ANGKOR WAT
the eight wonder of the world
BAPHUON TERRACE OF ELEPHANTS TA PROHM CHAU SAY TEVODA SRAH SRANG BANTEAY KDEI PHNOM BAKHENG BAYON THOMMANON PHIMEAN AKAS ANGKOR WAT
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Anchor what? This is the most popular question asked by Western people. In fact, we have very little knowledge about one of the most interesting and beautiful places on Earth. The name Angkor is the Western equivalent of Nakhon, which is itself derived from theSanskrit word Nagara or in English Saint Cobra. The word Angkor is used as a designation for the period of the Khmer Empire, which lasted from 802 to 1432 AD, however, there are different theories about time localization of Angkor building. In 1432 a Thai army defeated Khmer troops and captured their capital. As a result the City was partially destroyed and by the King's decision the capital was moved 320 km North from Angkor to Phnom Penh. When the Thai soldiers came back two years later, they found Angkor abandoned. This marked the end of the Great Khmer Empire, which ruled South-East Asia for many centuries. Although highly advanced in engineering, building, arts and military activities, today we only have the remains of their magnificent temples and numerous archaeological artifacts. The second phase in the history of Angkor Wat took place in the 17 century when European missionaries arrived in central area of Cambodia. In their letters are described stories about the ruins of an unknown city lost in the jungle. Nobody believed these stories. It was only after Henry Mouhot, a French naturalist published detailed descriptions of Angkor in 1860, that people all over the world started to come to see this miracle turned to stone. During the period of the French occupation of Indo-China a few temples of Angkor Thom were cleaned from the trees and partially restored. The long-term civil war in Cambodia after the Second World War stopped any further archaeological renovation works. Today UNESCO and NGO sponsoring agencies are conducting new research and are maintaining one of the world’s most valuable areas of historical heritage. Siem Reap is the capital of the province of the same name. This is a small, French colonial style town, situated approximately 7 kilometers from international airport and 6 kilometers from Angkor Thom.
Date: first half of the 12th century
Religion: Hindu (dedicated to Vishnu)
King: Suryavarman II
Angkor Wat is the largest and best-preserved monument of the Angkor group. Indeed the Cambodian flag takes the towers of Angkor Wat as a national symbol. The name Wat was added after 1432 AD when the temple was occupied by Buddhist monks (in the Thai language Wat means temple). The height of the temple is 213 meters. Covered galleries and columns define boundaries of the first and second levels. The third level supports 5 towers - one in the middle and four in the corners. From some angles you can see all five towers. Curved stairways provide access to the different levels.Helen Caldle, visited Angkor in the 1920s, wrote: The steps of Angkor Wat are made to force a halt at beauteous obstructions that the mind may be prepared for the atmosphere of sanctity. Angkor Wat is a miniature replica of the universe in stone and represents an earthly model of the cosmic world. The central tower rises from the center of the monument symbolizing the mystical mountain, Meru, situated in the center of the universe. Five towers correspond to the peaks of Meru. The outer walls correspond to the mountains at the edge of the world, and the surrounding moat the oceans beyond.
On the first level of the temple is a gallery of bas-reliefs 215 by 187 meters, all showing long stories about Ramayana. The gallery of 1000 Buddha’s, the Hall of Echoes and many other mysterious places are covered by Angkor Wat roofs.
BAPHUON (Tower of Bronze)
Date: middle of the 11 century
Religion: Hindu (dedicated to Shiva)
King: Udayadityavarman II
This temple was being restored by the French until 1972 when they were forced to leave. This is a single sanctuary mountain temple placed on a natural hill. A ruined terrace leads to the mall temple, which was erected in traditional Baphuon style. From the top of the galleries there is a superb view of the four-faced Bayon towers. The temple had five levels all of the same size - the last two are today completely destroyed, and were similar to the central sanctuary and the two libraries. The view from the top with Phnom Bakheng in the south and Phimeanakas in the north is magnificent.
Date: end of 12 century
Religion: Buddhist
King: Jayavarman VII
The terrace faces the central square of the city of Angkor Thom. The section of the King's palace built of wood was completely destroyed. The terrace is over 300 meters long. One of its three levels is covered with three-headed elephants holding lotus flowers. Another shows lions and Garudas, supporting central stairways. The facade is decorated with almost life size elephants depicted in profile.
