The Khmer Empire

Phimai is the name of the large rectangular ancient Khmer city surrounded on all sides by boundary walls & moats, lying 260 km NW of Angkor.

Phimai was the Mahayana Buddhist sanctuary, together w/the Cultural Route & the associated temples of Phanomrung & Muangtam are among the finest Khmer monuments & constitute a testimony to the civilisation, prosperity & wealth, & the power of the Khmer Empire @ its peak. From Pimai the historical route stretched out Southeast into the southern sub-region of the Khorat Plateau leading to the pass across Phnom Dongrak mountain range on the Thai-Cambodian border. In ancient times, pilgrims took this route, which connected Angkor to Phimai, & had rest houses spanning over the route as well, remains of these rest houses mark out Phimai's unique cultural route, covering a distance of 150 km

Phimai was built l l th century as a Mahayana Buddhist sanctuary, it is significant that other Khmer temples during the same era, such as Angkor Wat , all were built as Hindu temples