Sambor Prei Kuk Hidden Temples

SPEAN PRABTOS  is also known as Kampong Kdei Bridge on the National Road 6 from Siem Reap to Phnom Penh, used to be the longest corbeled stone-arch bridge in the world, with more than twenty narrow arches spanning 285 ft (87m). The bridge was built in the 12th century during the reign of King Jayavarman VII. It is one of the few Khmer empire era bridges to have survived to the modern day.

PRASAT SAMBOR PREI KUK is a very old, and rarely visited, temple located a four hour drive from Siem Reap.  The nearby Kampong Thom City is an excellent place to spend the night if you want to enjoy a leisurely trip. The drive itself is beautiful, a journey along the lush scenery of the Prey Preas River. Villagers in this area specialize in meals that include crickets, spiders, and frogs as well as sticky rice. The Sambo Prei Kuk temples were the second capital of the Khmer Empire and were built in the 7th Century by King Isanvarman I.

Prasat Yeay Poan is composed of many brick and laterite temples; they are in the shape of either a rectangle or are octagonal with each decorated with different impressive carvings in the brick called a “Flying Palace”. This temple group is surrounded by an inner wall made of brick, and an outer wall made of laterite with entrance gates in the East and the West, and false gates on the South and North. Inscriptions have confirmed that the temple group was built in the reign of King Ishanavarman I who reigned from 616-637 AD.

A curious site lying in the forest a short distance north of Prasat Sandan and consisting of 7 east-facing brick mounds aligned in a diagonal from NNE to SSW. There's little to be seen today, apart from earthen mounds covered in bushes, but the site must have originally been an impressive one. A man-made pond is situated to the north although no remains can be seen of any enclosing wall. It certainly seems unusual that out of the 7 presumed shrines, nothing at all remains today except a few courses of bricks.

Prasat Tao was built by Isanavarman I & Jayavarman in the 7th century and situated between  Prasat Sambor and Prasat Yeay Poan , Prasat Tao is correspondingly referred to as the Central (or just C) group at Sambor Prei Kuk.The layout is similar to Yeay Poan with a laterite enclosing wall surrounding a large, central shrine and auxiliary towers with additional brick towers within an outer enclosure formed by a 2nd wall. In this case, the remains of 5 structures can be seen around the central tower with a further 8 in the outer section.

Trapeang Ropeak Temple is a 7th-century pre-Angkorian octagonal brick shrine at Sambor Prei Kuk, notable for a large tree growing through its structure and for its unique, octagonal shape, which likely represents the Vimana Trivishtapa, or the flying palace of the god Indra. The temple is located to the northwest of temple Z and is surrounded by an environment that has been heavily reclaimed by nature.

Chrey Temple  is a pre-Angkorian brick sanctuary at the Sambor Prei Kuk archaeological site that is famous for being almost entirely engulfed by the roots of a massive strangler fig tree. This temple, also designated N18, was once part of a larger complex but is now partially separated by a road. Its picturesque ruins are a popular photo spot, showcasing a beautiful but destructive interplay between nature and ancient architecture.

Drum Chan Temple is a misinterpretation of a temple complex in Sambor Prei Kuk, a pre-Angkorian archaeological site in Cambodia from the 7th century. The name likely refers to the "Temple Zone" which includes clusters like Prasat Sambor (the main temple), Prasat Yeah Puon, and Prasat Boram. This UNESCO World Heritage Site features unique octagonal temples, and its architectural and artistic style, known as the Sambor Prei Kuk style, was a precursor to the Angkorian period.

Kbal Chrouk Temple, also known as Tower N20, is a ruined rectangular brick temple at Sambor Prei Kuk, notable for its ornate sandstone doorframe, a K. 439 inscription, and reliefs of "flying palaces". Built during the reigns of kings Bhavavarman II and Jayavarman I, it originally housed a golden linga and features unique decorative elements like pilasters and base decorations. The temple, which opens to the east, is part of a larger archaeological site recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.