Banteay Srei was a 10th century Cambodian temple dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva. It was built largely of hard red sandstone that can be carved like wood and was a medium that lent itself to the elaborate decorative wall carvings which seem to cover almost every available surface and are still observable today. Brick and laterite were used only for the enclosure walls and some structural elements. The temple's modern name, Banteay Srei - citadel of the women, or citadel of beauty - is probably related to the intricacy of the bas relief carvings found on the walls and the small dimensions of the buildings themselves. Some have speculated that it relates to the many devatas carved into the walls of the buildings.