Angkor Wat Temple
The Angkor Wat temple is the most magnificent and largest of all
the monuments at Angkor. It name means “City Temple” and it is
considered to be the largest religious structure in the world. From the
base to the tip of the highest tower it’s 213 meters (669 feet) of
breathtaking stone reliefs in the elaborate Khmer style.Layout Angkor Wat occupies and enormous site of nearly 200 hectares (494 acres). A huge rectangular reservoir surrounds the temple which rises up through a series of three rectangular terraces to the central shrine and tower. This arrangement reflects the traditional Khmer idea of the temple mountain, in which the temple represent Mount Meru, the home of the gods in Hinduism.
Bas-Reliefs The famous bas-reliefs encircling the temple on the first level depict Hindu epics including the mythical “Churning of the Ocean of Milk”, a legend in which Hindu deities stir vast oceans in order to extract the nectar of immortal life. The reliefs, including thousands of female dancers, are carved into the wall of the third enclosure of the temple. This was as far into the Angkor Wat temple as ordinary citizens were allowed to go, and the scenes depicted were meant to contribute to their religious education and impress them with their king’s knowledge.
Rediscovery Portuguese explorers already visited Angkor Wat in the 16th century. But it was the account of French naturalist Henri Mouhot, who came to Angkor in 1860, that turned the ruins into an international obsession. The French explorer wrote of it:
“One of these temples, a rival to that of Solomon, and erected by some ancient Michelangelo, might take an honorable place beside our most beautiful buildings. It is grander than anything left to us by Greece or Rome, and presents a sad contrast to the state of barbarism in which the nation is now plunged.”Bayon Temple
The Bayon temple features a sea of over 200 massive stone faces
looking in all direction. Each face has an enigmatic smile, an instantly
recognizable image of Angkor, as familiar as Angkor Wat itself. In
fact, many people assume that the faces are an integral part of Angkor
Wat but it stands in fact at the center of Angkor Thom.
HistoryBuilt in the 12th century by King Jayavarman VII as part of a massive expansion of his capital Angkor Thom, the Bayon is deliberately built at the exact center of the royal city. The Bayon is the only state temple at Angkor built primarily as a Mahayana Buddhist shrine dedicated to the Buddha. Following Jayavarman’s death, it was modified and augmented by later Hindu and Theravada Buddhist kings in accordance with their own religious beliefs.
Layout The Bayon temple rises through three levels to a height of around 43 meters (140 feet). The outer gallery on the first level depicts scenes from everyday life and historical events, while the inner gallery on the next higher level depicts mythical figures and stories. Some of the figures depicted are Siva, Vishnu, and Brahma. The third level is where you will encounter many of the famous faces (and tourists).
Faces There is still a debate as to who is being depicted in the faces. One school of thought says they represent Avalokitesvara, Mahayana Buddhism’s compassionate Bodh. Other think they are a likenesses Jayavarman VII himself or a combination of him and Buddha.
First-hand account Zhou Daguan, a Chinese diplomat who stayed at Angkor in 1296-1297, provides the only first-hand account of the splendor of Angkor Thom and the Bayon. He wrote: “At the center of the Khmer kingdom rises a golden tower, the Bayon, flanked by more than 20 smaller towers and several 100 stone chambers. On the eastern side is a golden bridge guarded by two lions of gold, one on each side, with 8 golden Buddhas spaced along the stone chambers.”. Obviously impressed, Zhou makes no attempt to conceal the sense of awe that he felt even though he would have been used to grandeur as an official of the Chinese court.
Ta Prohm
Ta Prohm is undoubtedly the most atmospheric and photogenic ruin
at Angkor, with trees growing out of the ruins. Here you can still
experience an India Jones moment and feel like an early explorer. If
Angkor Wat and other temples are a testimony to the genius of the
ancient Khmers, Ta Prohm equally reminds us of the awesome power of the
jungle.Built from 1186, Ta Prohm was a Buddhist temple dedicated to the mother of Jayavarman VII. It is one of the few temples in Angkor where an inscription provides information about the temple’s inhabitants. The temple was home to more than 12,500 people, including 18 high priests, while an additional 80,000 khmers, living in the surrounding villages, were required to maintain the temple. The inscription also notes that the temple contained gold, pearls and silks.
