Sambor Prei Kuk ("The City of Shiva in the Forest of Towers"; Khmer: ប្រាសាទសំបូរព្រៃគុក), originally called Isanapura, was the centre of worship of Shiva Brahmanishm and the capital of the Chenla Kingdom beginning in the 7th Century during the reign of King Isanavarman and continued to be an important learning centre during the Angkorian era. At the height of Sambor Prei Kuk, the 30 km square complex contained 292 “Sambor style” temples. Today only 52 remain. The main temple area consists of three complexes, each enclosed by the remains of two concentric walls. Their basic layout – a central tower surrounded by shrines, ponds and gates – may have served as an inspiration for the architects of Angkor five centuries later.
The Lion Temple Group (Prasat Tao in Khmer, also called Central Temple Group), was the last of three temple complexes built by King Isanavarman in the 7th Century but was later restored by Jayavarman II in the 9th Century. It was Jayavarman II who established the Angkor Dynasty. When originally built the complex consisted of 42 temples, but today only Prasat Tao remains. Prasat Tao or Lion Temple, at a height of 25 m is the largest of the Sambor temples and gets its name from its sandstone lions. In the Prasat Tao group a rectangular pond, Srah Neang Pov was also constructed.
Admission is $3 USD for foreign visitors and free for Khmer.
Be careful of muggles!!! Khmer watch foreigners like a hawk and will take anything they think is of value. As you approach make sure that no one is following or watching you. Children often follow foreigners to sell small gifts. Please no swaps or trackables. The cache was placed in the remains of the C18-2 temple within the Prasat Tao complex. You shouldn’t have to search around too much if you used the spoiler, but be mindful of the dangerous animals in Cambodia (e.g. snakes, spiders and scorpions). Please put the top stone back exactly as you found it.
Cache was placed with permission and is being maintained by one of the local female tour guides. For a recommendation of a knowledgeable local guide with excellent English please contact us in advance via the GC.com e-mail system.
Small note on cache maintenance: There is a local cache guardian. Name and contact info on file with geocaching.com.