The massive temple of Banteay Chhmar in the far north of Cambodia has not been spared of the ups and downs of the country surrounding it. Once a formidable temple squarely at the heart of the Khmer Empire, Banteay Chhmar faded in importance over time - forgotten for hundreds of years, looted for its exquisite carvings, it's only now been thrust back in the spotlight by archaeologists and adventurous tourists.

At present, Banteay Chhmar means different things to different stakeholders. To archaeologists, it is an important node in the Khmer network of ancient temples dating back to the 12th century. To the villagers surrounding the temple site, it is a source of livelihood that has yet to meet its full potential. And to tourists hardy enough to make the three-hour trip from Siem Reap, Banteay Chhmar is a unique cultural destination far from the overcrowded temple trails surrounding Angkor Wat and its neighboring sites.

The following two-page introduction to Banteay Chhmar covers its history, its present structure, and traveler basics (transportation, accommodation, and activities within Banteay Chhmar - all these on the second page).

History of Banteay Chhmar

Much of Banteay Chhmar's history has been lost to the ages, and archaeologists investigating its origins come away with as many questions as answers.

For starters, what was its purpose? The current consensus is that Banteay Chhmar was constructed in the 12th Century as a memorial to King Jayavarman VII's fallen son, killed in a battle with the rival Champa nation to the east.

(The heartland of the Champa lay in present-day Vietnam, where the Champa My Son temple complex can be found.)

But there's evidence that there was already a thriving religious community in Banteay Chhmar before the temple was constructed, one dating back to just before the reign of Jayavarman II (who ascended to the throne in 790 C.E.)

There's some controversy over the temple's location as well. A grand Khmer highway once stretched from Angkor Wat in the south to Prasat Hin Phimai in the north (in present-day Thailand), but Banteay Chhmar was set a good thirty-odd miles from the nearest road link.

This much is clear: King Jayavarman VII ordered the construction of the complete Banteay Chhmar temple complex, a project that took between 35 to 60 years to complete; the dedication year is given as 1216 C.E. Lying in contested ground between the rising Thai and the waning Khmer, Banteay Chhmar was eventually abandoned and suffered neglect and decay till European explorers took note of its existence in the early 20th century.

Structure of Banteay Chhmar

For Banteay Chhmar, the King envisioned a large, rectangular city about 1.3 by one mile in size. The moat enclosing it is about 200 feet wide; a causeway to the east is the main entryway into the temple complex.

In its heyday, Banteay Chhmar was enclosed by a set of three walls. The innermost wall is the best-preserved, but not by much - only about 300-plus feet of wall can still be seen standing, out of about 1,300 before nature took its course.

Visitors can explore both the inside and outside of the third enclosure and its remaining buildings, although a guide is required to make sense of everything. A visit to Banteay Chhmar yields many examples of the following:

• Bas-reliefs: the artwork carved on the sandstone walls includes scenes from daily life, an epic battle scene between the Khmer armies and navies and their Champa counterparts; a fantastic scene depicting battle with a monster; and the famous Avalokitesvara reliefs on the west wall.
• Face towers: There used to stand over 50 face towers in Banteay Chhmar, but now only one (called "Tower 18") retains all four faces. Another face tower stands in isolation some distance from Banteay Chhmar, a satellite temple now known as Ta Prohm.

Conditions in Banteay Chhmar are pretty rough. Much of the temple is now reduced to rubble, and the jungle has reclaimed a large part of it. Dirt trails encircle the temple complex, and venturing within the enclosure requires some hard-core scrambling over tumbled sandstone blocks.

Footwear with grippy soles and a mountain-goat-like sense of balance may be required, particularly when looking up close at the Avalokitesvara reliefs and exploring the sanctuary around Tower 18.

For an in-depth look at a typical day visiting the temple, read our walking tour of Banteay Chhmar.  

For details on how to get to Banteay Chhmar, where to stay and other things to do in the area, proceed to the next page.