Carved into the face of the cliff at Pha Mo I Daeng, high above the Cambodian border in the extreme southeast corner of Isaan, the three bas-relief figures seen here remain a bit of a mystery, though they are almost certainly Khmer in origin. They are thought to date to the 10th century and the time of Jayavarman IV. Conceivably, the artists responsible for the carvings at nearby Prasat Preah Vihear temple (known as Khao Phra Viharn in Thailand) may have practiced their craft here before beginning work on the temple itself.

Prasat Ban Prasat at Huai Thap Than, Sisaket Province, was a Khmer sanctuary built between 958 and 1057 AD. Dedicated to the Hindu deity Shiva, it was later adapted to serve as a Mahayana Buddhist temple.

The three towers of Prasat Ban Prasat

Offerings are still left at the shrine of Prasat Ban Prasat, a thousand years after its creation, despite its out-of-the-way location in a rural countryside.

Prasat Ban Prasat

The towers at Prasat Ban Prasat, seen here from in back of the temple, are supported today with metal scaffolding.

The shrine of Ta Leng consisted of a single stupa on a rectangular base. Portions of the walls and entryway are all that remain standing today. Carved lintels have been placed on the ground nearby.

The colonettes at the entrance to Ta Leng were decorated with bird and floral designs and topped by multi-headed naga—mythical benevolent, serpentlike guardians. The birds are hamsa, sacred geese associated with Brahma and with fertility.

Detail of a column at Ta Leng

Ta Leng

Based on its stylistic elements, Ta Leng is estimated to have been built in the 11th century.

Prasat Prang Ku was built over a thousand years ago. It represents a transition between the simplest single-tower configuration of early Khmer temples, such as that found at Ta Leng, and later, more elaborate variations found at such temples as Prasat Muang Tham (presented here in a previous gallery) and Prasat Sikhoraphum (which can be seen in the gallery that follows this one). Here, three towers were set on a laterite base, aligned on a north–south axis, facing east, an orientation typical of most Khmer temples in Thailand.

Replica of a lintel found at Prasat Prang Ku. The central figure is Vishnu standing atop the outstretched arms and wings of the part-bird part-human Garuda, Vishnu's traditional mount. One of the three principal Hindu deities, Vishnu is often depicted, as here, with four arms.

Detail of a 12th-century lintel found at Prasat Prang Ku, now in the Phimai National Museum, Nakhon Ratchasima Province. Depicted is a scene from the Hindu classic Ramayana. At the bottom are Rama and his brother Lakshmana, who have been ensnared in the coils of a serpent arrow while doing battle with the forces of archenemy Ravana, much to the dismay of Rama's monkey warrior allies, seen gesticulating above and straddling the brothers' legs.

During the reign of Jayavarman VII, king of Cambodia from approximately 1181 to 1215 AD, many ambitious building projects were carried out, of which Prasat Ta Muean, seen here, and the neighboring Prasat Ta Muean Toht and nearby Prasat Ta Muean Thom were a part. Prasat Ta Muean consisted of a single laterite and sandstone building. Its purpose remains obscure, but it likely served as the chapel of a dharmasala or rest station for pilgrims traveling on the royal road between Angkor and Prasat Hin Phimai in today's Nakhon Ratchasima Province.

The entry to the structure at 12th-century Prasat Ta Muean, which faced east

The lintel over the entryway depicts Shiva meditating atop a kala demon, amid botanical motifs—traditional Hindu architectural ornamentation.

The kala, at times considered symbolic of the all-devouring nature of time, was associated with the destructive side of Shiva and was commonly enlisted as a threshold guardian on the lintels at Khmer sites, a practice derived from Hindu temples dedicated to Shiva in India.

Near Prasat Ta Muean is Prasat Ta Muean Toht, also built during the reign of Jayavarman VII. The laterite-lined, dug-out area seen in the foreground here would originally have held water, possibly used for ritual purposes.

During Jayavarman VII's reign, numerous hospitals were built throughout the kingdom. Prasat Ta Muean Toht, seen here, is believed to have served as a place of worship for one such hospital, whose wooden buildings would not have endured. It would have been closely allied with nearby Prasat Ta Muean Thom and Prasat Ta Muean.

At Prasat Ta Muean Toht: a view through the gopura, or entry pavilion, to the central tower

The principal tower at Prasat Ta Muean Toht

Another view of the tower

Detail of a portion of the limestone wall of the tower

In the background, another view of the entry gopura, which was set into the eastern portion of the wall that enclosed the principal tower

The main tower at Ta Muean Toht, seen from outside the enclosing laterite wall

Predating its two neighboring sites, Prasat Ta Muean Thom was built in the late 11th century, sited near a major pass over the Dongrek Mountains, which today separate Thailand from Cambodia.

Ta Muean Thom, dedicated to Shiva, was unusually oriented for a Khmer temple in Thailand: like Prasat Hin Phimai, it faced south.

Most of the roofs and some of the walls have fallen, lost to time or vandalism, as Ta Muean Thom was occupied by the Khmer Rouge during the Cambodian civil war in the 1980s. None of its carved pediments or lintels remain, having been plundered by the Khmer Rouge and rapacious dealers.

Despite the ravages the temple has seen, its structures remain an imposing and impressive architectural presence.

Ta Muean Thom contained a central shrine, two secondary towers, and two laterite buildings. Foundations for three additional structures are also present.

The surviving architectural carvings at Prasat Ta Muean Thom are a testament to the skillful accomplishment of the Khmer artisans who practiced their craft a thousand years ago.

Stylized floral decoration along the base of the main tower. Multiply-redented corners such as this—with vertical 'cuts' made at 90-degree angles—would be incorporated into the design of most later Thai Buddhist temple tower structures known as prang or chedi.

Carved detail at Ta Muean Thom, very likely vandalized

The remaining carved details can only suggest how much must have been lost to posterity with the removal of the temple's pediments and lintels.

False doorway on one of the stupas at Ta Muean Thom

A portion of the surrounding wall that enclosed the sanctuary

Much of the masonry work at Ta Muean Thom is a small wonder of intricately cut and carefully fitted stones.

Incongruously—given its violently troubled past—Ta Muean Thom is located in what is by nature a serene and rather idyllic forested location. Sadly, land mines in the area, left over from the conflict of the 1980s, are still a potential danger.