Preah Khan ("Sacred Sword") is one of the largest temples in the Angkor complex, built by Jayavarman VII in 1191 as both a Buddhist monastery and a city in its own right. Its inscriptions record that it housed over 1,000 teachers, nearly 100,000 officials, and untold numbers of temple dancers. The temple is dedicated to the king's father and represents the masculine counterpart to Ta Prohm (dedicated to his mother).
Preah Khan is significantly less visited than Angkor Wat, Ta Prohm, or the Bayon, and this relative quietness is one of its main attractions. The cruciform layout with four long axial galleries creates processional corridors that feel genuinely ancient, and several areas of collapse have been left in place. The two-storey structure on the eastern side — unusual in Khmer architecture and possibly a library or a hall for storing a sacred flame — is a highlight. The temple's perimeter wall is studded with garuda figures, and the naga-guarded causeways at the entrance gates are exceptionally well-preserved.