Ancient Lingapura or Koh Ker

Built by King Jayavarman IV (928-944), Koh Ker temple complex served as the national capital of the Khmer Empire. During his power, the Khmer Empire was at its most stable, allowing for cultural enlightenment. Jayavarman IV was willing to lift out regional, economic, social, and architectural advancement initiatives, urban planning, and rural infrastructure during this harmonized period.

More than that, Koh Ker's art and architecture represent and support Jayavarman IV's political viewpoint, mainly through the employment of a gigantic scale in building and dynamic sculptures, which are both unparalleled among other Khmer legacies. The carvings on the walls, lintels, and pediments, and sculptures at Koh Ker are of sizes that are larger than the style from the previous era. The sculptures generally depicted the scenes from the Ramayana and Mahabharata. Among them are Dancing Shiva and Yama (the god of the dead).

In 944, according to UNESCO, Koh Ker was abandoned when King Rajendravarman moved his capital to today’s Angkor. Koh Ker was a cult site where Shiva had been worshipped for a long time. Also, Jayavarman IV was an ardent worshipper of this Hindu god.

As later kings (whose residence was not in Koh Ker) changed from Hinduism to Buddhism, they gave orders to make the necessary adjustments at their temples. Because of its remoteness, fortunately, the sanctuaries at Koh Ker were spared from these interventions.

Other Temples in Koh Ker Temple Complex

According to the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts, the Koh Ker complex currently consists of 86 monuments. However, new temples have possibly been discovered, such as:

These structures were not built at close distance to one another. Many of these ancient monuments are either broken or buried in the ground.