Preah Vihear continued

Looking back at the causeway and the southern entrance of Gopura III

Let me take you back to Preah Vihear, which I visited a couple of months ago with my brother Tim, where we popped into the temple on a day when 100 heavily-armed Thai troops tried to cross the border and we found ourselves as the only tourists at the site, accompanied by hundreds of Cambodian soldiers. In our wander through the temple, we have now reached Gopura II via a small causeway with just ten pairs of boundary posts, of which only a few survive. Gopura II contains a courtyard and two libraries, facing inwards. In the courtyard were a few re-assembled pediments and lintels which were on display in honour of a visiting UNESCO delegation later that same week. Gopura I is attached to the back of Gopura II without a causeway, that separates all of the other gopuras.

A boundary post between Gopura's III and II

Lions guard the steps leading to the northern entrance of Gopura II

The main entrance doorway to Gopura II with lintel intact

One of the two libraries inside the courtyard of Gopura II

A re-assembled Vishvakarma pediment in the courtyard

A four-armed Vishnu with three apsaras flying above

One of the re-assembled pediments reminds me of the courtyard at Phnom Chisor

A section of carving showing a series of animals in the lower register

A row of worshippers and a kala lintel with dancing figures below on display in the courtyard