|
 Ta
Keo : The Ancestor keo or
the tower of crystal or
glass
The majestic ziggurat of Ta
Keo, most enigmatic of the
minor fanes, stepping up
toward the sun with dignity
and power suggestive of
Angkor vat. It is dripping
with green and crowned with
trees, but is still supreme
over the forest. Its rocky
masses, rising above the
tops of the coconut palms,
convert the impression that
it only recently emerged
from some cavern
underground, carrying the
forest with it in its
rocketing ascent.
Ta Keo's lack of ornament
makes it distinctive among
the works of the Khmer, who
were so prodigal of
decoration. But its very
simplicity give it
architectural importance,
its plan shows the
development of anew spirit
in the people, the growth of
good taste.
Location: Ta Keo is locate
in the east of Thommanon and
Chau Say Tevoda. A enter and
leave by the south or east
entrances.
Tip: The ascent to this
temple is step and because
of its orientation a visit
in the morning is
preferable.
It was built in the end of
the tenth century to early
11th century by the King
Jayavarman V to Suryavarman
I dedicated to Siva (Hindu),
replica to Kleang style of
art.
BackGroud
An unusual aspect of this
temple is that it remains
unfinished; the reason for
its no completion is
unknown. Had it been
finished, Ta Keo would
undoubtedly have been one of
the finest temples at
Angkor. It is an imposing
sight, scaling 22 meters
(72feet) to the sky, and
gives an impression of
power. Ta Keo is the first
temple built entirely in
sandstone and as such serves
as a milestone in Khmer
history. Enormous blocks of
stone were cut to a regular
size and placed in position.
The absence of decoration at
ta Keo gives it a simplicity
of design that separates it
from the other monuments.
Layout
Ta Keo is square in Plan
with five towers arranged
like the dots on the face of
a die and stands
majestically on a terrace
that is 12 meters (39 feet)
high with three tiers. It is
a representation of Mount
Meru. The base has fine
molding. The temple has two
enclosures (1 and 2) with
entry towers on each side.
There are inscription on the
pilasters of the east entry
tower (3). The first two
tiers of the platform form
the base of two courtyards.
One is enclosed by a wall
the other by a gallery, the
gallery is too narrow to
permit walking around.
The east entrance to Ta Keo
is marked by a causeway over
a moat that is preceded by
lions and boundary stones (
not shown on the plan ). The
entry tower in the exterior
wall was made of sandstone
with a central tower and
three passages. On each
side of the east wall there
was a long hall (4) that was
probably a shelter for
pilgrims. It was preceded by
a porch with pillars (5).
The second terrace has a
molded laterite base with
four sandstone entry towers,
one on each side. It is
surrounded by a sandstone
gallery lit by windows on
the in terrier. The gallery
completely surrounds the
terrace and has openings on
each of the four sides. On
the east there are two long
halls (6) of the same type
as the rest halls on the
first terrace. Two libraries
(7) open to the west.
Central Area
The upper level is square
and stands on a tiered base
with stairways on each side>
Most of the space on the
upper level is occupied by
the five tower, all
unfinished, opening to the
four cardinal points. The
Central Sanctuary (8)
dominates the layout. It is
raised above the other
towers and is given further
importance by the
development of porches and
pediments. The interior of
the central tower is
undecorated |
