Banteay Chhmar

Banteay Chhmar in Banteay Meanchey province, its name means 'narrow fortress', was one of the capitals of Jayavarman II (802-850).

It was rebuilt by Jayavarman VII (1181-1219) and dedicated to his son Sintravarman who died defending the Khmer empire against the Champa kingdom in 1177.

This archaeological site was built over nine square kilometers and surrounded by a moat, comparable in size to that of Angkor Wat and Angkor Thom. Like Angkor Thom, it was a large walled city with a temple in the middle. As a city, it rivaled Angkor.

The architecture is comparable to the Bayon temple in Angkor, but it is decorated with several kinds of excellent carvings including the God Avalokiteshvara. His 32 arms represent his actual 1,000 arms as a symbol of the great power of Mahayana Buddhism

Other carvings are those of krut, the Indian mythical bird garuda, which protect the temple from evil and accentuate the great power of the kings. There are also rare carvings, not usually seen on other temples, of kinnari, legendary creatures with the body of a woman and the wings of a bird.

To the east, there is a baray.

The temple has suffered heavily from looting, its statues and sculptures being sold to the Thai antique dealers after peace returned to the country in 1992, but many exquisite carvings remain.

Many smaller temples are found in the vicinity of Banteay Chhmar, but most are in terrible conditions.

The legend of King Yosker