is a peace of lingam and remnants of a statue of King Jayavarman IV
• The Preng well is 20 metres square and surrounded by stone
• Rampart of Koh Ker temple, one kilometre long and two kilometres wide, has more than twenty temples inside:
  • Kampiang temple or Prasat Thom looks from a distance like a small hill because it is covered with forest. It has seven levels, each level about five metres above the other. At the top of the temple, there are large statues of garudas supporting Shiva lingam Treypuvanesvara.
  • Kuk temple or Gopura: made of sandstone, it has a sculpture of lotus petals on the fronton. The lingam that was once inside has been looted. Most of the temple is in good condition
  • Prang temple, a sandstone and brick construction with 5 separate parts.
  • Prasat Krohom constructed with red brick (the name means 'red temple') is shaped like a seven lewvel piramid has a 3 metres tall statue of Lord Shiva with eight arms and four heads inside, though the statue is seriously damaged and only some parts remain. It is famed for its seated, lying and standing lion statues and is the largest structure in the group apart from the Kampiang temple.
  • Khmao temple

Some pieces  from the city can be viewed in the national museum in Phnom Penh: a pair of wrestlers, Sukrip (Sugriva) and Piali (Vali), the monkey-headed brothers from the Ramayana legend, locked in hand-to-hand combat, and a sculpture of Garuda, Vishnu's vehicle.