This morning we arrived at Kampong Cham, the third largest city in Cambodia and our port of disembarkation tomorrow. With its Mekong River location and relatively close proximity to Phnom Penh (124 Kilometres) and Vietnam it has always been an important trade and transport hub.
The temple of Wat Nokor is located about a kilometre North East from Kampong Cham. The monument is built of sandstone and laterite, and dates from the last years of the reign of Jayavarman VII in the 13th Century. It is composed of a central tower surrounded by four laterite wall-enclosures. The central tower of the temple of Wat Nokor is decorated with motifs characteristic of the Bayon (The Bayon is a well-known and richly decorated Khmer temple at Angkor Wat which I will visit in a few days time) with Buddhist scenes on the pediments.
Angkorian builders used laterite; clay that is soft when taken from the ground but that hardens when exposed to the sun, for foundations and other hidden parts of buildings. Because the surface of laterite is uneven, it was not suitable for decorative carvings, unless first dressed with stucco.
There are many legends surrounding the origin of the temple but the most popular is that a king who accidentally killed his father and married his mother built the temple. The legend recounts that this King was exiled by his father after a seer told him that his son would kill him. The son returned to his kingdom not knowing that his father was still the King. After quarrelling on the road, the son killed the King and married his Queen who was his Mother. Upon discovering his crime, this young man built Wat Nokor in penance for his crime.
Wat Nokor was granted World Heritage Status in 1992 but is badly in need of maintenance and conservation.
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