Preah Vihear

Preah Vihear crowns the edge of the Dangrek escarpment, high above the Cambodian plain. Dedicated to Shiva, the Khmer sanctuary is arranged along a remarkable axis of stairways, causeways and gateways extending some eight hundred metres. Pilgrims climbed past reservoirs and successive pavilions toward the sacred buildings at the summit, where the view opens across the lowlands below.

The site's religious history reaches back to the ninth century. From the early eleventh century it developed as a royal temple, and successive Khmer rulers enlarged and embellished it into the twelfth. Carved stone pediments and lintels portray Hindu deities and sacred stories. The long ascent and the temple's commanding position make the mountain itself an essential part of the sanctuary's design.