In Cambodia, the small Hindu temple of Banteay Srei or “Citadel of Women” lies off the beaten track, some twenty kilometers from the city of Angkor. It’s a temple characterized by its pink sandstone and above all by its exceptional decor, remarkably well-preserved and without equivalent in other temples in the region. It was at Banteay Srei that pediments depicting mythological scenes (Ramayana, Mahabharata…) first appeared.
The temple was not discovered until 1914 by a French officer, and it was not until 1924 that the École Française d’Extrême-Orient decided to clear it completely. It quickly gained fame when French intellectual André Malraux stole apsara statues and a pediment from it in 1923. Banteay Srei dates from the second half of the 10th century. It is not a royal foundation, but a private one set up by two Brahmins. Through the excellent preservation of its architecture and mythological decorations, this place is often considered the crown jewel of Khmer culture.
The Banteay Srei temple was visited every year from 2008 to 2020.
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