Yasovarman I may have moved the city to the Angkor site because he needed more room for the growing population. He continued the irrigation program started by Indravarman I. He built the east [G 04 / baray], which was one mile by five miles and fed by the waters of the Siem Reap River. This enabled him to cultivate more land and support a larger population. This new city (Yasodharapura), a few miles north of [M 003 / today's village of Siem Reap], became the basis for the city of Angkor we see today.
The Bakheng Temple was built on the only natural hill in the area, Phnom Bakheng. It is 214 feet tall and stands outside the south gate of the surviving city of Angkor Thom. Yasovarman I continued the tradition started by his predecessor, Jayavarman II, of literally declaring himself `mountain king' by building his principal temple on a hill. The temple stood in the center of Yasovarman's city and was used to house his royal [G 18 / linga] during his life and as a tomb after his death. It was a fairly large and imposing pyramid temple. Flights of steps led up to the receding terraces and statues of lions guarded these stairs. Today, it offers a wonderful panoramic view of Angkor Thom and Angkor Wat.
