Angkor Archaeological Park
The Khmer empire was founded by King Jayavarman II in 802. He built his capital named Hariharalaya, now known as Roluos. Around the year 900, King Yasovarman I relocated the capital to Yasodharapura, which is present-day Angkor. Angkor the new capital city of the Khmer empire thrived from the 9th to 15th century and was the most sophisticated kingdom in the history of Southeast Asia. Suryavarman II, who built the Angkor Wat, Angkor's most famous and spectacular monument, during the first half of the 12th century, dedicated the temple to the Hindu God Vishnu. During the later decades of the 12th century, the empire was ruled by King Jayavarman VII. The temple city of Angkor Thom and the Bayon temple, best known for its huge Buddha faces was built by the King, who was a Mahayana Buddhist. Various forms of Hindu and Buddhist worship were practiced side-by-side making Angkor a major site exemplifying cultural, religious, and symbolic values, as well as containing high architectural, archaeological and artistic significance.
Angkor covers approximately 400 square kilometers, it was not restricted to impressive monuments but was a developed civilization with hydraulic structures such as basins, dykes, reservoirs and canals as well as a network of roads. Houses and most of the other structures have vanished. They didn't stand the test of time as they were built using wood, thatch and bamboo. The walls, reservoirs, roadways, and, most notably, the religious buildings of Angkor, which were built of stone and laterite, provide us with knowledge about the city that once existed. While what remains today is impressive, you should try to envision the temples and surrounding structures gleaming with gold and other colorful paints, for that is how they would have appeared originally.
UNESCO classified Angkor Archaeological Park as a World Heritage site in 1992, and it was added to the List of World Heritage in Danger (it was removed from this list in 2004). The Angkor Archaeological Park consists of some 72 major temples or other buildings, and the remnants of several hundred lesser temple sites are spread over the landscape beyond.
There are three recommended tours to choose from when visiting the Angkor Archaeological Park.
Small Circuit (1 Day) - includes all the must-see sites at the grounds
Grand Circuit (2 Days) - includes the small circuit temples, as well as some temples situated farther outside the main complex area
Remote Temple Sites (3 Days) - covers Small Circuit, Grand Circuit and Roluos Group temples.
I did the Small Circuit Tour which is what I will be focusing on in this blog.
Suggested Itinerary
To get around, you can easily rent a tuk-tuk either on your own or through the hotel.
Day 1 - Arrive before noon, check into your hotel, and then head to the Archeological Park to see the sunset at Phnom Bakheng Temple (1), the earliest temple built in Angkor.
Day 2 - It's a full day at the temple grounds, you can start in the wee hours by catching the sunrise view at Angkor Wat or you can forego sunrise and begin visiting the temples after breakfast as I did.
Day 3 - I highly recommend you visiting the Angkor National Museum and if you want to do some souvenir shopping, go to Psar Chaa (Old Market), which is located in the heart of Siem Reap.
Good to know:
The 1-day Pass to Angkor Archaeological Park can be used over 2 days.
So, obtain your tickets on Day 1 to see the sunset, and on Day 2 you can enter the Archaeological Park without having to wait in a long line outside to purchase tickets.
Angkor Wat is the most popular temple at the Archaeological Park, followed by Bayon then Ta Prohm. So large crowds are expected at these sites first thing in the morning. To avoid the crowds, do the tour in reverse. Start at Prasat Kravan (2) and continue counter-clockwise followed by the ruins in Angkor Thom, and end the day at Angkor Wat (13) just in time for the “Golden Hour” and capture some nice photos of Angkor Wat under the orange sky.
Please note:
Angkor Wat has a strict dress code. When visiting temples, clothing must cover your shoulders and reach below your knees. If you don’t want to be stopped from entering the temples, avoid wearing short skirts, shorts and tank tops.
Be prepared to go on all fours when climbing up the "Mountain Temples", most have almost 70% inclined stairs to the top. Guides claim the steps were made to be so steep to remind people that heaven was hard to reach.
