Beng Malea, Angkor, Cambodia

January 2012

©2012 G J Porter




Beng Malea is a temple in the Angkor Wat style located 40 km east of the main group of temples at Angkor, Cambodia.  It was built as a Hindu temple, but there are some carvings depicting Buddhist motifs. Its primary material is sandstone and it is largely unrestored, with trees and thick brush thriving amidst its towers and courtyards and many of its stones lying in great heaps.  The history of the temple is unknown and it can be dated only by its architectural style, identical to Angkor Wat, so scholars assume it was built during the reign of king Suryavarman II in the early 12th century.