Western Baray

Location of West Baray as seen from the air

On the banks of the West Baray

The Western Baray ( Khmer : បារាយណ៍ទឹកថ្លា ) is a Baray , i.e. a water reservoir from the Angkor period in Cambodia .

The Western Baray is just outside the city walls of Angkor Thom and faces west-east. The construction started under the rule of Suryavarman I was finished by his successor Udayadityavarman II . Its ground plan is rectangular and measures 2.1 kilometers by 8 kilometers; it forms the largest baray in Angkor. The water is held by dikes made of earth . In the center of the Baray lies the western Mebon, completed by Udayadityavarman II until 1066, on a small artificially raised island. The builders of the Western Baray seem to have incorporated earlier structures. Most of the eastern part of the dike belonged to the dyke system that the city had already protected at the time of King Yasovarman I. In the southern part, a stone pyramid temple was flooded as a result of the dyke construction, while in the western part there is an old settlement that was also submerged in the water. On a stele from 713 there are references to rice fields that were given to Queen Jayadevi as sacrifices.

More recently, a sluice has been built into the south dike of the Western Baray for the purpose of water regulation . Today its western half carries water all year round; during the rainy season the eastern half is also filled. Due to the clear, calm water, the Baray is a popular destination for swimmers and rowers.

In the southwest of the Western Baray lies the area of Banteay Choeu , one of the oldest Angkorian constructions. The construction of the southern dike partially flooded the Prasat Ak Yum .

literature

Dawn Rooney: Angkor . Airphoto International 2002.
Jean Laur: Angkor. An illustrated guide to the monuments . Flammarion 2002.

Individual evidence

^ 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. 277 (Italian: I tesori di Angkor . Translated by Wolfgang Hensel).

13.434245 103.800588Coordinates: 13 ° 26 ′ 3 ″ N , 103 ° 48 ′ 2 ″ E

[NG277-1] 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. 277 (Italian: I tesori di Angkor . Translated by Wolfgang Hensel).