Terrace of the Elephants & Terrace of the Leper King
ព្រះលានជល់ដំរី
A roughly 350-metre royal viewing terrace in front of the Royal Palace of Angkor Thom, its walls carved with life-size elephants and mythological reliefs.
The Terrace of the Elephants was built as a royal reviewing platform in the era of Jayavarman VII. It stands directly in front of the Royal Palace ruins in Angkor Thom and is about 350 metres long. Kings watched victorious troops, military parades and various ceremonies from here.
The walls are carved with rows of life-size elephants and their mahouts, along with garuda and lion reliefs. At the north end stands a stone column formed by five elephant trunks. The neighbouring Terrace of the Leper King, to the north, is named after a statue on it that appears to show a person with leprosy. The statue on the terrace is a replica; the original is in the National Museum of Cambodia in Phnom Penh. Inside the base is a hidden passage, with layers of mythological figure reliefs on both sides, and it is not to be missed.
The two terraces are easily connected on foot with the Bayon and Baphuon. Visiting requires an Angkor Pass (US$37 for 1 day, US$62 for 3 days, US$72 for 7 days).
Opening hours
07:30–17:30