Siem Reap (Banteay Srei)
Banteay Srei Banteay Srei is a Hindu temple dedicated to Shiva. considered by many to be the jewel in the town of Angkorian art, the temple is cut from stone of a pinkish hue and includes some of the finest stone carving seen anywhere on the planet.It is not particularly extensive temple site, but it is wonderfully well preserved and many of its carvings are three-dimensional.Banteay Srei means Citadel of the Women and it is said that it must have been built by a woman, as the elaborate carvings are too fine for the touch of a man.Construction on banteay srei began in 967 and it is one of the few temples around Angkor not to be commissioned by a king, but by a Brahim who may have been a tutor to Jayavarman V.Of interest are the lavishly decorated libraries and the three central towers, which are decorated with male and female divinities and beautiful relief work of the epic Ramayana
