Angkor Archeological Park and Siem Reap - Day #2

We started our journey in early morning toward Banteay Srei. It was an hour drive from Siem reap through jungle and villages.

Banteay Srei or Banteay Srey at Angkor, Cambodi is a 10th-century  temple dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva. The temple is made of hard red sandstone and famous for beautiful carvings.

On the bay back we stopped at Pre-rup temple. 

Pre Rup is built as the state temple of Khmer king Rajendravarman and dedicated in 960s. It is a temple mountain of combined brick, laterite and sandstone construction.

Pre Rup  temple

Our third stop was the bayon one of the famous attraction at angkor.

The Bayon was the last state temple to be built at Angkor.Bayon's most distinctive feature is the multitude of serene and massive stone faces on the many towers which jut out from the upper terrace and cluster around its central  

The Bayon

The outer  gallery is historical events and everyday life including war between khmer and cham.

Apasara at The Bayon temple

Lingam at The Bayon temple

The Terrace of the Elephants and the two attached temple  Phimeanakas and Baphuon was our last site before ending the hectic tour. The Terrace of the Elephants was used by Angkor's king Jayavarman VII as a platform from which to view his victorious returning army. It The terrace is named for the carvings of elephants on its eastern face.

Phimeanakas (celestial temple) or Vimeanakas is a Hindu temple in  the Khleang style, built at the end of the 10th  century, during  the reign of Rajendravarman, then rebuilt by Suryavarman II. Now there is only remains of foundation and rest of structure is gone.

The Baphuon was Built in the 11th century. it is a three-tiered temple dedicated to the Hindu God Shiva. In the late 15th century, the Baphuon was converted to a Buddhist temple. A 9 meter tall by 70 meter long statue of a reclining Buddha was built on the west side's second level. Large area of the statue is already collpased and now restoration is going on to stop further collpase.