CATALYST PLANET - 5 Stunning Temples in Cambodia

From Hindu to Buddhist, Cambodia is home to some of the most architecturally rustic and traditional temples in the world.

Inside of Wat Phnom temple and a central shrine. The colors are a mix of browns, gold, orange, and teal. There are ornate paintings on the walls and central 6 pillars surrounding many religious sculptures, with one central large gold sculpture — Inside of Wat Phnom. Daniel Mennerich. CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.

While Angkor Wat is on most traveler’s lists when they visit Cambodia, the country also has many other extraordinary and one-of-a-kind temples which each hold immense historical, cultural, religious and artistic significance.

1. Banteay Srei

A stone walkway between temples in Banteay Srei. The rust-colored stone buildings have sets of stairs leading up to them and ornate etchings the walls. Sculptures lining the stairs to the entrance and pillars along the doorway. — Banteay Srei. Uwe Schwarzbach. CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.

The temple Banteay Srei, located in Angkor, Cambodia, is believed to have been built in the tenth century by and for some sort of spiritual guru to a royal, though not much is known about the person themselves. In addition to its fascinating origin, Banteay Srei’s architecture is unique for the area, built almost entirely out of a shining pink sandstone and surrounded by a moat. In terms of the architeccture’s cultural significance, the temple features a large and ornate statue of the Hindu God Shiva. Nowadays, Banteay Srei is primarily known for its meaning to women. Banteay Srei directly translates to “the women’s temple”, and the statue of Shiva is surrounded by other statues of women including Hindu gods and saints.

2. Ta Prohm

Tree rooted and growing along the side of a building in Ta Prohm. The perspective is in a dark overgrown path between buildings, with rocks and moss. The buildings are gray stone and the architecture is ornate — Tree growing in Ta Prohm. Daniel Mennerich. CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.

The temple Ta Prohm, located in Krong Siem Reap, Cambodia, is one of few historical sites to have been left untouched by archaeologists and society in general. It was built around the 12th to 13th century, and it was a temple of enormous scale surrounded by a village of an estimated 79,000 people who worked to maintain it. Unlike Banteay Srei, Ta Prohm was built by a Khmer king. Today, only the ruins of Ta Prohm remain, and its beauty and intrigue have only increased with growing trees surrounding the temple. Visitors can see a tree whose roots have grown over the roof of a corridor, and another stands tall in the middle of a courtyard. While visitors can walk through Ta Prohm, they are no longer permitted to climb on the stone walls, as the temple’s foundation is so old and precarious that damage can easily be done.

3. Wat Phnom

Staircase leading into Wat Phnom temple. The image is in grayscale. There are large sculptures lining the staircase and gardens on either side. The temple at the top of the stairs has a triangular pointed top and covered in designs. — Staircase to Wat Phnom. Daniel Mennerich. CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.

In contrast to Ta Prohm, which has maintained a rustic look, temple Wat Phnom is located in the major city Phnom Penh, at the top of the only hill in the city. Unlike many other ancient temples, historians know Wat Phnom was built in 1372. A large and ornate staircase lined with animal sculptures such as lions and five-headed snakes leads the way to the temple. The temple is a place of worship, as people go to make wishes, requests and prayers for themselves and their loved ones. Wat Phnom is known to be a bustling and busy center, with vendors selling cold drinks and birds flying through the temple.

4. Sambor Prei Kuk

Sambor Prei Kuk temple stands on a hill among a wooded grassy area. The temple is a rust color and appears to be eroded by the elements on the top. — Sambor Prei Kuk temple. Plb06. CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.

The Sambor Prei Kuk temples are unique from the other temples on this list primarily because of their age and striking architecture. Sambor Prei Kuk is a collection of temples built in the 6th to 7th century CE, in the Pre-Angkorean architectural style which favored more natural looking octagonal temple structures that were less outwardly ornate than later temples. Sambor Prei Kuk was named an UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2017 due largely to its architecture, which represents a significant period in the history of Cambodia. The religious symbols inside the temple also reflect the significance of the relatively new cross-continental trade that was emerging at the time in Asia. The inscriptions and statues feature a mix of Buddhist and Hindu figures and messages, as well as displaying the “God-kings” who ruled the region at the time by claiming divine connections.

5. Angkor Wat

Angkor Wat temple stands in the background, reflected by a pond in the foreground. Grassy meadow between the temple and pond and scattered palm trees. The temple is a mix of gray and brown, with many windows and several towers. — Angkor Wat. Pigalle. CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.

A Cambodian temples list wouldn’t be complete without Angkor Wat. The temple, located in Angkor, was built in the 12th century and is one of the most famous temples in the world, as well as one of Cambodia’s most famous sites. The compound contains hundreds of buildings, and is the largest religious structure globally. Originally, Angkor Wat was a Hindu temple, but in 1177 after losing a battle and thus losing faith in Hinduism, the king at the time (King Jayavarman VII) converted Angkor Wat into a Buddhist temple. In 1992, Angkor Wat became a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and an estimated 500,000 people per year travel to see the historic temple.