The photos were taken back in 2007 so the ruins may not appear the same today due to constant restoration and conservations works being carried out.
Phnom Bakheng was built in the 9th century, a hilltop temple situated 65m above the surrounding plain. On a day with good weather and clear skies, you will get a spectacular view of Angkor Wat and even lake Tonle Sap from the top terrace. This temple is also a popular tourist spot for sunset views. Unfortunately, due to a large number of visitors it receives, this temple is one of the most threatened monuments of Angkor today. Like most temples in Angkor, it was initially built as a Hindu temple and later converted into a Buddhist temple with the addition of a sitting Buddha on its upper tier and a reclining Buddha across the west side crafted in stone. The overall condition of the temple is rather poor, most of its structures collapsed or missing. Conservation activities have been ongoing since 2004 with a joined partnership between World Monuments Fund and APSARA.
Jean Filliozat, a French author who was a leading western authority on Indian cosmology and astronomy, interpreted the symbolism of the temple as follows:-
“The temple sits on a rectangular base and rises in five levels and is crowned by five main towers. One hundred four smaller towers are distributed over the lower four levels, placed so symmetrically that only 33 can be seen from the center of any side. Thirty-three is the number of gods who dwelt on Mount Meru. Phnom Bakheng's total number of towers is also significant. The center one represents the axis of the world and the 108 smaller ones represent the four lunar phases, each with 27 days. The seven levels of the monument represent the seven heavens and each terrace contains 12 towers which represent the 12-year cycle of Jupiter.”
Prasat Kravan, the five red brick towers, built in a row on a single raised terrace, has a rather plain exterior, unlike most temples in Angkor. Built in the early 10th century, it is one of the few temples that was not built by a King, instead, it was constructed by high-ranking officials/priests during the reign of King Harshavarman I.
The interior of this temple is unique in that it contains large bas-relief depictions of Hindu gods that are not found anywhere else in Angkor. Vishnu and Lakshmi sculptures are carved into the brick walls, combined using a vegetable compound instead of mortar in the central and north towers. During restorations works, new bricks were added and marked with the letters ‘CA’, representing Conservation Angkor.
Photo Tip: The reliefs inside the tower are best seen in the morning when the east light shines through the door; they are hardly visible in the afternoon.
Before heading to the next temple, you can do a quick stop at Srah Srang which means “Royal Bath”. It is located opposite the east entrance of the Banteay Kdei temple. It is a man-made reservoir that has retained water for more than nine centuries. An inscription stated that,
“water has been stored for the benefit of all creatures”, except for the “dyke breakers” - the elephants.
The only thing that remains at the site is a sandstone terrace with guardian lions and naga balustrades. It's thought that the terrace once supported a wooden structure. The discovery of a few stones in the middle of the lake suggests that this reservoir once housed a "floating" temple. For sunrise viewing, this place is a good alternative to Angkor Wat.
In comparison to other more prominent ruins, this temple location is more tranquil and quiet. Banteay Kdei translates to "Citadel of Chambers," which is an excellent description because it's a maze of chambers that provides good photo opportunities.
Built during the reign of Jayavarman VII whose signature architecture style was the face towers, which also appear here at the entrance gate. It is said to represent both himself and God Lokesvara. The temple has three enclosures within an outer compound wall however it is smaller in size compared to other temples.
Unfortunately, the sandstone used was of poor quality, and the construction methods were inferior to those used by other Angkor temples. The very deteriorated condition today is evidence of that. The temple is, nevertheless, undergoing continuing renovations in order to restore it as much as possible to its original state.
