Bakheng Temple

Bakheng Temple

Bakheng Temple (Phnom Bakheng) is a Hindu temple dedicated to the god Shiva among the Angkor ruins in Cambodia. It was built on Phnom Bakheng hill by King Yasovarman I of the Khmer Empire in the 9th century after he established his capital in Angkor.

Phnom Bakheng is a small hill located about 1.5 kilometers northwest of Angkor Wat. From the summit of Phnom Bakheng, you can enjoy a bird’s-eye view of Angkor Wat. The hill stands 65 meters high and is surrounded by a moat, symbolizing the cosmic ocean that encircles Mount Meru — the sacred mountain at the center of the universe in Hindu mythology. Bakheng Temple was constructed on the flat hilltop. The temple-mountain features a steep five-tiered base, square in shape, standing 13 meters high. The base measures 76 meters on each side at the lowest level, gradually narrowing to 47 meters at the top. The steep temple-mountain symbolizes Mount Meru. The five sanctuary towers at the top of the temple represent the five peaks of Mount Meru. At the center of each of the four sides of the base, there are steep stone staircases with five levels — ten steps per level — leading directly up to the temple platform. On either side of each staircase level, a pair of seated lions stands guard, though some of the lions are now damaged and unrecognizable.

The 109 towers of Bakheng Temple are arranged in strict geometric symmetry: the five towers at the top consist of one central tower and one at each of the four corners, forming a five-petaled lotus pattern. Each of the four square tiers of the temple-mountain base has corner towers at its four corners, totaling 20 corner towers. Each of the four five-tiered staircases has a pair of towers flanking each level, adding up to 40 staircase towers. Additionally, 44 towers are positioned around the perimeter of the temple-mountain. In the early 14th century, the Yuan Dynasty navigator Wang Dayuan referred to Bakheng Temple as the “Hundred Towers Isle” when he visited Chenla. At that time, over a hundred of the towers were still gilded. Today, many of the towers are incomplete.