A towering presence greets you. This is Baphuon. Feel the weight of history pressing down.
Before you stands Baphuon a three-tiered temple mountain. Built in the mid-11th century it served as the state temple for King Udayadityavarman II. Originally a Hindu temple dedicated to Shiva it later became a Buddhist temple.
Imagine the grandeur of Baphuon in its prime. It was a massive structure 120 meters east-west by 100 meters north-south at its base. Its height without its tower was an impressive 34 meters. The tower itself would have added another 16 meters. The temple’s intricate carvings covered every surface. They depict lotus flowers animals hunters devata figures and scenes from Hindu epics.
Zhou Daguan a 13th-century envoy described Baphuon as the Tower of Bronze a truly astonishing spectacle. He noted more than ten chambers at its base. A 70-meter-long reclining Buddha was added in the 15th century. This required demolishing the temple’s 8-meter tower. Stones from the collapsed tower were reused to build the Buddha.
The soft sandy soil proved a poor foundation. This caused instability throughout the temple’s history. Large portions collapsed before the conversion to a Buddhist temple. By the 20th century Baphuon faced complete collapse.
A massive restoration project began in the 1960s. The temple was painstakingly dismantled. Three hundred thousand blocks were carefully labeled and numbered. They were stored across ten hectares. The project was unfortunately abandoned during the 1970s war. Plans were lost.
A second restoration project started in 1996. It took sixteen years. It was described as the world’s largest 3D jigsaw puzzle. The lighter-colored stones you see are the restored parts. In 2011 Baphuon was reopened. King Norodom Sihamoni and Prime Minister Francois Fillon attended the ceremony.
Stand here. Absorb the quiet grandeur of Baphuon. Marvel at the resilience of this ancient structure. Its story is a testament to human ingenuity and perseverance.