Banteay Srei is a 10th century CE Cambodian temple dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva and Parvati. Located in the area of Angkor, it lies near the hill of Phnom Dei, 25 km (16 mi) north-east of the main group of temples that once belonged to the medieval capitals of Yaśodharapura and Angkor Thom. Banteay Srei is built largely of red sandstone, a medium that lends itself to the elaborate decorative wall carvings which are still observable today. The buildings themselves are miniature in scale, unusually so when measured by the standards of Angkorian construction. These factors have made the temple extremely popular with tourists, and have led to its being widely praised as the jewel of Khmer art.
Banteay Srei
"Banteay Srei" ("Citadel of Women") is the modern name of a 10th-century CE Khmer temple originally called "Tribhuvanamaheshvara" ("Great Lord of the Threefold World"), an appellation of the god Shiva.
Banteay Srei is known for the intricacy of its carvings. This carving is of a Kala, a mythical animal representative of time and of the god Shiva.
It has been speculated that the temple's modern name, Banteay Srei, is due to the many devatas carved into the red sandstone walls.
Angkor, also known as Yasodharapura, was the capital city of the Khmer Empire. The city and empire flourished from approximately the 9th to the 15th centuries. The city houses the Angkor Wat, one of Cambodia's most popular tourist attractions.
Angkor Wat
South gate into Angkor Thom
Angkor Wat at sunrise
Suryavarman II