The archeological complex of Preah KhanKampong Svay or Prasat Bakan or Bakan Svay Rolay is located 100 km east of Angkor, in Preah Vihear province, Cambodia. It stands as the largest single religious complex ever built during Angkorian Era, as its exterior enclosure is about 5 km square, even if the isolated location makes it one of less visited Angkorian sites.
After some French missions at the turn of the 19th century, Victor Goloubew in 1937 engaged in aerial surveys which revealed the true extent of the complex. Many famous Khmer sculptures come from here, such as the putative head of Jayavarman VII which is displayed at the National Museum of Phnom Penh. The sculptures and carvings of Preah Khan of Kompong Svay are among the peak works of Khmer art and the temples have been widely sacked in the past during official expeditions, such as during Louis Delaporte's, whereas thieves have largely damaged many structures while looting sculptures and carvings from the second half of the 1990s.
The site
Preah Khan Kompong Svay covers an area about 5 kilometers square, is oriented to north-east and has four concentric enclosures. It was provided with water by a large baray, which crosses the eastern side. On an artificial island in the middle of the baray there is Preah Thkol, a cruciform temple in sandstone with a standing central tower. In the southeastern corner stands the remains of the 15 metres high pyramid of Preah Damrei, with laterite enclosure and two stone elephants at its upper corners. The other two elephants are exhibited at the National Museum of Phnom Penh and Guimet Museum in Paris. Inside the exterior enclosure, in the middle of the western side of baray, there is Prasat Preah Stung, with a peculiar four-faced central tower in Bayon style, which is preceded by a landing-stage with nāga balustrades. A laterite causeway leads from here to a centric enclosure, 701 m by 1097 m, surrounded by a moat and endowed with four gopuras similar to Angkor Thom. Near the eastern gopura there is a dharmasala. The inner laterite enclosure contains the central sanctuary, that stands on a two-tier platform. The central tower collapsed because of a looting attempt in 2003. It has entrances in all cardinal directions and is rounded by a windowed gallery.
