Preah Khan Kompong Svay

The archeological complex of Preah Khan Kampong Svay (Khmer: ព្រះខ័ននៅកំពង់ស្វាយ), also known as Prasat Bakan (according to local pronunciation), or Bakan Svay Rolay, is located 100 km east of Angkor, in the Preah Vihear province of Cambodia. It stands as the largest single religious complex ever built during the Angkorian Era, as its exterior enclosure is over 22 km square, even if the isolated location makes it one of the less-visited Angkorian sites.

There is little historical data about Preah Khan Kompong Svay. Some French scholars have argued that it was founded in the 11th century, probably by Suryavarman I.

Evidence from sediment analysis suggests that the site was fully abandoned during the late 14th to 15th century, with maintenance of temples and infrastructure ceasing around the mid-14th century. The complex is notable for its use as a royal residence during the kingdom of Suryavarman II and as a military outpost for Jayavarman VII during conflicts with the Cham in the late 12th century.

Some of the theories mentioned by Mitch Hendrickson and Damian Evans about what Preah Khan Kompong Svay actually was include a kingdom of the Khmer, its own entity, a trading outpost, and a defensive center.

Rediscovery

In 1873, the explorer Louis Delaporte visited the complex and studied its ruins. With the agreement of the king of Cambodia, he sent to France examples of reliefs and stone sculptures that were exhibited in the Indochinese Museum of the Trocadéro before being transferred to the collections of the Musée Guimet in 1927. After a number of French missions at the turn of the 19th century, Victor Goloubew in 1937 engaged in aerial surveys that revealed the true extent of the complex.

Many famous Khmer sculptures come from here, such as the putative head of Jayavarman VII that is displayed at the National Museum of Cambodia. The sculptures and carvings of Preah Khan are among the peak works of Khmer art, and the temples have been widely sacked in the past. Thieves have also damaged many structures while looting sculptures and carvings during the second half of the 1990s.