Preah Ko

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Preah Ko from the southeast: In the middle the three larger towers, left. one of the smaller ones in the second row. Re. a Nandi figure
The three Nandi figures

Preah Ko is a temple near the city of Siem Reap in Cambodia . He belongs to the Roluos group .

Preah Ko was built in the late 9th century during the reign of King Indravarman I in the new capital Hariharalaya and, according to an inscription, was inaugurated on January 25, 880. The central sanctuary was dedicated to Paramesvara, both a name of the Hindu god Shiva and the nickname of the former king Jayavarman II. The complex consists of six towers on a common base: To the east, the three larger towers are lined up next to each other, the middle one being slightly recessed Tower is built tallest; behind each tower (i.e. facing west) there is a slightly smaller tower. In the east of the common base - opposite the three east towers - three bull figures facing the towers are erected; they represent Nandi , the mount of the god Shiva, and are the basis of the modern name of the temple - "Temple of the Holy Ox".

The central sanctuary is surrounded by two concentric square walls made of laterite and an enclosing wide moat. Both the walls with gopuram (gate towers as access to the area), the moat and the free-standing additions, now known as libraries , became characteristic elements of Angkor's architecture in later temples in the region .

Preah Ko is eponymous for the architectural style of the Khmer at the time of the reign of Indravarman I.

  • Preah Ko, lintel

  • Preah Ko, lions at the entrance

literature

  • Jürgen Bergmann, Berthold Schwarz, Annaliese Wulf: Cambodia, Laos. Nelles Guide, Munich 2006, ISBN 3-88618-796-9 .
  • Michael Falser: The Pre-Angkorian Temple of Preah Ko. A Sourcebook of the History, Construction and Ornamentation of the Preah Ko Style. White Lotos Publication, Bangkok 2006, ISBN 974-4800-85-2 .
  • Michael Falser: The pre-Angkorian brick temple of Preah Ko in Roluos near Angkor, Cambodia - On the history, composition and construction. In: Architectura. Journal for the history of architecture. Edited by TU Berlin, Columbia University New York, Yale University. Volume 37 / Vol. 2 (2007), pp. 195-212.
  • Michael Freeman, Claude Jacques: Ancient Angkor. River Books, Bangkok 2006, ISBN 974-8225-27-5 .

Web links

Commons : Preah Ko  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Marilia Albanese: Angkor . National Geographic Art Guide. Ed .: National Geographic Society . G + J / RBA GmbH & Co. KG, Hamburg 2006, ISBN 978-3-937606-77-4 , p. 24 (Italian: I tesori di Angkor . Translated by Wolfgang Hensel).

Coordinates: 13 ° 20 ′ 38 "  N , 103 ° 58 ′ 21.8"  E