Eastern Mebon

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Eastern Mebon (visible are the central tower on the fourth level and two of the four flanking prasats on the third level)

The Eastern Mebon is a temple in Angkor ( Cambodia ), which was built by order of Rajendravarman II. (944-968). The minister and architect Kavindrarimathana was responsible for the planning . The sanctuary was built on an artificial island (Mebon = island temple) in the middle of the eastern Baray (Yasodharatataka). The Shiva temple was dedicated in 952. The Eastern Baray has dried up today and the island temple rises in the middle of the rice fields.

Rajendravarman II and his building project

After his accession to the throne in 944, Rajendravarman II moved the capital of the Khmer Empire from Koh Ker back to the Angkor region. He started numerous construction projects for which his minister and architect Kavindrarimathana was responsible. Rajendravarman gave the order to restore the old capital Yasodharapura, which Yasovarman I had built. He had the temples of Eastern Mebon, Pre Rup , Bat Chum and Kutisvara built, the Baksei Chamkrong completed and possibly also the Srah Srang dug. Rajendravarman had inscriptions placed on four temples. Under the rule of Rajendravarman II, the independent Pre Rup style was developed.

Eastern Mebon

location

The Eastern Mebon is located on a cuboid, artificial island in the (now dried out) Eastern Baray (Yasodharatataka). This huge, approx. 7 km long and 1.8 km wide water reservoir was built on behalf of Yasovarman I (889–910). Various authors write that Yasovarman I also had the artificial island built (prepared) in the Baray. In one of the six Bat Chum inscriptions , however, it is said that Rajendravarman II (944 - 968) gave Kavindrarimathana the instruction to create an artificial temple island in Yasodharatataka, in another Bat Chum inscription the king himself is the builder called des Mebon.

The island with the temple is not exactly in the middle of the Baray, but only in the middle of the longitudinal axis, but clearly south of the center of the transverse axis. The Eastern Mebon, on the other hand, is on the same axis as the Eastern Gopuram of the Royal Palace of Angkor Thom (= center of the Terrace of the Elephants ) and the Victory Gate (apart from a deviation of 1 °) .

There are various details about the base area of ​​the island block: a rectangle 126 m long and 121 m wide, a rectangle 117 m long and 114 m wide and a square 120 m long. * The orientation of the island cuboid corresponds precisely to the four cardinal directions . In the middle of each side there is a protruding dock for the boats. A staircase, which has 10 steps and is flanked by two lions, leads from each landing to the first platform. It is not clear whether the landing stages date from the time of Yasovarman I or Rajendravarman II. The water in the Eastern Baray was once (depending on the season) between 3 m and 5 m high, so that a large part of the laterite stone block that forms the artificial island was below the surface of the water. Today the Baray has dried up and large masses of earth have accumulated on all sides of the island, hiding the lower part of the base. * Measurements using Google Earth seem to confirm that the base is a precise square with a side length of 120 m.

architecture

A temple mount?

In the specialist literature there are controversial statements on the question of whether the Eastern Mebon is a mountain temple (pyramid temple) or not (or whether it symbolizes the mythological mountain Meru or not). One of the six Bat-Chum inscriptions could provide an answer , in which it is said that Rajendravarman II had commissioned Kavindrarimathana to create a “mountain” in the middle of the Yasodharatataka.

Plan of the temple

The structures of the Eastern Mebon are on four different levels.

First floor

First floor

The island platform represents the first (lowest) level. On it there is (from outside to inside) the surrounding, approx. 5.5 m wide terrace with the elephant sculptures in the four corners, along with the outer (2nd) surrounding wall the four cross-shaped entrance gates ( gopuras ) set back in wall niches and 16 rectangular halls (forerunners of the galleries) within the wall.

second level

Elephant on the second level

The second level is on a 2.4 m high step made of laterite. The surrounding terrace is significantly narrower than that of the first level. In the four corners there are again elephant statues. The inner (1st) perimeter wall rises between 2 m and 5 m (on the west side) from the edge. Four axial staircases flanked by lions lead to the (not cross-shaped) gopuras, which also stand in inwardly drawn niches. In each of the four corners within the wall there is a library made of laterite. An additional, fifth library is located in the southeast corner. Eight small brick towers rise on the same level, each in pairs in front of the gopuras.

Third level

Third level

The next step is clad with sandstone and is 3 m high. Four axial stairs flanked by lions lead to the third level. There are four large brick towers (each in the corners) on top of it.

Fourth level

Fourth level

The top step is 1.9 m high. Four axial stairs flanked by lions lead to the fourth level. This is almost entirely taken up by the central brick tower. It's bigger than the four towers on the third level. Together with these it forms the quincunx .

Building material

Laterite, sandstone and brick were used on the Eastern Mebon. Wood and glazed roof tiles were also used to a lesser extent (in the gallery-like buildings within the 2nd enclosure wall, holes can be seen that were used to attach the supporting beams for the roof construction).

The five main towers are made of relatively small bricks measuring 22 cm × 13 cm × 5.5 cm and were originally covered with a stucco-like mortar. The numerous holes that serve to better connect the stucco with the brick masonry still testify to this today.

