places Categories: Attractions and City Sightseeing
Koh Ker is a remote archaeological site in northern Cambodia about 120 kilometres (75 mi) away from Siem Reap and the ancient site of Angkor. It is a very jungle filled region that is sparsely populated. More than 180 sanctuaries were found in a protected area of 81 square kilometres (31 sq mi). Only about two dozen monuments can be visited by tourists because most of the sanctuaries are hidden in the forest and the whole area is not fully demined.Koh Ker is the modern name for an important city of the Khmer empire. In inscriptions the town is mentioned as Lingapura (city of lingams) or Chok Gargyar.
Under the reign of the kings Jayavarman IV and Harshavarman II Koh Ker was briefly the capital of the whole empire (928–944 AD). Jayavarman IV forced an ambitious building program. An enormous water-tank and about forty temples were constructed under his rule. The most significant temple‑complex, a double sanctuary (Prasat Thom/Prang), follows a linear plan and not a concentric one like most of the temples of the Khmer kings. Unparalleled is the seven‑tiered and 36-metre (118 ft) high pyramid, which most probably served as state temple of Jayavarman IV. Really impressive too are the shrines with the two‑meter 6 ft 7 in high lingas.
Under Jayavarman IV the style of Koh Ker was developed and the art of sculpture reached a pinnacle. A great variety of wonderful statues were chiselled. Because of its remoteness the site of Koh Ker was plundered many times by looters. Sculptures of Koh Ker can be found not only in different museums but also in private collections. Masterpieces of Koh Ker are offered occasionally at auctions. These pieces in present times are considered stolen art.The site is about two and half hours away from Siem Reap, and basic visitors’ facilities are now being built. This makes Koh Ker very attractive for anyone who would like to experience lonely temples partly overgrown by the forest.
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- Cambodia
Preah Vihear
Preah Vihear
Cambodia -
Angkor Thom (“Great City”), (alternate name: Nokor Thom, Khmer) located in present-day Cambodia, was the last and most enduring capital city of the Khmer empire. It was established in the late twelfth century by King Jayavarman VII. It covers an area of 9 km², within which are located several monuments from earlier eras as well as those established by Jayavarman and his successors. At the centre of the city Read more...
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Choeung Ek, the site of a former orchard and mass grave of victims of the Khmer Rouge – killed between 1975 and 1979 – about 17 kilometres (11 mi) south of Phnom Penh, Cambodia, is the best-known of the sites known as The Killing Fields, where the Khmer Rouge regime executed over one million people between 1975 and 1979.Mass graves containing 8,895 bodies were discovered at Choeung Ek after Read more...
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The tunnels of Củ Chi are an immense network of connecting underground tunnels located in the Củ Chi District of Ho Chi Minh City(Saigon), Vietnam, and are part of a much larger network of tunnels that underlie much of the country. The Củ Chi tunnels were the location of several military campaigns during the Vietnam War, and were the Viet Cong’s base of operations for the Tết Offensive in 1968. Read more...
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Koh Rong, is the second largest island of Cambodia. The word Rongmight refer to an old term for cave or tunnel, although some islanders say Rong refers to a historical person’s name. It can also refer to the old Khmer word for shelter, adding up to Shelter Island. Located in Commune (Sangkat) No. 5, or Sangkat Koh Rong of the Mittakpheap district in Sihanoukville Province about 25 km (16 mi) off the coast in the Gulf of Thailand, Read more...
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The excellent 3-star Kampongsom City Hotel & Casino is set in a tourist area within a 30-minute walk of Xtreme Buggy .The hotel is set 100 meters away from Golden Lion. Set within a 10-minute walking distance from Sihanoukville city center. Guests at Kampongsom City Hotel & Casino are accommodated in rooms with free Wi-Fi, individual climate control, flat-screen TV, Read more...
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