Terrace Leper King Angkor

Southeast Asia Tour 2015

Siem Reap | Cambodia

25 Nov 2015 | Wed

Day 07 of 46

Angkor Wat Sunrise
Angkor Wat
Bayon Angkor
Baphuon Angkor
Phimeanakas Angkor
Terrace Leper King Angkor
Ta Keo Angkor
Ta Prohm Angkor

Terrace Leper King Angkor

Terrace Leper King Angkor, located in the Siem Reap province of Cambodia, is a hidden temple complex born of legend and mystery. According to folklore, this jungle-covered archaeological site was once home to a powerful leper king who had been driven out by his people because of the affliction he bore. The temples are believed to have been built as a refuge for him and his followers.

The Terrace Leper King Angkor was first rediscovered in 1906 by French archaeologist George Trouvé. Since then, it has become an increasingly popular tourist destination due to its stunning architecture and impressive sculptures that adorn the walls of its many temples. Its intricate carvings tell stories about Cambodian culture and history that can still be discovered even today.

The Terrace of the Leper King (or Leper King Terrace) (Khmer: ព្រះលានស្តេចគម្លង់, Preah Lean Sdach Kumlung) is located in the northwest corner of the Royal Square of Angkor Thom, Cambodia.

It was built in the Bayon style under Jayavarman VII, though its modern name derives from a 15th-century sculpture discovered at the site. The statue depicts the Hindu god Yama, the god of death.

The statue was called the “Leper King” because discolouration and moss growing on it was reminiscent of a person with leprosy, and also because it fit in with a Cambodian legend of an Angkorian king Yasovarman I who had leprosy. The name that the Cambodians know him by, however, is Dharmaraja, as this is what was etched at the bottom of the original statue.

The U-shaped structure is thought by some to have been used as a royal cremation site.

– Wikipedia Terrace Leper King Angkor