Beyond Angkor Wat: The forgotten temples of Cambodia's Banteay Chhmar

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Beyond Angkor Wat: The forgotten temples of Cambodia's Banteay Chhmar

Post by CEOCambodiaNews »

26 October 2017
(CNN) — If you've heard of one Cambodian temple, it's probably Angkor Wat -- an awe-inspiring yet well-trodden UNESCO World Heritage Site in Siem Reap. But many travelers don't realize the Seventh Wonder of the World is one of thousands of ancient Khmer temples dotting the Cambodian countryside.

Hidden beneath a canopy of trees in the northwestern jungles of Cambodia lies a lesser known beauty: Banteay Chhmar, which roughly translates to "Citadel of Cats."
Brought to life in the 12th century by Jayavarman VII, one of the Khmer Empire's greatest rulers, this little-understood temple was left uninhabited for nearly 800 years...
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A transcendental experience
Considered one of the most important Khmer temple complexes in its heyday, Banteay Chhmar was built to honor King Jayavarman VII's son Suryakumara and four army commanders.
Amid jungle foliage and broken rocks, the eight-temple complex features stone-faced towers graced with enigmatic smiles -- thought to depict Jayavarman or Buddhist deities -- and intricate bas-reliefs recounting tales of religion and war.
Simon Warrack, a stone conservator who has studied Cambodian temples for more than 20 years, estimates that hundreds of meters of inscribed walls have collapsed over time, leaving behind a mysterious jigsaw puzzle for historians and archeologists.
In terms of atmosphere, Warrack likens Banteay Chhmar to the famed temples of Angkor Wat in the 1990s, when tourism was still in its infancy...
http://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/c ... index.html
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Barang chgout
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Re: Beyond Angkor Wat: The forgotten temples of Cambodia's Banteay Chhmar

Post by Barang chgout »

Nice spot if one is ever out that way...

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Re: Beyond Angkor Wat: The forgotten temples of Cambodia's Banteay Chhmar

Post by phuketrichard »

been twice and both times we were the only people there
Makes a great stop on the way between SR and Osmach
In a nation run by swine, all pigs are upward-mobile and the rest of us are fucked until we can put our acts together: not necessarily to win, but mainly to keep from losing completely. HST
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Re: Beyond Angkor Wat: The forgotten temples of Cambodia's Banteay Chhmar

Post by SmartAston Martin »

CEOCambodiaNews wrote: Mon Oct 30, 2017 12:47 pm ...

Simon Warrack, a stone conservator who has studied Cambodian temples for more than 20 years, estimates that hundreds of meters of inscribed walls have collapsed over time, leaving behind a mysterious jigsaw puzzle for historians and archeologists.

...
Nice to see outer temples slowly opened up. :)

If these bas-reliefs collapsed, there should be recoverable jigsaw pieces that could reveal more.

Need more info to confirm. I thought most were absconded with.

If recoverable, this could be quite a find!
Melvin Udall: Never, never, interrupt me, okay?

Not if there's a fire, not even if you hear the sound of a thud from my home and one week later there's a smell coming from there that can only be a decaying human body and you have to hold a hanky to your face because the stench is so thick that you think you're going to faint.

Even then, don't come knocking...Not for ANY reason.
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Re: Beyond Angkor Wat: The forgotten temples of Cambodia's Banteay Chhmar

Post by phuketrichard »

HUH:what do u mean slowly opened up? i went there first in 2006
In a nation run by swine, all pigs are upward-mobile and the rest of us are fucked until we can put our acts together: not necessarily to win, but mainly to keep from losing completely. HST
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Re: Beyond Angkor Wat: The forgotten temples of Cambodia's Banteay Chhmar

Post by SmartAston Martin »

Shh! Revealed to the *public* ...

Don't tell all of them of all the temples, that's sacrilege!

Chinese then Indians would be swarming the place!

Slowly, like a proper Apsara dancer ...
Melvin Udall: Never, never, interrupt me, okay?

Not if there's a fire, not even if you hear the sound of a thud from my home and one week later there's a smell coming from there that can only be a decaying human body and you have to hold a hanky to your face because the stench is so thick that you think you're going to faint.

Even then, don't come knocking...Not for ANY reason.
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Re: Beyond Angkor Wat: The forgotten temples of Cambodia's Banteay Chhmar

Post by CEOCambodiaNews »

Not new, but might be useful if you are thinking of going up to visit Banteay Chhmar. Why not try a village home-stay ?
Here's their website: http://www.visitbanteaychhmar.org/
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Community homestays finally bear fruit at Banteay Chhmar
Publication date 06 June 2015 | 08:36 ICT
In the past two years, overnight visitors to remote Banteay Chhmar have doubled, and income for villagers has almost tripled, thanks to the Banteay Chhmar Community-Based Tourism project.

It’s easy to see why. A stay can be arranged without fuss on the straightforward website, and it’s only an easy (and interesting) two and half hour drive from Siem Reap to the villages surrounding Banteay Chhmar temple, on a much-improved road...
http://m.phnompenhpost.com/siem-reap-in ... eay-chhmar
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