Ta Prohm
Banteay Srei
Located far from the main group of temples, Banteay Srei is one
of the smallest sites at Angkor. Due to its beautiful carvings however
it is extremely popular with tourists and considered a jewel of Khmer
art. Built of fine grained rose-pink sandstone, the temple walls are
elaborately decorated with floral motifs and epic Ramayana scenes.History Construction of Banteay Srei began in AD 967 AD. It is the only major temple at Angkor not commissioned by a king but by a brahmin named Yajnavaraha. The temple was primarily dedicated to the Hindu god Śiva. Banteay Srei, the modern name of the temple, means “Citadel of the Women” as the elaborate carvings are supposedly to fine for the hand of a man. Its original name, Tribhuvanamaheśvara, means the “great lord of the threefold world”.
Visit Banteay Srei Banteay Srei is about 32 km (20 miles) from Siem Reap. It is well signposted and the road is surfaced all the way. A trip from Siem Reap should take about 45 minutes. An Angkor Wat pass is required to visit.
Pre Rup
With its three central spires, Pre Rup look a bit like a mini
Angkor Wat. Pre Rup was built as the state temple of king Rajendravarman
in 961 and was dedicated to Shiva. It was the second temple built after
the capital was returned to Angkor from Koh Ker after a period of
political upheaval. The artistically similar East Mebon was the first to
be constructed after the return to Angkor, less than a decade earlier.Pre Rup is made of gray sandstone, which is a less durable material than the pink sandstone of some of the other temples at Angkor. As such, time and weather haven’t served the temple well and many of the complex carvings and details have been worn away by rain and erosion. It’s a crumbling temple but still magnificent in size and structure.
Located just south of the eastern reservoir, the Pre Rup temple is aligned on a north-south axis with the East Mebon temple, which is located on what was an artificial island in reservoir.
Preah Khan
The temple of Preah Khan is one of the largest complexes at
Angkor. Like the nearby Ta Prohm, Preah Khan has been left largely
unrestored, with numerous trees growing among the ruins.Preah Khan was built by Jayavarman VII and probably served as his temporary residence while Angkor Thom was being built. Unusually for Angkor the modern name, meaning “holy sword”, is derived from the meaning of the original: Nagara Jayasri (holy city of victory).
Phnom Bakheng
Dedicated to Shiva, Phnom Bakheng is a Hindu temple in the form
of a temple mountain. It was constructed at the end of the 9th century,
more than two centuries before Angkor Wat , during the reign of King
Yasovarman.Phnom Bakheng was the architectural centerpiece of a new capital, Yasodharapura, following Yasovarman’s move westwards from Roluos. The temple faces east and is built in a pyramid form of six tiers. Upon its completion it boasted 108 small towers around the temple at ground level and on several tiers. Only a few of the towers now remain. Located on top of a hill, the temple is a very popular tourist spot for the magnificent sunset views. Angkor Wat can be seen to the east, soaring upwards from the jungle.
Phnom Kulen
Phnom Kulen is considered by Khmers to be the most sacred mountain in
Cambodia and is a popular place of pilgrimage during weekends and
festivals. It played a significant role in the history of the Khmer
empire, as it was from here in AD 802 that Jayavarman II proclaimed
himself a devaraja (god-king) and announced independence from Java,
giving birth to modern-day Cambodia. There is a small wat at the summit
of the mountain, which houses a large reclining Buddha carved into the
sandstone boulder upon which it is built. Nearby is a large waterfall
and above it are smaller bathing areas and a number of carvings in the
riverbed, including numerous lingas. The bad news is that a private
businessman bulldozed a road up here back in 1999 and charges a US$20
toll per foreign visitor, an ambitious fee compared with what you get
for your money at Angkor. None of the toll goes towards preserving the
site.Koh Ker (Northeast of Siem Reap,127km)
Abandoned to the forests of the north, Koh Ker (admission
US$10), capital of the Angkorian empire from AD 928 to AD 944, was long
one of Cambodia’s most remote and inaccessible temple complexes.
However, this has now changed thanks to recent de-mining and the opening
of a new toll road from Dam Dek (via Beng Mealea) that puts Koh Ker
(pronounced kah-kei) within day-trip distance of Siem Reap. But to
really appreciate the temples – the area has 42 major structures in an
area that measures 9km by 4km – it’s necessary to spend the night.
