|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| By
: Moul Vong, Picture by : Phoeurn Revant. |
|
Hidden in
jungle and almost inaccessible by road, a huge ruined
temple rears out of the forest in remote Preah Vihear
province in northern Cambodia.
This is Prasat Prang, the jewel in the crown of
this lost city of Koh Ker. Now, people from the
Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts along with UNESCO
have started to put into effect plans that they
believe will once again promote Koh Ker as a tourist
attraction to compliment, if not rival, Angkor.
Set amidst verdant jungle, the former capital of
Koh Ker is located in Koulen district, 72 km west
of the actual provincial town of Preah Vihear, and
about 300 km north of Phnom Penh by National Road
6. It can also be reached by road by traveling about
85 km north of Siem Reap's Angkor Wat.
Koh Ker is the city that King Jayavarman IV built
for himself in the 10th century. He began work on
his rival capital in 921AD and proclaimed himself
king and Koh Ker his capital in murky circumstances
in 928AD. "The former name of the city of Koh
Ker was Chok Gargyar," said Mr Ung Von, Director
of the Heritage Department under the Ministry of
Culture and Fine Arts. |
|
| |
 |
|
Prasat Prang, a seven-tiered
pyramid built on 4900 square meter platform at
Koh Ker, Preah Vihear province
|
| |
|
|
|
The ministry,
in cooperation with UNESCO, has carried out extensive
research on the site, much of which was set out in a January
2000 report.
"It was built by King Jayavarman IV (928-942) and
continued its brief glory for another two years under
the reign of King Hasavarman II. In 944, King Jayavarman
II's nephew, King Rajendravarman II, again moved the capital
south to Yasodharapura (Bakheng)."
There are approximately 68 monuments at this site alone,
according to ministry officials, ranging from very small
ones to the 35-meter splendor of its centerpiece, Prasat
Prang. Prey Vihear province has about 200 Prasats altogether.
Almost two years of research has gone into looking at
ways of developing the site as a cultural and tourist
mecca.
That research was rewarded on July 10 when the Ministry
of Culture and Fine Arts took about 70 government officials
and representatives of the French, German, Japanese and
US embassies, UNDP and UNESCO by helicopter to explore
the area.
The impressive Prasat Prang, which consists of a seven-tiered
pyramid, is just west of Prasat Thom. Prasat Prang is
the most impressive of the collection of surrounding prasats
in the Koh Ker style with a series of halls and galleries
leading off it to various other structures. Some of the
most impressive carved lintels of any Cambodian architectural
site are still visible through the vegetation.
The remoteness of the site has in many ways preserved
it from the worst ravages of looters that many other ancient
structures have suffered.
The surrounding jungle was declared a wildlife conservation
area by royal decree in 1993 so any development will take
into account the preservation of the wealth of fauna and
the jungle that has protected Koh Ker for so many years.
Visitors to the National Museum can get some idea of the
quality of the Koh Ker stone carvings by viewing two pieces
in particular from the city_ a pair of wrestlers, Sukrip
(Sugriva) and Piali (Vali), the monkey-headed brothers
from the Ramayana legend, locked in hand-to-hand combat,
and a sculpture of Garuda, Vishnu's vehicle.
"A special feature of the Koh Ker style is the use
of gigantic figures, both human and animal, often captured
in dynamic movement," said Mr Hab Touch, Deputy Director
of the National Museum. |
|
| |
|
 |
|
A high-relief lintel at the
second wall leading to Prasat Prang
|
| |
|
"These
sculptures are a fine example of that style."
At Koh Ker itself, many of the statues are already
gone, smuggled out by thieves. But the structural
carvings remain; giving a good idea of how glorious
the city must have been at its peak.
"Prang means a single pyramid-shaped pinnacle.
Prasat Prang is a giant pyramid looming over the
horizon and occupying a square platform of about
4900 square meters", said Mr Chuch Phoeurn,
Under Secretary of State for the Ministry of Culture
and Fine Arts.
"It is defined by three laterite enclosure
walls. The perimeter of the wall enclosing Prasat
Prang and Prasat Thom measures about one kilometer.
"Prasat Prang's stability was ensured by laying
a large platform of laterite over four to five separate
layers of packed sand and fill. The interior layer
of Prasat was made of laterite and the exterior
layer of sandstone, which was as precious as gold
at that time but also perfect material for fine
carving.
"Prasat Prang created a new style of sculpture
with a fine, dynamic design and lively movement
as |
|
|
opposed to static
designs of some other temples. "The finest designs
are seen in the larger carvings, which also illustrate
an excellent range of decoration and scenes of ordinary
life, such as hair styles, ornamentation and jewelry of
the time, for both royalty and the people. These are very
different to those of Koulen or Koulen Brahman Deva (9th
century) or Angkor (13th century)."
