 From
Angkor: "Soon after Yasovarman became king in 889 AD, he decided
to move the capital north-west from Roulos, where his predecessor
reigned, to the area known today as Angkor. He named his new capital
Yasodharapura, and built Bakheng as his state temple. Thus, Bakheng
is sometimes called the 'first Angkor'. The original city, which
is barely distinguishable to visitors today, was vast, even larger
than Angkor Thom. ... The temple of Bakheng was cut from the rock
that formed the natural hill and faced with sandstone. ... Bakheng
was a replica of Mount Meru and the number of towers suggests a
cosmic symbolism. The seven levels of the monument (ground, five
tiers, upper terrace) represent the seven heavens of Indra in Hindu
mythology. The temple must have been a spectacular site in its entirety
because originally 108 towers were evenly spaced around the tiers
with yet another one, the central sanctuary, at the apex of them
all. Today, however, most of these towers have collapsed."
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