Another one of the major temples of Jayavarman VII (also known as the “Great Builder” of his period), was built in honor of his mother. Ta Prohm is one of the most popular temples at the Angkor grounds so be prepared for the crowd. This temple's most distinctive feature is the huge trees growing out of the ruins. This temple was chosen to be left in its “natural state” rather than returned to its original form devoid of large trees. Nevertheless, a significant amount of work goes into preventing further collapse and erosion, to maintain it in this condition of apparent neglect. Wooden walkways, platforms and roped railings have been put in place around the site to protect the monument from further damages due to the large tourist inflow. Also nicknamed the "Tomb Raider Temple", because Ta Prohm was featured in the film Lara Croft: Tomb Raider starring Angelina Jolie, which has added to its fame.
One of the tallest monuments in Angkor, Ta Keo is a massive unfinished temple. Works at the temple got halted just before the decorations to the temple got added.
It is apparent that the ancient Khmer people built temples by stacking stone blocks, one on top of the other, then carving and decorating it later.
Classified as a ‘Mountain Temple’, it's a five-tier pyramid consisting of overlapping terraces with a very steep staircase that covers the top three tiers in a single flight. A statue of a kneeling Nandi - sacred bull can be found on the second-tier platform, and fragments of Lingas and other statues were discovered in the sanctuary rooms and surrounding the towers. This implies that the temple is dedicated to the Hindu God Shiva.
Banteay Samre was dedicated to the Hindu God Vishnu, it is located away from the more visited Angkor temples. This provides a more tranquil atmosphere with fewer visitors and, in most cases, the entire temple to yourself. A single ogival tower's architecture is remarkably similar to Angkor Wat's style of architecture, albeit on a lesser scale. This is most likely due to the fact that both temples were constructed at around the same time in the early 12th century. The temple is well restored and is in good condition with well-preserved carvings of scenes from the Ramayana epic and other mythological scenes with Vishnu, Garuda, and Krishna to name a few. The quality of the bas-reliefs and stonework are among the best at Angkor.
In the late 15th century, the temple was converted from a Hindu temple to a Buddhist temple. An enormous reclining Buddha statue measuring 9 meters tall by 70 meters long was added to the west side of the temple but it was never finished. Baphuon was built on a soft foundation of sandy soil which caused the temple to be unstable and it was on the verge of a complete collapse by the early 20th century. The tale of how it was restored is as fascinating as the building itself. In the 1960s, a massive restoration project that required deconstructing the temple stone by stone, reinforcing the base, and finally reassembling the structure began. 300,000 stone blocks were numbered and labeled before being meticulously stacked in the 10 hectares surrounding the temple site, ready to be reassembled.
Unfortunately, the project was abandoned when civil war broke out in Cambodia in 1970, and the Khmer Rouge destroyed the drawings and details pertaining to the reconstruction effort. Then a second restoration project, known as the largest three-dimensional jigsaw puzzle in the world took place in 1996. Even with the help of modern technology, it took 16 years to complete the puzzle. After a total of 51 years of restorations, the temple was finally opened to the public on 3rd July 2011. We owe a debt of gratitude to the team from EFEO and the hundreds of people who worked tirelessly to restore this great temple.
It is a secluded, lesser-known temple hidden amid the jungle. It is thought to be a private temple for the royal members due to being located within the royal palace compound. Furthermore, it has narrow galleries followed by very steep steps to the top level without landings which indicates that it was not intended for large crowds. When the Chinese delegate Zhou Daguan visited Angkor in the 13th century, he referred to Phimeanakas as a 'Tower of Gold', strongly suggesting that it was gilded.
Legend has it that this temple is home to a Nagini - a maiden with the body of a serpent. The King is required to visit her every night and if he fails, the kingdom will suffer a horrible tragedy, and even worse if the Nagini doesn’t show up, it is an indication that the King’s death was imminent.
The Terrace of the Leper King is located in the Royal Square inside the ancient city of Angkor Thom. Another one of King Jayavarman VII builds, the structure was designed in the shape of a “U,” measuring 25 meters in length with both outer and inner walls covered entirely in carvings, mainly of
female celestial beings, garudas, and naga snakes. The inner wall remained hidden until it was excavated by French archaeologists in the late 1990s.
