CAMBODIAN ARCHITECTURE

GEOGRAPHY

Capital: Phnom Penh

Ancient Name: Kambuja

90% Khmers

NATURAL RESOURCES:

Brick

Stucco

Wood

Sandstone

Laterite

ARCHITECTURAL CHARACTER:

Construction materials:

SANDSTONE - for Temple construction

LATERITE - red hued, enclosure walls &

platforms

Structural elements:

CORBELLING

Trabeated forms (post & lintel)

corbelling techniques - provide the only form of

"VAULTING"

corbelled arch - offsetting successive courses of stone

BAS - RELIEF FRIEZES

inner walls of the outer gallery from the Hindu epics

BLIND DOOR AND WINDOW

 fake/ blind doors to maintain symmetry

COLONETTE

narrow decorative columns

ARCHITECTURAL FEATURES :

CENTRAL SANCTUARY - home to the temple's primary deity

PRANG - tall finger-like spire, usually rich carved

ENCLOSURE

GALLERY - a passage way running along the wall of the enclosure

GOPURA - entrance/ gateway, cross shaped & elongated

HALL OF DANCERS - a rectangular building elongated along the temple's east axis & divided into 4 courtyards by galleries

HOUSE AF FIRE (Dharmsala) - has thick walls, a tower at the west end & south facing windows

LIBRARY - common feature of Khmer Temple

SRAH AND BARAY - Reservoirs

Temple mountains - architectural representation of Mt. Meru, THE HOME OF GODS IN HINDU MYTHOLOGY

TERMINOLOGIES:

KHMER ARCHITECTURE - characterized by Temple complexes considering of 4 towers connected by covered galleries to a central dominant tower that represents Mt. Meru, the legendary home of Hindu Gods and a surrounding moat symbolizing the cosmic ocean

KHMER - people of Cambodia

NAGA - reptilian race of beings, divine deities

GOPURA - main architectural feature, entrance/ gateway

BARAY - reservoir, a large water tank

PRASAT - a temple tower in Khmer Ar.

DVRAPALAS - human/ demonic Temple guardians

GAJASIMHA - mythical animal, body of a lion, head of an elephant

APSARA - divine nymphs/ celestial dancing girls

KALA - ferocious monster

INDRA - sky god supreme, decorative motif in Ar.

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ANGKOR THOM "Great City"

BAYON - Temple built for King Jayavarman VII in the 12th century

distinctive massive stone faces

built in chaotic style

54 towers with faces

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PREAH KHAN  - "Holy Sword in Khmer"

named by Jayavarman VII in honor of his battle victory against the invading force of Chams.

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TAH PROHM  - "Tomb Raider Temple"

A flat temple

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PNOM BAKHENG (Bakheng style) - constructed more than 2 centuries before ANGKOR WAT

archetectural centerpiece of a new capital, Yasodharapura

atop a steep hill, representing Mt. Meru

a pyramid of six tiers

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PRASAT THOM - Its prang, or temple tower, is the highest ever constructed by the Khmer, rising 36 meters above the forest floor.

not a stylized representation of the Mt. Meru

of Hindu-Buddhist cosmology

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PHIMEANAKAS -

Naga - divine repltile beings

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PRASAT KAVAN

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TAKEO

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ELEPHANT TERRACE - A large open ceremonial area that faces the Royal Square, large reception area pavilions where visiting royalty could be entertained in style.

The terrace walls contain scores of carved elephants, garudas, five-headed horse, and other figures

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BAPUON -  a massive mountain-temple

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ANGKOR WAT "Temple City"

ANGOR "City", WAT "Temple"

Built by King Suryavarman II, dedicated to Vishnu

The best preserved temple, still in used today by Buddhist monks

the largest religious monument in the world

Angkor Wat is the best preserved, an architectural masterpiece

ANGKOR WAT PLAN

SANCTUARY

built on 3 levels

First level consists of an open gallery