The Banteay Kdey temple is located southeast of Ta Prohm, and it should be noted that it is almost an exact copy of it. Here the same concept of the temple-mountain and the same low-altitude multi-tiered pyramid-ziggurat is implemented. And it is believed that Banteay Kdey was built not earlier than the second half of the 12th century.
Banteay Kdei has survived to our times in the form in which it was left by the retreating rainforest under the onslaught of restorers. But, unlike the neighboring Ta Prohm, Banteay Kdey was cleared of the giant trees and their roots that grew on its stones, but the scientists did not reassemble the temple.
Banteay Kdey is surrounded by 4 concentric walls, where the outer wall frames an area of 700 x 500 m. Opposite the temple, on its eastern side, lies Sra Srang - a rectangular pond with a mirror size of 800 x 400 m. The pond, which is also called today “Royal Baths”.
The next wall of the temple is preceded by a water moat.
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And this moat really deserves attention: its dimensions are ~ 275 x 230 m, and its width is 25 m.
After passing through any of the 2 cross-shaped platforms located on the dams of the moat on the east or west side, the visitor approaches the new inner fence. Its walls, made of laterite blocks, are much better preserved than those of sandstone.
The stone fence includes in its frame an area of 230 x 200 m also 4 gate towers, reminiscent of the entrance groups of Ta Prohma with their faces and garudas. The gopuras of this belt of fences have internal columns supporting wide, criss-crossing vaults, reminiscent of the style seen at Angkor Wat.
Further, the gaze moves on to a survey of the new inner fence, now measuring 65 x 50 m. From the western side, you can get to it immediately, only by passing the entrance gopura of the previous fence. But from the east - here you still need to pass a stone structure ~ 20 x 15 m, which is called today the "Dancers' Hall". Where external walls with many windows form a closed space, and where 4 rows of columns form intersecting false vaults of galleries ~ 7.7 m wide, which divide this volume into 4 tiny courtyards. And let's also draw your attention: it turns out that the Ta Prohm temple has exactly the same hall, located in the same way on the eastern side of the temple.
What should be noted before entering the next level of the temple is the presence of gallery "windows" - on the north and south sides of the fence. Exactly the same in design as in the Preah Khan temple. Here these windows, as in the Ta Prohm temple, were destroyed, only double rows of sandstone columns remained, and there is no one to think about the essence of their former configuration.
And finally, we note that here this new, penultimate courtyard of the temple is already surrounded by a stone gallery, which includes 4 gopura towers from the axial directions.
The sacred space of the last, inner courtyard measuring ~ 35 x 30 m is formed by 4 gopuras and corner towers connected by galleries. The central sanctuary is open on the western and eastern sides and here it is preceded by 2 small vestibules. And this central site of the temple is occupied by 5 prang towers standard for Angkor - 1 central and 4 - side, installed on the axes of the structure.
Features of Banteay Kdei:
- the temple is a rectangular 3-tiered ground ziggurat, strictly oriented to the cardinal points;
- the area he occupies is outlined by several rectangular fences and one water moat, also oriented to the cardinal points;
- temple fences are made both in the form of a solid stone fence and in the form of galleries;
- in the structure of the temple, from its 3 (or 4) axial directions, there are such structures as the "Dancers' Hall" and gallery "windows";
- on the upper tier of the ziggurat there are standard 5 prang towers - 4 side and 1 central;
- the entrances to the temple, marked with cross-shaped platforms, are located on 2 sides - west and east.