The south coast is a cradle of ancient Cambodian civilisation. In the first century A.D. trading settlements appeared along the coastline in the south. These settlements served as ports of call for boats following the trade route from the Bay of Bengal to the southern provinces of China. In these settlements a cultural exchange took place of hindu and buddhist beliefs. Wealthy people commissioned the construction of temples and other monuments to enhance their status. Each of these economic and cultural centres had their own social hierarchy. Sometimes they were active in battle and sometimes they negotiated a peace treaty because of strategic reasons. Often a prominent marriage was part of such a treaty. Funan was the largest in this conglomeration of states. It was a trading port which flourished between the first and the sixth century A.D. Later Chenla dominated the region from the sixth until the ninth century. At the start of the ninth century the region was part of the Angkor empire. In the south several historical monuments from the (pre) Angkorian era remain.
Somewehere near the provincial capital of Kampot are the caves of Phnom Chngauk. This cave complex contains one of the earliest recorded discoveries of hindu artifacts in the country. There is a brick prasat or temple within the cave that dates to the Funan period. There are formations of crocodiles and elephants in the lofty green cathedral like cavern in which the temple stands. The walls of the cave are smoothly carved by the water of many monsoons. The temple itself has a stalactite emerging through the roof to become the centre of veneration. The stalagmite that accompanies this formation is the actual growth that is held sacred. The stalagmite has over the course of many years grown into an almost perfect linga. This temple is dedicated to Shiva and provides the first example of solely Indian influenced architecture. The slow nature of calcium deposits indicates that this could have been a sacred site even earlier than the Funan period.
Around the provincial capital of Takeo there
are several other interesting historical monuments. Some of them were built in
the Chenla period. Other monuments were built in the Angkor period on the site
of a former sanctuary. In the past the area was a part of water Chenla and now
it still confronts water floods each year. The most important centre of
the empire was Angkor
Borei. Other religious centres were Phnom Chisor and Tonl‚ Bati. These places
also attracted the later kings of the Angkor empire who came to honour their
ancestors with large ceremonies and monuments.
Angkor Borei was known as Vyadhapura
when it served as the capital of water Chenla in the eighth century. A few
kilometres south of Angkor Borei is the hill of Phnom Da. In the wet season the
hill becomes an island isolated by annual floods. In this season it is possible
to reach Phnom Da by water only. Four artificial caves built as shrines are
carved into the northeastern wall of the hill. On top of the hill is a square
laterite temple open to the north, dating from the
eighth century. Nearby is another temple built in
the Angkor period.
About thirty kilometres north of Takeo is a temple called Phnom Chisor. The temple is set at the eastern side on top of a solitary hill. Constructed of laterite and brick with carved lintels of sandstone the complex is surrounded by the partially ruined walls of a 2.5 metres-wide gallery with windows. Inscriptions found here date from the eleventh century when this site was known as Suryagiri. On the plain to the east of Pnom Chisor are the sanctuaries of Sen Thmol at the bottom of the hill and Sen Ravang farther east as well as the former sacred pond of Tonl‚ Om. During rituals held here nine hundred years ago the king, his brahmans and their entourage would climb the monumental steps to Suryagiri from this direction.
About fifty kilometres north of Takeo is a
small place called Tonl‚ Bati. Here is the laterite temple of Ta
Prohm which is famous for its bas-reliefs. The temple was built
by king Jayavarman VII (1181-1219) on the site of an ancient sixth-century Khmer
shrine. The main sanctuary consists of five chambers each containing a linga
or phallic symbol. The reliefs on the outer walls of the main sanctuary are
well preserved. One of these reliefs depicts a woman
and a man who is bowing to another, larger woman. The smaller woman has just
given birth and failed to show proper respect for the midwife (the larger woman).The
new mother has been condemned to carry the afterbirth on her head in a box for
the rest of her life. The husband is
asking that his wife be forgiven. Many women come here to pray for the
birth of children.
Near the Ta Prohm temple is the Yeay Peau temple named after the mother of king Ta Prohm. Legend has it that Peau gave birth to a son called Prohm. When Prohm discovered that his father was a king, he set off to live at the royal court. After a few years he returned to his mother but did not recognise her. Taken by her beauty he asked her to become his wife. He refused to believe Peau's protests that she was his mother. To settle the matter Peau suggested that she and Prohm build a temple. Whoever finished first would get his way. The contest was held at night, with the women helping Peau and the men helping Prohm. After many hours Peau sent aloft an artificial morning star. The men, thinking it was dawn, went to sleep. Meanwhile Peau's temple was completed, and Prohm had to recognise Peau as his mother.