Phnom Krom (Khmer: ភ្នំ ក្រោម) is a 140 m high hill near the town of Siem Reap in Cambodia and there is a temple located at the top that derived its name from the hill, "Prasat Phnom Krom" (Khmer: ប្រាសាទភ្នំក្រោម) . Prasat means "temple."

Location

Phnom Krom is located about 12 miles southwest of the city of Siem Reap.

Phnom Krom Hill is very rocky; Local legend says the rocks were exposed by the general monkey Hanuman during a hunt for medicine in the epic Ramayana. The area beyond the west temple gate offers spectacular views of Tonle Sap Lake.

Temple of Phnom Krom

There is an Angkorian temple called "Prasat Phnom Krom" which is located at the top of the hill. It is a Hindu shrine dedicated to Shiva, Vishnu and Brahma.

The temple was built at the end of the ninth century, during the reign of King Yasovarman (889 AD-910 A.D.). [2]: 65 [3]: 113

Facing east, the temple at the top of the hill is enclosed by a wall built with laterite blocks. Along the top of the walls runs a ledge. Gates divides the walls into each of the cardinal's four directions. Just inside the east gate are four small buildings arranged in a north-south row, possibly used previously as crematoria. Inside the walls of the north and south sides are three halls, now collapsed. The focus of the temple is three towers, also followed from north to south. They sit on top of a platform reached by seven-step stairs. The southern tower is dedicated to Brahma, the central of Shiva, from north to Vishnu. Interestingly, the other three sides, its layout is identical to Phnom Bok, which must have been built at the same time.

They were built in sandstone; much of its sculpture and details have been lost to erosion, including the Lintels in very precarious conditions, have garlands and makaras facing inland. The octagonal colonies decorate the doors.

Phnom Krom is the southernmost of three temples built in the Angkor region during the reign of Yasovarman. The other two are Phnom Bakheng and Phnom Bok.

Phnom Krom Railway

Phnom Krom was at the southern end of the Phnom Krom railroad, a narrow-gauge French colonial railroad that was probably built to quarry the now-defunct quarries of Phnom Krom to Siem Reap.