Phanom Rung

Phanom Rung rises above the southern Khorat plain on the summit of an extinct volcano. Its Khmer sanctuary, built principally of pink sandstone, was dedicated to Shiva and conceived as an earthly image of his mountain home. A long processional way, serpent bridges and stairways lead to the central tower, whose carved pediments and lintels depict Hindu gods and episodes from the great epics.

The sanctuary took shape over several centuries. Its earliest brick foundations date to the tenth century, while the main tower was built in the twelfth by Narendraditya, a relative of King Suryavarman II. Later additions included two library buildings. Reservoirs and channels collected water from the volcanic heights for the communities and rice fields on the plain below, linking the sacred mountain with its surrounding settlements.