Phnom Banan Temple is a must-see ancient site located around 20 km south of the city of Battambang. It is also known as Wat Banan.
Important point of Phnom Banan
The temple is located on a mountaintop and features five ancient ruinous towers. The towers are reminiscent of the penultimate level, or the Bakan, of Angkor Wat. The temple is built on a grand terrace platform with a naga balustrade and a staircase flanked by lions. The staircase rises 400m to the grand temple.
Historical Notes
The temple was originally founded in the 11th century and later redeveloped in the 12-13th century. The temple is built in a very picturesque way on the eastern spur of a series of heights which come to an end about 100 meters from the left bank of the Stung Sang Ke and about twenty kilometers upstream from Battambang. From the road that runs along the river you can see its towers and the ruins of its enclosure, dominating the plain from a height of more than 100 meters.
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