Grand Entrance
The name Samre refers to an ethnic group of mountain people, who inhabited the region at the base of Phnom Kulen. Banteay Samre is a well restored temple about 3 km off the grand circuit of Angkor.
Gopura
Built by Suryavarman II in the middle of the the 12th century, the temple houses well preserved bas-reliefs depicting scenes of the Vishnu and Krishna legend.
Doors
The style of architecture is of the classic art of the middle period of Angkor civilisation similar to that of Angkor Wat.
Central Sanctuary
The temple offers much privacy as it being rather far off, it is rarely visited. This is a shame because the temple has much to offer. The tranquil atmosphere of the temple with the close proximity of the buildings with the many hidden corners makes the place rather eerie, especially in the late evening.
Fading Light
A unique feature of this temple is an interior moat with laterite paving, which when filled with water must have given an ethereal atmosphere to the temple. All of the buildings around the moat are on a raised base with horizontal mouldings, decorated in some areas with figures framed by lotus buds.
|
|
