Preah Vihear Temple
Khmer Temple that has territorial conflict between Cambodia and Thailand
Key facts
- Affiliation
- Buddhism
- Festivals
- Shrine
- Location
- Choam Khsant District , Preah Vihear province
- Country
- Cambodia
- Creator
- Suryavarman I and Suryavarman II
- Completed
- 11th–12th centuries AD
- Inscriptions
- K.383 K.380 K.381 K.382
- Elevation
- 525 m (1,722 ft)
- Official name
- Temple of Preah Vihear
- Criteria
- Cultural: (i)
- Inscription
- 2008 (32nd Session )
- Area
- 154.7 ha (382 acres)
- Buffer zone
Article
Preah Vihear (lit. "vihāra of the gods") (Khmer: ប្រាសាទព្រះវិហារ Prasat Preah Vihear) is an ancient edifice built by the Khmer Empire as a Hindu temple on top of a 525-metre (1,722 ft) cliff in the Dângrêk Mountains, in Cambodia. Over time, it became a Buddhist temple.
As a key edifice of the empire's spiritual life, Preah Vihear was supported and modified by successive kings and thus bears elements of several architectural styles. It is unusual among Khmer temples in being constructed along a long north–south axis, rather than having the conventional rectangular plan with orientation toward the east. The temple gives its name to the surrounding Preah Vihear province.
Gallery (12)
Connections
Categories
12th-century Buddhist templesAngkorian sites in Preah Vihear provinceArchaeological sites in CambodiaBuddhist temples in CambodiaBuildings and structures in Preah Vihear provinceCambodian refugeesCambodia–Thailand borderCambodia–Thailand border disputeDângrêk MountainsDemilitarized zonesDisputed territories in Southeast AsiaFormer Hindu temples in Cambodia