Banteay Sreo by Simi

This temple is one of our favourites so far. Smaller and quieter—also this was very old yet had lots of its carvings very well restored.

It was actually built under the reign of two Angkorian kings in the late 10th century. To give this some context, other places we have visited that are around as old as this place are..Borobadur in Central Java ( 9th century) , the main pyramid in Chitchen Itza (10th century) and Notre Dame ( started in 1163 but not completed until early 14th century)!

In Khmer, Banteay Srei means the citadel of women. But this is a contemporary name deriving from the phonetic pronunciation of Banteay Sri , the auspicious city! This temple is dedicated to Shiva. The main idol was located in the central Sanctuary tower was a linga, the phallic representation of Shiva.Read more