On top of the terrace, a statue of Dharma or Yama, the God of Death is found in the center, suggesting the platform may have been used for royal cremations. Possibly because of the strangeness of the figure and the corrosion of its surface by patches of lichen, reminiscent of a person with leprosy, the statue later became known as the “Leper King”.
Located just 230m away from the Leper King terrace, the Elephant terrace is believed to be the foundation for the royal reception pavilions, used as an audience hall and for public ceremonies such as army parades, festivals, games and processions. This terrace is actually attached to the Phimeanakas temple however most of its original structures have long disappeared and what remains today is the platform and the 350m long terrace of elephants.
Out of all the Angkor temples, the Bayon is my personal favorite. Built as a Buddhist temple by King Jayavarman VII in the late 12th century, it was later changed to a Hindu temple by King Jayavarman VIII in the 13th century when the official Khmer religion reverted to Hinduism. Bayon was the last state temple to be built at Angkor and sits at the exact center of the Angkor Thom complex, 1.3-1.5 kilometers from the cardinal direction gates. It can be accessed from any of these gates.
Having undergone numerous modifications and additions during its history, the temple is extremely complex with passages and galleries which span across three levels and has a cluttered feel with many towers and structures cramping the monument. According to Angkor-scholar Maurice Glaize, the Bayon appears
"as but a muddle of stones, a sort of moving chaos assaulting the sky."
It is most famous for its large number of serene faces sculpted onto its towers. Originally there were 49 towers with carved faces facing the four cardinal directions. Today with 37 remaining towers, the majority have four faces, while some only have three, and one tower only bears a single face, probably due to a lack of space. To whom these faces belong is debatable, while some believe it is King Jayavarman VII himself due to the similarity to other statues of the King, archaeologists believed the faces to be of Lokeshvara, a bodhisattva who represents all Buddhas.
The Bayon Temple is encircled by two broad walls that have an incredible collection of bas-relief scenes depicting legendary and historical events. Over 1.2 kilometers of wall, there are more than 11,000 carved sculptures. They were most likely painted and gilded at one time, but the gilding has long since disappeared.
The historic Angkor Wat temple, one of the most famous sights in the world and a national treasure of Cambodia, is depicted in white on their national flag and their currency. The word Angkor comes from Sanskrit, which means "capital city," and Wat, means "temples" in Khmer, which translates to “Temple City”. An apt name was given because Angkor was the capital city of the Khmer empire until the early 15th century. Like most ancient Hindu temples, astronomy played a pivotal role in the architecture of the temple complex. The axis of the outer wall around the complex is exactly equal to the solar years in days while its circumference is equal to the lunar years in days. Unlike most Angkorian temples, Angkor Wat is oriented west rather than east, a reflection of its dedication to Vishnu, the preserver, and protector of the universe who rules over the western quadrant of the compass. Making it is a very popular spot to view the sunrise or sunset.
The temple was built in the early 12th century by King Suryavarman II and it took approximately three decades to complete. It was later converted to a Buddhist temple towards the end of the 12th century. Despite the fact that it has been in continuous use since its completion, many details about its history, from its original name, purpose, and symbolic status are unknown due to the lack of direct references in the epigraphic records. Angkor Wat is home to almost 2,000 apsaras carved across the complex, as well as nearly 2,000 square meters of detailed bas-relief sculptures, extensively carved lintels, friezes, and pediments. The majority of the sculptures depict the Hindu epics Ramayana and Mahabharata, also a series on Suryavarman II, the first known depiction of an Angkorian king and his court. In addition, fragments of paint and gold leaf found, suggest that it was once gilded. Angkor Wat has remained a stunning monument for decades, bringing millions of tourists each year to marvel at the ancient city that once radiated such majesty and magnificence.
If you missed Part 1 & 2, you can read them at the link below:
Thanks for sharing your lovely pictures and the very informative write-up.
Great pixs & interesting insights. Thanks
Fascinating- thank you ❤️
Really lovely photos! 🌝
Thanks for the beautiful photos.