Ishanapura

Ishanapura was a capital of the early Khmer kingdom of Chenla, remembered through the brick temples of Sambor Prei Kuk. Founded in the seventh century under King Ishanavarman, the city stood amid the forests of central Cambodia. Its religious precinct contains groups of brick sanctuaries, some with distinctive octagonal plans, adorned with carved sandstone. Their forms helped shape the architecture of the later Khmer world.

The city was enclosed by earthworks and supplied by a network of waterworks. Its temple precinct continued to serve as a religious centre after political power shifted elsewhere, retaining its importance through the pre-Angkorian and Angkorian periods. Sculpted lintels and temple towers preserve the artistic traditions of a kingdom that preceded the great monuments of Angkor.

The later city of Kampong Thom city lies here.