Mr Chuch Phoeurn said the skill required to construct
something of Prasat Prang's size was considerable.
"At about half of the height of Angkor Wat from the
ground to the top, each tier of Prasat Prang is progressively
smaller and higher than the one below. This seven-tier
structure stands 35 meters tall, enabling visitors walking
around the peak to see an endless expanse of jungle. Its
style is more or less similar to Prasat Bakheng or Bakorng
but the difference is that Prasat Prang has only a sole
prang (pinnacle). “This pyramid has only one staircase
facing to the east, climbing high to the central pinnacle,
which represents Kailasa (a mythical mountain in Himalayas
and the abode of Shiva), based on the perspective of Hindu
cosmology.
"A search is going to be conducted for the missing
Sri Tribhuvanesvara or the Royal Linga at the top of Kailasa,
which also demonstrated the mighty power of King Jayavarman
IV."
Mr Ouk Socheat, Under Secretary of State for the Ministry
of Culture and Fine Arts, said that Koh Ker was vitally
important as it filled an archeological gap in Khmer history. |
|
He said
it would have its own cultural and technical value
as an example of 10th century Khmer architecture,
compared with most important historical sites in
Cambodia.
Angkor and Banteay Chmar, for instance, in Siem
Reap and Banteay Meanchey provinces respectively,
are of the 12th and 13th centuries. Sambo Prey Kuk,
another important archeological center in Kampong
Thom province, is from the sixth and seventh centuries.
"And visiting Koh Ker as a tourist destination
would never disappoint," he added. "It
is 300 years older than Angkor Wat and will exceed
any visitor's expectations."
But despite its beauty, the site has many hurdles
to overcome before it can join Angkor as one of
Cambodia's premier tourist attractions.
"The area is still heavily mined because of
the war in the 1980’s," Mr Ung Von said.
"And the road leading from Siem Reap to Koh
Ker is still very bad and only accessible during
the dry season.
"There are few people living up here, and the
majority of inhabitants of this red soil area are
still poor and uneducated. They don't have schools,
medical facilities, markets, a source of clean drinking
water or a pagoda," he said.
Prasat Prang's structure is relatively in good repair
except its missing royal linga at the top. However,
the structure of other temples, including Prasat
Thom and Prasat Kraham had been partly or seriously
|
|
| |
|
 |
|
The monkey brothers of the Ramayana
in battle (above left) and a Garuda at the National
Museum (above)
|
| |
|
|
damaged by, among
other factors, centuries of neglect, vegetation, vandalism,
and heavily shelling bombardment as the area used to be
a Khmer Rouge stronghold. The local people have been enlisted
to protect Koh Ker with the help of a small UNESCO. "Even
though nothing is left inside the Temple except few ruined
statutes, the Prasat Thom structure itself is fascinating
because of its pyramid proportions and beautiful carvings
and is still vulnerable to vandalism", said Ms. Tamara
Teneishvili, Program Specialist for the World Heritage
Unit, UNESCO Office in Phnom Penh.
"About 40 local people have been enlisted to protect
Koh Ker with a Food for Work project run by the World
Food Program and a small UNESCO grant, which provides
them with an on-site shelter, two motorbikes and all the
basic materials to monitor the monuments under a project
to promote awareness among local people about the importance
of this valuable asset and its preservation and the protection.
"It is still very difficult to access the area even
during the dry season, but the first step will be to clear
the vegetation from the monuments. "More important
still is UNESCO's commitment to assist the Ministry of
Culture and Fine Arts in approaching donors to mobilize
funds for the protection and promote the Koh Ker site."
|
|
| |
|
 |
|
Sokrep-and-Peali
|
| |
|
The French government
and perhaps also CMAC will help to demine the area.
A Siem Reap-based construction company has already
budgeted to build a new road between Siem Reap and
Koh Ker and develop hotels in villages nearby.
Mr Chuch Phoeurn is cheerful and optimistic about
the future for Koh Ker.
"France is going to assist Cambodia in demining
the area while UNESCO running a project to clear
the monuments of vegetation and to help guard them.
The road and demining are part of a master plan
has been finalized by the Council for Development
of Cambodia," he said.
"Everything going to plan, when the area is
developed, local and foreign cultural and eco-tourists
will be able to visit the Koh Ker circuit by all-weather
road by next year and by paved road not later than
2003," he added.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Previous
Article |
Next Article
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Suite
B8, Regency Square, InterContinental Hotel, 294 Mao Tse Toung
Boulevard,
Phnom Penh, Kingdom of Cambodia.
Tel: (855) 23 213 133 Fax: (855) 23 213 033
E-mail:
editor@leisurecambodia.com |
|
|
|
Read
Leisure By :
