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| Date: | Early 10th century CE (c. 907) |
| Style: | Bakheng |
| King: | Yashovarman I (reign 889 – 915 CE) |
| Cult: | Hindu (Shaivite) |
Phnom Bakheng (Khmer: ប្រាសាទភ្នំបាខែង) was built as Yashovarman I's state temple when he relocated the Khmer capital from Hariharalaya (Roluos) to Yashodharapura (Angkor) in 889 CE.
Phnom Bakheng stands as the first temple-mountain of Yashodharapura, built at the centre of that enormous city which was likely larger than Angkor Thom. It was the first temple built with the trademark Khmer quincunx five-tower arrangement in Angkor.
Phnom Bakheng offers excellent sunset views of the surrounding area, most notably southeast to Angkor Wat Temple, northwest to the West Baray, and northeast to the Kulen mountains. This makes Phnom Bakheng the most popular spot in Angkor from which to watch the sunset, bringing large numbers of visitors to the temple-mountain’s summit.
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On The Lantern Chronicles, I gather writings from Angkor, myth and legend, contemplative essays, and poetry — works shaped by silence, beauty, wonder, memory, and the deeper questions that follow us through the world.
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