Ta Keo
Ta Keo (Khmer ប្រាសាទតាកែវ ), also Prasat Keo, is about a thousand -year-old monumental Temple Mount in the central Angkorregion ( Cambodia). Today, Ta Keo is on the way from the Victory Gate of the historic capital of Angkor Thom to the west bank of the East Baray, a now dry artificial water reservoirs; Although the temple is a century younger than the reservoir, but two centuries older than the city.
The modern name Ta Keo means in German " Old Crystal", Prasat Keo is, accordingly, " Crystal Temple "; the original name was Hemasringagiri to German " mountain with golden peaks ," and referred to the mythological Mount Meru.
History
In the history of the pyramid temple in Angkor Ta Keo is classified as a hitherto far the largest and most imposing building. As milestones are still comparatively shallow steps pyramids Bakong ( Roluos ) and Bakheng, the steep steps pyramids Baksei Chamkrong and Prasat Thom ( Koh Ker ), the particularly harmonious systems Pre Rup and just Ta Keo, and finally the monumental examples of Baphuon and Angkor Wat apply.
Ta Keo was I ( reigned about 1002-1050 ) built by King Jayavarman V (reigned 968-1001 ) and King Suryavarman and should serve as the new state temple. In 1007 he was ordained to the Hindu god Shiva, but was abandoned shortly before completion - apparently applicable because of a lightning strike as a bad omen. Some relief work at the eastern entrance were already finished, the remaining walls but remained unformed. The clarity of the building is enhanced by the unplanned austerity; the smooth surfaces actually recall crystals. Suryavarman I is said to have made the temple the scholar Yogisvara Pandita available, but the uppermost terrace level including towers did not use because he did not feel worthy enough.
Only the lowest terrace level of Ta Keo is made of laterite. He is the first Khmer temple, which was almost completely built in sandstone - the stones were 30 km far antransportiert from a quarry at Phnom Kulen. The surrounding gallery and in the four cardinal directions ( not only eastwards ) open temple towers are without precedent. Among all Khmer temples Ta Keo is the only shell and shows in great immediacy the care with which the stone blocks were piled almost seamlessly with each other.
Architecture
The rectangular temple complex is surrounded by a now dry moat and measures including this 195 to 255 m; the historic main entrance is located in the eastern narrow side of the rectangle. Perched on a two-level terrace, something shifted westward, that is, away from the main entrance, a three-tier pyramid. The lower terrace measuring 106 to 122 m; the upper terrace rises 5.5 m above the bottom and measures 75 to 80 m; the Pyramid rises 14 m above the upper terrace and measures below 60 to 60 m, up 47 to 47 m. The upper platform of the pyramid crowned by five towers temples, which are arranged in quincunx, so like the five dots on each face of the cube; the outer towers each have a 80 cm high base, the central tower a two-stage, a total of 4 m high pedestal. Originally Suddenly the whole building stood a good 50 feet above the ground.
Of the four gate towers ( Gopura ) in the outer walls four entrances lead directly up to the top platform of the pyramid. The steps are up to 40 cm high. The east side of the lower terrace along the left and right of the main access, run long, narrow halls with Balusterfenstern. Around the upper terrace twine two snakes ( Naga ), the missing heads in the east, the tails in the west, and runs a gallery, whose windows look inwards and has no access, so is purely decorative nature. On the same terrace on the left and right are the main access so-called libraries or vestries; center, just below the stairs leading to the pyramid without offset, kneels a sacred bull ( Nandi ).
From the main entrance to the east, an approximately 500 m long causeway runs to the eastern Baray. Here is a small two-stage landing site. The entire temple complex symbolizes a mandala similar in their orientation harmony with heaven and earth, in structure to the center and upward leading path to the gods.