Date
of Construction:
Early 11th century
C.E.
Religious Affiliation:
Hinduism
Patron or King: Suryavarman
II
Artistic/Archeo. Style:
Angkor Wat
Location: 60 kms east of
Siem Reap.
Duration of Visit: 1+ hours
Time to Visit: Anytime.
Allow for travel time from Siem Reap.
Sprawling jungle temple covering over one
square kilometer. The temple is largely overrun by vegetation
and very lightly touristed, giving it an adventurous, ‘lost
temple’ feel. Photographers: trees growing from the broken
towers and galleries offer some of the best ‘tree in temple’
shots aside from
Ta Prohm.
Constructed in a distinctly Angkor Wat style under the same king
that built
Angkor Wat, Beng Melea
preceded and may have served as a prototype of sorts for
Angkor Wat.
Though there are some lintel and doorway carvings, there are no
bas-reliefs and the carvings are comparatively sparse. When the
temple was active, the walls may have been covered, painted or
had frescos. In its time, Beng Melea was at the crossroads of
several major highways that ran to Angkor, Koh Ker, Preah
Vihear (in northern Cambodia) and northern Vietnam. Regular
admission ticket are not required but there is a separate $5
entrance fee. Beng Melea is located 63km east of town.
The road is now in good condition and the trip from Siem Reap
takes 1-2 hours. Graded dirt road with occasional flooding in
the rainy season. |