TA PROHM (The ancestor Brahma)
Date: mid. 12 century
Religion: Buddhist
King: Jayavarman VII
This is the "undisputed capital of the kingdom of the Trees". Archaeologists have just cleaned it removing all the small plants and dust, which covered it. The temple is surrounded by jungle thus we can see and feel what the first researchers saw and felt when looking at these magnificent buildings lost in jungle. Gigantic roots of banyan trees, figs and kapoka, partially damaged walls and pillars. Now though we can describe this state as "natural" because of these trees are mostly several hundred years old. A Sanskrit inscription on some stones gives us details of the temple: it took 79,365 people to maintain the temple, including 625 dancers. Ta Phrom is one of the largest monuments in the Angkor Complex. Outside galleries, surrounded the main temple and were completely destroyed. Here we find traditional balustrades decorated with snakes and lions, relief’s describing Buddha's life and niches for Brahma's images created in Hindu times.
SRAH SRANG (The Royal Bath)
Date: end of the 12 century
Religion: Buddhist
King: Jayavarman VII
Probably built in Hindu times it was a temple to Kama the God of Love. Srah Srang is a lake 300x700 meters with a beautiful terrace in the shape of a cross on the West side. Stairways lead to water, guarded by stone Nagas, godly snakes, and mythical birds Garudas.
Date: end of 11 century
Religion: Hindu
King: Suriavarman II
Together with Thommanon Temple these small temples are often referred as brother-sister temples. They were constructed in the pure classical style of Angkor Wat architecture. The central sanctuary is opened to the East, two gopuras (an entrance pavilion enclosing walls around a temple). In the central sanctuary we can see artistically carved female divinities in the corner niches. The three false doors of the central sanctuary are decorated with foliage and columns with diamond-shaped patterns and flowers.
Date: end of the 11 century
Religion: Hindu
King Suryavarman II
This temple is strategically placed outside the East gate (Victory Gate) leading to Angkor Thom. The small temple is East-West orientated. Vishnu sitting on Garuda and other scenes from Ramayana are depicted on the gallery walls.
Date: late 12 century
Religion: Buddhist
King: Jayavarman VII
The dense jungle surrounding this temple camouflages its position in the very middle of ancient Angkor Thom City. The Bayon was built almost 100 years after Angkor Wat. It looks as if the temple was built on a natural hill and was originally a temple-mountain conforming to the symbolism of a microcosm of Mount Meru. Over 200 large faces carved on 54 towers create the unique atmosphere of Bayon. There are three levels of the temple with the central sanctuary on the third level. On the walls of the temple are curved so called Apsaras - girls dancing on lotuses. The outer gallery of Bas-reliefs depicts scenes of one of the uncountable wars engaged in by the Khmers.
PHIMEAN AKAS (Aerial Palace)
Date: late 10th century
Religion: Hindu
King: Jayavarman I
Situated near Royal Palace of Angkor Thom, this temple has its own legend, describing a golden tower inside the Royal Palace of Angkor the Great, where a serpent-spirit with nine heads lived. The spirit appeared to the Khmer King as a woman and the King had to sleep with her every night. If the king missed sleeping with her for only one night it was believed he would die. In this way the royal lineage of the Khmers was perpetuated. Well-preserved carvings on the walls and lintels show Garudas and Kalas (a mystical monster with the characteristics of a wide grinning face, bulging eyes, claws and pointed ears).
BANTEAY KDEIi (The Citadel of the Cells)
Date: middle of the 12 century
Religion: Buddhist
King: Jayavarman VII
This temple was built as a Buddhist monastery. Today we can see only the ruins of this temple because of the poor quality of sandstone, which was used in its construction. There are still amazing carvings to be seen in the 5 central sanctuaries and 6 surrounding galleries (dancing girls galleries). The temple looks like a great cross on the plan – and as usual there are deep mystical and astrological meanings relating back thousands of years. The walls of the central sanctuary were once covered by metal.
Date: late ninth or early tenth century
Religion: Hindu
King: Yasorvaman I
Yasorvaman became king in 889, and then he founded his own capital with Bakheng as a state temple. Consequently Bakheng is the so-called first Angkor. The temple is built on a natural hill and cut out of the rock. Originally there were 109 towers reminding one of Mount Meru – the saintly mountain of the Hindus. The brick towers on the tiers represent the 12 years of the animal zodiac. Towers and relieves are decorated with ornaments and carvings. This is undoubtedly one of the most interesting and mysterious temples in Angkor.
