Beng Malea, Angkor, Cambodia
January 2012
©2012 G J Porter
| Beng
Malea is a temple in the Angkor Wat style located 40 km east of
the main group of temples at Angkor, Cambodia. It was built as a
Hindu temple, but there are some carvings depicting Buddhist motifs. Its
primary material is sandstone and it is largely unrestored, with trees
and thick brush thriving amidst its towers and courtyards and many of
its stones lying in great heaps. The history of the temple is
unknown and it can be dated only by its architectural style, identical
to Angkor Wat, so scholars assume it was built during the reign of king
Suryavarman II in the early 12th century. |