ANGKORWAT
Angkor Wat, literally 'city of temples', is the biggest
religious structure in the world. Billed as the eighth wonder
of the world, it was built in the 12th century is one of
the most enduring architectural achievements in the world.
Angkor, in northwestern Cambodia, is the site where Khmer
kings established their capitals from the ninth to the twelfth
century. Angkor was a highly developed civilization, as
demonstrated by its temples, sculpture and bas-reliefs,
as well as its elaborate irrigation system. Today, Angkor
is an extensive archaeological site covering more than 400-square
kilometers. More than 100 temples can be seen there. However,
civil houses, including
palaces, which were built with wood, no longer exist. Up
to the twelfth century, kings were Hindu. At the end of
this century, a Buddhist king built a number of temple complexes.
HISTORY
Angkor was built by the Angkorian god kings
who ruled the region for more than 500 years, from 802 to
the mid-1300s. Spanning 81 hectares, the vast complex incorporated
more than 60 temples and had five main towers, which are
now depicted on the Cambodian flag. The towers are thought
to have represented the five peaks of Mount Meru, the home
of the Hindu gods and the temples were encircled by moats,
which represented the ocean surrounding the mountain.
King Suryavarman II, who
reigned from 1113 to 1152, was responsible for the Temple
of Angkor Wat, a huge pyramid shaped structure which was
dedicated to the Hindu God Vishnu. The Temple contained
some of the most beautiful examples of Khmer and Hindu art,
though sadly it has been repeatedly ransacked throughout
history and artifacts are still circulating on the illegal
international art market.
By the mid-15th century
Angkor had been abandoned. Phnom Penh became the new capital
and the site crumbled into obscurity. For centuries was
little more than a legend of a mysterious walled city to
all but a handful of local inhabitants. In 1860 a French
explorer called Henri Mouhot made international headlines
when he 'discovered' the place by accident. The cause of
Angkor Wat was taken up by the French, who invested 40 years
of technical expertise in preventing further deterioration
of the site. However their grand plans were halted first
by the Khmer Rouge guerrillas, who occupied the site and
used it as a munitions dump for the duration of the civil
war, and later by the Vietnamese.The last capital was Angkor
Thom, a city of nine-square kilometers, in the middle of
which was built the Bayon, around 1200.
Restoration work was resumed
in 1986, and these days thousands of pilgrims and tourists
flock to the religious centre every year. Siamese Buddhist
monks still occupy part of Angkor, and their presence has
been a major factor in the preservation of the site. In
1992 Angkor Wat was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site.
more....
TOURIST PLACES
The ancient site of Angkor is 15 miles in length and 7 miles.
The best way to see it all is to hire a bike. You can buy
a day pass to all the major sites for the equivalent of
about $20.
The city of Angkor Thom
covers an area of 10 square kilometres and is encircled
by a moat. The most important monuments, the Bayon, the
Baphuon, the Royal Enclosure, Phimeanakas and the Terrace
of the elephants, are located at the centre of the city.
Ta Prohm ranks alongside
Angkor Wat as one of the most popular attractions at Angkor.
It has been deliberately (and controversially) neglected
by preservationalists and looks rather like the entire complex
must have appeared to the French explorers of the 19th century:
overgrown, devoured by the jungle foliage and steeped in
mystery.
The magnificent Angkor Wat
temple is undisputedly the highlight of any visit. Facing
west in the direction of death, its primary function was
once thought to have been as a tomb. It's a fantastic place
from which to view the sunset, and the famous bas reliefs
and decorative embellishments continue to elicit wonder,
even on repeat visits.
HOW TO GET THERE
MISCELLANEOUS
