THE ROYAL PALACE
Royal palace including the Phimeanakas temple and five pools, two of which are still in use. The royal pool was built in the century.
The Royal Palace stretches 600 metres north of the Baphûon. It is bordered on the east by the Terrace of the Elephants, which forms its entrance, and on the perimeter by a 6-metre-high wall. It includes the Phimeanakas temple and five basins, two of which are still filled with water. The south-western part of the enclosure probably housed the royal residences. We can sympathize with the dismay of historians tasked with interpreting a site that was occupied by a whole line of monarchs, each of whom modified it according to his or her whims, making any architectural analysis difficult. But if there's one place in the palace that's not to be missed, it's the "royal pool": 50 m wide by 145 m long! Built in the 10th century, the pool was filled in during the reign of Jayavarman VII, before being drained and reopened later. Surprisingly, the southern edge of the basin is much higher than its northern edge, for some reason. On the tiers are a series of bas-reliefs depicting fish and other aquatic animals. They are surmounted by naga, various animals, garouda and the princess Nagi, whose hood is bristling with snakes. The whole is crowned with small figures emerging halfway out of the stone. The small basin to the east has also been filled in and was once used as a nursery. When it was excavated in 1956, many jewels were found, no doubt lost by the nobility (or their concubines) of the time.
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