Phnom Bakheng

hill, Angkor, Cambodia

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July 23, 2026

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Phnom Bakheng is a hill in Cambodia, near the city of Angkor. It is significant because it was the site of the first temple mountain built by the Khmer kings. These temple mountains were artificial mountains crowned with shrines, symbolizing the sacred mountain mythology important to the Khmer people. The first temple mountain at Angkor, the Bakong, was built on Phnom Bakheng. The concept of the temple mountain became a model for later, larger royal temples in Angkor, serving as monuments to the kings and later as their tombs.123

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Angkor
History
…hill in the area, the Phnom Bakheng. In a similar manner, the central structure of each temple reflected the position of Mount Meru. The outer walls of each temple recalled the mountains that were believed to ring the edge of the cosmos, or world. The vast system of reservoirs, canals,…
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…hill in the area, the Phnom Bakheng. In a similar manner, the central structure of each temple reflected the position of Mount Meru. The outer walls of each temple recalled the mountains that were believed to ring the edge of the cosmos, or world. The vast system of reservoirs, canals,…
Read More