Category:Ancient Reservoir

This category concerns man-made reservoirs dating to the Angkor or pre-Angkor periods. Larger such sites are generally referred to as barays; smaller, often more decorative, ones as srahs, while a trapeang refers to a small reservoir or pond. Barays would usually correspond to an ancient city site while srahs more often to a specific temple. Trapeangs may be intrinsic features of a temple or may just function as a local water source for a village or district. Of course, there is frequent overlap between these categories and names from site to site. On Beyond Angkor we're primarily concerned with the larger of these reservoirs.

Note, we say ancient reservoirs and while certain are still full of water today, many are now either dry all year or water-filled during certain periods only, others are used as paddy-fields or farmland and certain have become overgrown swamps or marshland.

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  Baray at Prasat Muang Tam, Buriram, Thailand with Phanom Rung in the background

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  Trapeang Totoeng Thngai at Rolous

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  Many ancient reservoirs are today paddy-fields and agricultural land. (East Baray)

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  Srah Srang - one of the most picturesque and popular reservoirs

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  West Baray Baray Khang Lech on a busy weekend. (Wonder what Suryavarman would have thought?)