Bakong

Bakong built in the final decades of 9th century featuring the largest and most interesting mountain-temple in Angkor and also the Roluos Group temples; it has an active Buddhist monastery just to the north of the east entrance. It was built and dedicated to Shiva by Indravarman I. It’s a representation of Mt. Meru, and it served as the city’s central temple. The east facing complex consists of a five tier central pyramid of sandstone, 60m square at the base, flanked by eight towers of brick and sandstones and by other minor sanctuaries. A number of the eight towers below the upper central tower are still partly covered by their original plasterwork.

The complex is enclosed by three concentric walls and a moat. There are well-preserved statutes of stone elephants on each corner of the first three levels of the central temples. There 12 stupas – four to a side – on the third tier. The sanctuary on the fifth level was a later addition during the reign of Suryavarman II, in the style of Angkor Wat's central tower.