Prasat Khao Noi - Ancient Khmer Ruin on the Cambodian Border - Thailand 2023

Prasat Khao Noi is a stone castle that is believed to be a religious place for Hinduism. It is assumed that this castle was built in the 12th Buddhist century and was renovated in the 15th Buddhist century and remained important until the 16th Buddhist century. On top of the little pink hill In the Aranyaprathet District, Sa Kaeo Province, about 1 kilometer from the Thai-Cambodian border. It was registered as an important national historic site March 8, 1935.

This Prasat is a brick building without cement (no mortar). Originally there were 3 after the outer 2 collapsed, leaving only the middle prang and 2 mounds. Many antiques were found in the area.

The most important archaeological artifact is the lintel at Khao Noi. There was a Khmer style lintel of Sambor Pai Kuk. Attached above the door frame of the entrance to the middle prang, the Khao Noi inscription (the oldest inscription in Thailand) is inscribed in Panwa script on the doorframe of the middle prang on the right hand side of the door.

There are leaf patterns in the style of Khmer art in the Gulen style. A sculpture of a person with four hands standing above the buffalo's head. It is assumed that it is a picture of Durga when she defeats a buffalo beast or Mahisa Sura Madhana. These antiques, some of them have been lost over the years, have been transferred to storage.

In the year 1989 the fine arts department began excavation of Prasat Khao Noi. After excavating all the accumulated soil from Prasat Khao Noi, it was found that the northern prang and the central prang were on the same base. But the northern pagoda was built protruding outside. The south building is located on the base of the same height, but is slightly separated from each other, only the brick base at the back is connected to the others.

All the ruins have only one way out, which is to the east. In front of the castle there are stairs leading up to all 3 buildings, and on some of the steps of all 3 buildings, there are square incisions at both ends. may be intended to plug in the wooden pillars which connected the roof of the wooden arches from all 4 sides. The center prang has been constructed with 3 fake doors in the cardinal directions with the east being the only opening.

There were other lintels found at the site and a few are still near the ruin. The site is in poor condition but it’s still worth a short visit if you enjoy Khmer architecture.

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