Terrace of the Leper King
The Terrace of the Leper King ( Khmer : ព្រះ លាន ស្តេ ច គម្លង់) is located near the city of Siem Reap ( Cambodia ) on the north-south road through Angkor Thom , on the large square north of the Terrace of the Elephants . With its numerous well-preserved reliefs, the terrace of the Leper King is one of the most beautiful Khmer works of art.
It is unclear who had this terrace built. King Jayavarman VII towards the end of his reign (around 1220) and King Jayavarman VIII (around 1243–1295) are mentioned in particular .
The name of the terrace is derived from a statue on it, an alleged representation of King Yasovarman I (899–910), who had the first city built in Angkor , fell ill with leprosy , died and is popularly known as the "Leprosy King" was called.
However, the statue probably does not represent a king, but Yama , the Hindu god of death. Ritual cremations of corpses of the royal family and high dignitaries may have taken place on the terrace. The original statue is now in the Phnom Penh National Museum - there is only a replica on the terrace.
literature
- Jürgen Bergmann, Berthold Schwarz, Annaliese Wulf: Cambodia, Laos . Munich 2005 (Nelles Guide). ISBN 3-88618-796-9 .
Web links
Coordinates: 13 ° 26 ′ 51.2 ″ N , 103 ° 51 ′ 31.9 ″ E