Several of the most impressive pieces in the National Museum in Phnom Penh come from Koh Ker, including the huge garuda (mythical half-man, half-bird creature) that greets visitors in the entrance hall and a unique carving depicting a pair or wrestling monkey-kings.
Most visitors start at Prasat Krahom (Red Temple), the second-largest structure at Koh Ker, which is named for the red bricks from which it is constructed. Sadly, none of the carved lions for which this temple was once known remain, though there’s still plenty to see – stone archways and galleries lean hither and thither and impressive stone carvings grace lintels, doorposts and slender window columns. A naga-flanked causeway and series of sanctuaries, libraries and gates lead past trees and vegetation-covered ponds. Just west of Prasat Krahom, at the far end of a half-fallen colonnade, are the remains of an impressive statue of Nandin.
The principal monument at Koh Ker is Prasat Thom (Prasat Kompeng), a 55m-wide, 40m-high sandstone-faced pyramid with seven tiers that’s just west of Prasat Krahom. This striking structure, which looks like it could almost be a Mayan site somewhere on the Yucatan Peninsula, offers some spectacular views across the forest from its summit. Look out for the giant garuda under the collapsed chamber at the top of the vertigo-inducing stairs. Some 40 inscriptions, dating from 932 to 1010, have been found at Prasat Thom. South of this central group is a 1185m-by-548m baray (reservoir) known as the Rahal. It is fed by Stung Sen, which supplied water to irrigate the land in this arid area.
Some of the largest Shiva linga (phallic symbols) in Cambodia can still be seen in four temples about 1km northeast of Prasat Thom. The largest is in Prasat Thneng, and Prasat Leung (Prasat Balang) is similarly well endowed.
Other interesting temples: Prasat Bram (Prasat Pram), the first you come to after passing the toll booths (it’ll be on your left), which is named in honour of its five towers, two of which are smothered by strangler figs; Prasat Neang Khmau (Prasat Nean Khmau), a bit further north and on your right, with some fine lintels decorating its otherwise bland exterior; and Prasat Chen (Prasat Chhin), about halfway from the toll booths to Prasat Krahom, where the statue of the wrestling monkeys was discovered.
Koh Ker is one of the least-studied temple areas from the Angkorian period. Louis Delaporte visited in 1880 during his extensive investigations into Angkorian temples. It was surveyed in 1921 by the great Henri Parmentier for an article in the Bulletin de l’École d’Extrême Orient, but no restoration work was ever undertaken here. Archaeological surveys were carried out by Cambodian teams in the 1950s and 1960s, but all records vanished during the destruction of the 1970s, helping to preserve this complex as something of an enigma.
Flooded Forest of Kompong Phhluk
More memorable than Chong Kneas, but harder to reach, is the
village of Kompong Phhluk, an other-worldly place built on soaring
stilts. Nearby is a flooded forest, inundated every year when the lake
rises to take the Mekong’s overflow. As the lake drops, the petrified
trees are revealed. Exploring this area by wooden dugout in the wet
season is very atmospheric. The village itself is a friendly place,
where most of the houses are built on stilts of about 6m or 7m high,
almost bamboo skyscrapers. It looks like it’s straight out of a film
set.
There are two ways to get to Kompong Phhluk. One is to come via the floating village of Chong Kneas, where a boat (one hour) can be arranged for about US$20 per person round trip, and the other is to come via the small town of Roluos by a combination of road but it depends on the season – sometimes it’s more by road,
Floating Village of Chong Kneas
This famous floating village is now extremely popular with visitors
wanting a break from the temples, and is an easy excursion to arrange
with temple guide. Visitors arriving by fast boat get a preview, as the
floating village is near Phnom Krom, where the boat docks. It is very
scenic in the warm light of early morning or late afternoon and can be
combined with a view of the sunset from the hilltop temple of Phnom
Krom. The downside is that tour groups tend to take over, and boats end
up chugging up and down the channels in convoy.
Visitors should ask tour guide for the floating village and helps to
unlock the secrets of the Tonle Sap. It has displays on flora and fauna
of the area, as well as information on communities living around the
lake.
The village moves depending on the season and you will need to rent a
boat to get around it properly. On top of this, the Koreans are charging
for the new road and the local police for security.
To get to the floating village from Siem Reap costs US$15 by taxi. The
trip takes at least one hour,traditional wooden boat including driver $ 15 US per person. 
