The original name of the temple was ‘Hema-sringagiri’, meaning ‘The Mountain with Golden Peaks’. It is one of the few temples where you can still see mae ji, as the female devotees of Buddha are known. They are recognizable by their shaven heads and white garb. In past years, they tended the Buddhist shrines that had been placed in the often Hindu temples. More recently, due to the influx of tourists, one sees less of the mae ji and more of the locals dressed up in traditional garb to pose for photos. The mae ji can be considered female monks, but that is not quite accurate. The mae ji occupy a place between the monks and lay people. Many sects of the Buddhist faith allow women to be ordained, and their numbers are growing, but those rights have still not been extended to women in this area of the Buddhist world. Still, they take the same vows of faith that the male monks do. In the temples they often sell incense sticks to be presented to the shrine they tend.

The climb to the top of the temple is an arduous one, especially in the hot sun. The east-facing stair is the easiest of the four, yet still quite steep. Take great care if you decide to go all the way to the top of the 22-meter-high temple. The temple plan is straightforward: the stairs on each side lead directly up each level, eventually leaving you at the top where you can enter the central tower.

You probably won’t be able to notice just from looking or walking around, but the temple is slightly asymmetrical. The third level is slightly west of center, and the southern edge is slightly wider than the north edge. It is unknown if these variations were intentional or not. However, it was intentional that Jayavarman V built his state temple in a place other than the center of his capital, though the significance of this is unknown.

In accordance with the symbolism of Mt. Meru, the third level is the most holy place. One of the kings succeeding Jayavarman V, a man named Suryavarman I, gave the temple as a gift to Yogisvara Pandita, one of the religious leaders of the time. Despite the esteem that others felt for this yogi, the man himself used only the lower two levels and considered himself unworthy of the highest level. If you make it to the top, you will see that it is a special place, with a great view over the treetops and even a glimpse of the very tip of Angkor Wat to the southwest, though it’s easy to miss.

The central tower that is accessed by the long flights of stairs does not have a roof. The absence makes the room of the central tower seem like it has a skylight and, along with the unfinished carvings, is evidence that Ta Keo was left incomplete. Scholars believe that it was just too ambitious a project for its time. This certainly may be true, but it must also be considered that the temple builders experienced a big setback during construction.

Work was interrupted when lightning hit the crowning stone. In Khmer culture, this was a very inauspicious occurrence. A ceremony had to be held to cleanse the temple of the bad luck, and new stone had to be ordered. The stone was high-quality sandstone known as grauwacke, which had to be cut and shipped in. This setback may very well have made the building project too much to finish.

Learn more about Ta Keo

Igreja da Nossa Senhora da Conceição Velha

The facade of the gray stone Igreja da Nossa Senhora da Conceição Velha located at number 112 Rua da Alfândega has an unusual mix of plain stone walls and ornately carved doorways. Part of the reason may be that this church was built from the remains of an earlier church named Nossa Senhora da Misericórdia. This early church was built in the beginning of the 16th century. As with many of the buildings in Lisbon, the 1755 earthquake destroyed the original church. Only the main doorway survived and was incorporated into the present-day church.

This doorway with its ornate stone carvings is an excellent example of the “Manueline” architectural style. The name “Manueline” originated from King Manuel I, who reigned from 1495 to 1521 when this architectural style became popular. It is also called “Portuguese Late Gothic” and bridged the gap between the Gothic architecture of the 15th century and the revival of ancient Greek and Roman architecture in the Renaissance style in the 16th century.

The doorway of the Igreja da Nossa Senhora da Conceição Velha is filled with Manueline details such as angels, beasts and maritime themes such as pearls, shells and anchors. On the pediment from the original Nossa Senhora da Misericórdia, Our Lady of the Mercy spreads her mantle, which is held by two angels, over Pope Alexander VI, the bishop of Lisbon and King Manuel I.

Go into the church if it is open. Inside the second chapel to the right is a statue representing Nossa Senhora do Bom Successo, or Our Lady of Good Success. This statue originally stood in Belém, another neighborhood of Lisbon. It was in Belém where sailors would pray before this statue for success on their voyages before leaving port. It was thanks to the successes of these voyages that the Manueline style grew in popularity.

Praca do Comercio

Praça do Comércio, which means the square of commerce. It is also known as Terreiro do Paço, the Palace square, and it was here that the royal palace stood for four centuries. In 1511, King Manuel I chose to move from the Alcáçova palace in Castelo de São Jorge, which is half a kilometer to the northeast of here, to this more centralized location in Lisbon. His new home in this square became the “Paços da Ribeira”, or Riberia Palace, a three-story building with four towers. The palace also included a library that was funded by the wealth of the spice trade and became one of the most extensive library collections in Europe.

All of that was lost on November 1, 1755 when a huge earthquake destroyed the Royal Palace together with its library, which contained around 70,000 volumes. Marquês de Pombal, who was in control of the reconstruction work, decided to build a new square at this location. The square was made somewhat larger and was given the new name, Praça do Comércio. The architect Santos Carvalho designed the new buildings to surround the square on three sides, leaving the south side exposed to the sea. This harbor at the south side has been recognized as the finest gate to Lisbon. Ambassadors and royalty have disembarked here by the Cais das Colunas, a small jetty with two pillars, and entered the city of Lisbon via the marble stairs. You can still access the Cais das Colunas by foot, giving you the opportunity to walk in the footsteps of royalty.

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