Terrace of the Leper King

As one comes out of the Royal Palace complex, one will pass by the Terrace of the Leper King. This terrace is directly to the right of the Terrace of the Elephants, however, the design is decidedly more complex than the former.

Mythical Figures All Stacked One on Top of the Other

The Terrace of the Leper King was built by Jayavarman VIII and in contrast of the design of the Terrace of the Elephants, this terrace has a whole lot more mythical figures, mainly gods and their attendants. There up to seven levels of carvings of these as can be seen from the outside.

Carvings in the Inner Wall

Interestingly, the Terrace of the Leper King has a two layered wall, the second one was previously undiscovered. It is presumed that the second wall was built for fear of the collapse of the first wall. Visitors can actually walk in between the two walls along the length of the terrace. It felt much like going through a labyrinth, although there was only one way out.

There really isn’t much to do at the Terrace of the Leper King aside from admiring the figures carved on the wall. Nonetheless, it is as fascinating as ever.

Related Posts:

Terrace of the Elephants

The Royal Palace and Phimeanakas

Grand Palace Upper Terrace

Tags: Cambodia, heritage, king, leper, Siem Reap, terrace, UNESCO, wall, world