Phimai Historical Park, Nakhon Ratchasima
Phimai Historical Park in Nakhon Ratchasima showcases a well-preserved Khmer-style sandstone temple, drawing visitors keen on ancient Southeast Asian history and architecture.
Phimai Historical Park, Nakhon Ratchasima
Phimai stands at the end of the ancient Khmer road from Angkor, about sixty kilometres north-east of Nakhon Ratchasima, and is the largest Khmer sanctuary in Thailand. It was built in the late eleventh and early twelfth centuries - before Angkor Wat - and its plan and proportions are close enough that it is generally treated as a precursor rather than a copy.
The complex is enclosed by a rectangular wall with four gopura gates, and a raised causeway with naga balustrades leads to the central sanctuary: a white sandstone tower with a curved profile, carved lintels and pediments showing scenes from the Ramayana and from Mahayana Buddhist iconography. Unusually for a Khmer temple, Phimai was Buddhist from the outset and faces south-east, towards Angkor.
A national museum in the town holds sculpture and lintels recovered from the site and from the region.
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