The sight is located within Angkor. To prepare for your visit, read the AsiaExplorers Angkor Travel Guide for useful information. Visitors to Angkor stay at the town of Siem Reap. If you are looking for budget accommodation in Siem Reap, use the Cambodia Budget Accommodation Guide to find a place to stay.
Built in the late 11th to first half of the 12th century
Thommanon is a small yet elegant Angkor temple, built by the same king that gave us the majestic Angkor Wat. From studying the carvings of the devatas in Thommanon, scholars have concluded that it was built around the time when work on Angkor Wat was begun. The style and experience in Thommanon have allowed the architects to create the more elaborate and complex Angkor Wat and Banteay Samre.
Thommanon
Thommanon is a single-towered temple. Its central sanctuary faces east. Entering from the east, visitors passes through a gopura, followed by a mandapa, or antechamber, before arriving at the central sanctuary which is topped by a prasat, or tower. Thommanon underwent a full restoration in the 1960s, when the French restorers added concrete ceilings.
I explored Thommanon in between Ta Nei and Chau Say Tevoda. Thommanon is often paired with Chau Say Tevoda across the road as both were built by Suryavarman II, and both are almost similar in style.
How to go to Thommanon
Thommanon, which is directly opposite Chau Say Tevoda, can be approached from Angkor Thom, or coming from the opposite direction, from Ta Keo. It is just 500 meters east of the Victory Gate on the way to Ta Keo. Although Thommanon is not a major landmark, it is worth stopping to check it out as I can say it is beautiful. However, I can't say for sure whether your tuk tuk driver will know when to stop. So you need to be on the look out yourself. You can contact my tuk tuk driver, Mr Han (contact details below) to see if he is available.
Thommanon from the roadside.
The West Gopura (left) and Central Sanctuary (right) of Thommanon.
The Library (left), Mandapa (centre) and East Gopura (right) of Thommanon.
The antechamber, called Mandapa, of Thommanon.
Angkor, Unesco World Heritage Site
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Siem Reap Travel Guide
If you are visiting Angkor, it's almost definite that you will be staying in a hotel or guesthouse in Siem Reap. You will probably also need to hire a tuk tuk to take you around. Click the thumbnail on the left to view vital details to make your stay in Siem Reap more pleasant.
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