Khleangs

While the original purpose of these imposing structures is unknown, they spawned their own artistic style; however, neither are worth close inspection for the casual visitor and are best appreciated from across the Royal Plaza while standing on the Terrace of the Elephants.

Looking east from the Elephant Terrace or Terrace of the Leper King, you will notice a pair of single-story rectangular buildings set back beyond the Prasats Suor Proat, one on each side of the Victory Way.

Khleangs loosely translates to either “warehouse” or “treasury”, though like the Prasats Suor Proat and many other Angkor temples the Kleangs arguably have a more modern name that is misleading; inscriptions found on the temple included an oath of allegiance to the king, suggesting that they were meant to receive foreign dignitaries and/or provincial rulers.

It is believed that the northern Kleang predates the southern one, having been built during the relatively short reign of Jayaviravarman or Jayavarman V. The southern Kleang was arguably built to make the view from the Elephant Terrace symmetrical; it is little more than a simple replica of the northern structure. Nonetheless, the unique designs of the structures and its lintels spawned its own artistic and architectural style, which can be seen at both Ta Keo and Phimeanakas. Neither is particularly interesting for the average visitor to examine up close.