Sanctuary in the sky

This shallow lintel and part pediment both show Vishvakarma above kala and vegetal scrolls

If you are expecting a memorable central sanctuary at Preah Vihear that will knock your socks off, think again. The temple's beauty and uniqueness is in its location and diversity rather than with most temples, its outstanding sanctuary. Nevertheless, the main sanctuary is still standing with its Buddhist images inside, albeit next to a large pile of rubble that used to be the tower. They are surrounded by high vaulted corbelled galleries that face inward with no exterior windows, supposedly so that worshippers could concentrate on religious matters rather than admire the fantastic views that spread out across the Cambodian flatlands at the foot of the mountain. Along the south-east outside wall the cliff-edge falls away sharply and its this location that captures the imagination of so many. The temple walls are multi-coloured from both time, weather and the lichens that thrive here and despite the ravages of time and the numerous battles fought over the temple, there is still much iconography to be seen on the lintels and pediments throughout the site. I had a brief window of opportunity to photograph the temple on my visit in March 2002, when the fog lifted for a couple of hours before returning again and blanketing everything in a thick, wet mist.

The main central sanctuary of Preah Vihear

The rubble from the collapsed central tower and surrounding galleries with their baluster windows

Looking through the doorways surrounding the central sanctuary at Preah Vihear

Another lintel and pediment showing a fierce kala and the minor god Vishvakarma

A good example of the high vaulted corbelled galleries that look inwards to the central sanctuary

The weather-worn southern false door that looks out over the cliff-edge of Preah Vihear

The fog-bound southern wall of the central sanctuary enclosure, taken from the cliff-edge