Sculptures and reliefs

A total of 8 elephant sculptures stand diagonally in the terrace corners in front of the two surrounding walls. Originally 16 pairs of lions guarded the axial stairs. the elephants are almost 2 m high, largely depicted in a naturalistic way and, together with the base on which they stand, are carved from a block.

Architectural style

The Eastern Mebon is built in the so-called Pre-Rup style (944 - approx. 968). It was named after the Pre Rup temple , the state temple of Rajendravarman II, which was inaugurated 9 years after Eastern Mebon.

The numerous lintels of the eastern Mebon are masterfully designed and worked and are even more precise and detailed than on the Pre Rup.

Inscription and initiation

The inscription on the founding stele found in the temple states that Rajendravarman II (944–968) had the Temple Mount built in honor of his parents and that it was consecrated in 952. The same inscription also states that the king donated images of Shiva , Parvati , Vishnu and Brahma (which were probably in the four corner towers of the quincunx ) and 8 lingas (these were in the eight small towers on the second level). Presumably the statue of Shiva was in the form of the father and that of Parvati in the form of the mother of Rajendravarman II.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Jochen Mertens: The Sanskrit inscriptions from Bat Chum. Books on Demand, Norderstedt 2005, ISBN 3-8334-2497-4 , p. 24.
  2. ↑ Jochen Mertens: The Sanskrit inscriptions from Bat Chum. Books on Demand, Norderstedt 2005, ISBN 3-8334-2497-4 , p. 25.
  3. ↑ Jochen Mertens: The Sanskrit inscriptions from Bat Chum. Books on Demand, Norderstedt 2005, ISBN 3-8334-2497-4 , p. 28 ff.
  4. ↑ Michael Freemann, Claude Jacques: The old Angkor. first German edition. River Books, Bangkok 2006, ISBN 974-9863-35-6 , p. 161.
  5. ↑ Jochen Mertens: The Sanskrit inscriptions from Bat Chum. Books on Demand, Norderstedt 2005, ISBN 3-8334-2497-4 , p. 36 and p. 50.
  6. ↑ Michael Freemann, Claude Jacques: The old Angkor. first German edition. River Books, Bangkok 2006, ISBN 974-9863-35-6 , p. 161.
  7. ^ Marilia Albanese: Angkor. National Geographic Art Guide, 2006, ISBN 3-937606-77-7 , p. 104.
  8. ^ A b Maurice Glaize: Les Monuments du groupe d'Angkor . 4th edition. Adrien-Maisonneuve, Paris 1993, ISBN 2-7200-1091-X , p. 161 (French, 285 p., Translation into English by Nils Tremmel [PDF; 8.0 MB ; accessed on August 11, 2011] First edition: Portail, Saigon 1944).
  9. ↑ Michael Freemann, Claude Jacques: The old Angkor. first German edition. River Books, Bangkok 2006, ISBN 974-9863-35-6 , p. 161.
  10. ^ Marilia Albanese: Angkor. National Geographic Art Guide, 2006, ISBN 3-937606-77-7 , p. 104.
  11. ↑ Michael Freemann, Claude Jacques: The old Angkor. first German edition. River Books, Bangkok 2006, ISBN 974-9863-35-6 , p. 161.
  12. ↑ Jochen Mertens: The Sanskrit inscriptions from Bat Chum. (Dissertation at the University of Münster ). Books on Demand, Norderstedt 2005, ISBN 3-8334-2497-4 , p. 24.
  13. ^ Marilia Albanese: Angkor. National Geographic Art Guide, 2006, ISBN 3-937606-77-7 , p. 104.
  14. ↑ Michael Freemann, Claude Jacques: The old Angkor. first German edition. River Books, Bangkok 2006, ISBN 974-9863-35-6 , p. 161.
  15. ↑ Michael Freemann, Claude Jacques: The old Angkor. first German edition. River Books, Bangkok 2006, ISBN 974-9863-35-6 , p. 162.
  16. ↑ Michael Freemann, Claude Jacques: The old Angkor. first German edition. River Books, Bangkok 2006, ISBN 974-9863-35-6 , p. 162.
  17. ↑ Michael Freemann, Claude Jacques: The old Angkor. first German edition. River Books, Bangkok 2006, ISBN 974-9863-35-6 , p. 162.
  18. ^ Maurice Glaize: Les Monuments du groupe d'Angkor . 4th edition. Adrien-Maisonneuve, Paris 1993, ISBN 2-7200-1091-X , p. 162 (French, 285 p., Translation by Nils Tremmel into English [PDF; 8.0 MB ; accessed on August 11, 2011] First edition: Portail, Saigon 1944).
  19. ^ Marilia Albanese: Angkor. National Geographic Art Guide, 2006, ISBN 3-937606-77-7 , p. 106.
  20. ^ Marilia Albanese: Angkor. National Geographic Art Guide, 2006, ISBN 3-937606-77-7 , p. 106.
  21. ↑ Jochen Mertens: The Sanskrit inscriptions from Bat Chum. Books on Demand, Norderstedt 2005, ISBN 3-8334-2497-4 , p. 29 and p. 30.

Web links

Commons : Eastern Mebon  - collection of images, videos and audio files
Wikivoyage: Eastern Mebon  Travel Guide

Coordinates: 13 ° 26 '47.5 "  N , 103 ° 55' 11.9"  E