Srah Srang

Date: mid10^th century remodeled late 12^th century

King: Rajndravarman then Jayavarman VII

Religion: Buddhism

Art style: Bayon Temple

Restoration 1956, 1963-1965

The small Baray name Srah Srang means the royal bathing pools is a large man made body of water and surrounded by laterite embankment 350m wide by 700m long which was constructed by 2 different kings, Rajendravarman and Jayavarman VII. The work was began during the reign of the king Rajendravarman, but it was the personal construction of the chief architect of the king Rajendravarman maned Kavindrarimathana and later during the reign of King Jayvarman VII he was completed the sandstone terrace of landing stage that was originally covered by the wooden building and the laterite embankment surrounded this lake. 

In the religious believed Srah Srang was represented to the ocean and in the center of this lake there was a small Buddhist chapel which covered by the timber-roof it formerly used by his royal majesty, so it would be the place for the king Jayavarman VII to make this meditation for three months during celebration of the beginning of the Buddhist lent period until the celebration of the end of the Buddhist lent. Today Srah Srang strange is very useful for the farmers who live around this pool, they could grow rice in the dry season by draining water from Srah Srang to their farms by the water pipe, the steps that lead down to the stairway is flanked by Naga balustrades.