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The town of Siem Reap, the
provincial capital, is a pleasant sleepy backwater serving as a
base for visits to the ancient capital of Angkor. With the
recent completion of international standard hotels including the
renovation of the famous Grand Hotel D’Angkor, the more than one
hundred ancient temples and monuments in the vicinity can be
enjoyed in style and comfort. Well organized guided tours ensure
visitors make the most of their holidays regardless of length of
stay. Though not essential, a well informed professional guide
will enhance any tour, providing insight and history often not
available in guide books. Many of the temples are best viewed at
different times of the day due to their geographical orientation
and the angle of the sun.
THE MAJOR SIGHTS OF
ANGKOR
In order to truly understand
the real Cambodia, one must visit one of the great archeological
sites in the world; the spiritual heart and identity of the
Khmer people: the Angkor complex. Had any of the main temples,
especially Angkor Wat been built anywhere else they would be as
famous or as visited as the Taj Mahal, the Parthenon, the
Coliseum, or the Pyramids of Egypt. Angkor is without doubt one
of the most breathtaking architectural masterpieces left
standing in the world today. Without witnessing them at first
hand it is impossible to gauge the enormity of task faced by the
builders of the time and the fact they are so complete after all
this time is further testament to the advanced construction
techniques employed more than a millennium ago. Everything is
built on a massive scale and one can only imagine the awe felt
by ancient visitors as the civilization was at its peak. It is
estimated that over one million people lived there making it the
largest metropolis in its time. Witness the two hand-dug
reservoirs that served the civilization’s rice growing
agriculture: The Eastern Baray measures 7km by 1.8km and the
Western Baray a staggering 8km by 2.3 km.
Angkor Wat
is the cultural home of the Khmer people and its form, in
various guises has appeared and is still on the national flag.
Had it been located in the Mediterranean basin it would have
been one of the eight wonders of the world. The Lost City of
Angkor was to remain undiscovered by Western archaeologists
until the late 19th century and ever since has continues to
amaze all who see it for the first time: neither words nor
pictures do it justice. Angkor Wat is a legacy of the might that
was once the Khmer Empire, a detailed history of which has been
carved into the many walls of this fortified temple. The temple
is accessible by a giant stone causeway across the 190 meter
moat, itself an incredible feat of engineering, to the west face
of the Wat.
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Angkor Thom
was built by Cambodia’s greatest builder, Jayavarman VII. This
10 square kilometer city is enclosed by an eight meter high
wall and encircled by a 100metre moat said to have been
inhabited by fierce crocodiles. There are five 20metre high
gates in the wall in each of the North, West, and South walls
and two in the East wall. Access is via causeways over the moat
that are flanked by the statues of 54 Gods on the left and 54
devils on the right, all seemingly engaged in a game of tug of
war.
The Bayon
is located in the geographical heart of Angkor Thom. The
54-tower temple is a quite remarkable sight. Initially the
temple seems to be a shapeless mass of gray and brown stone but
as one approaches one realizes that each of the towers is in
fact carved and there are over 200 huge enigmatic faces of
Avalokitesharva bearing down on you wherever you turn. The Bayon
is easily the most popular sight after Angkor Wat and no visit
is complete without a trip to see this amazing and unique
temple.
Ta Prohm
was built in the late 12th century by Jayavarman VII as a shrine
to his mother and is another must for anyone coming to Siem
Reap. As a monastery there were nearly 3000 priests here
including 18 high priests. Ta Prohm is unforgettable due to the
massive trees that were left here intentionally by the
archeologists working on the site. While clearing back the
forest it was decided to leave them in place to serve as a
reminder of how the original discovers found it and other
temples. Many of the trees have grown around and through the
remains, and soar high above the temple. This temple, along with
those of the Bayon and Angkor form the core of any visit to Siem
Reap.
Phnom Bakheng
served as the temple mountain of the first city of Angkor as
opposed to the previous center of Rolous. The capital built on a
lone hill offers panoramic views of Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom and
the surrounding areas. It is best visited in the late afternoon
for a spectacular sunset or in the early morning for sunrise
over Angkor Wat.
Banteay Srei
While some of the temples
are impressive because of their sheer size, Banteay Srei stands
alone in the quality of it s construction and decoration. Its
pink, sandstone wall are decorated with what some consider to be
the best carving of all and in an amazing state of preservation.
Built in 967 and dedicated to Brahma it is located 25 kilometres
North of Angkor Wat.
The Small Circuit
takes in several of the major and minor temples in the area.
Beginning at Angkor Wat and running for 17 kilometers, the
circuit takes in the major elements of Angkor Thom, Ta Prohm,
and Banteay Kdei. Also included are some of the minor but
interesting temples such as The Baphoun, The terrace of thee
Leper King, The Terrace of the Elephants, the twelve Prasats,
Spean Thma, and Sras Srang before returning to Angkor Wat.
The 26-kilometre Big
Circuit is an extension on the little circuit but taking in
Preah Khan, Preah Neak Pean to the Eastern Mebon and other
various monuments like Ta Som, Preah Rup, before returning to
Angkor Wat and is highly recommended for anyone spending 3 or
more days in the complex. The Big Circuit encompasses a good
representation of the rich variety of architecture here.
Phnom Kulen
is widely regarded as the birthplace of the ancient Khmer Empire
and is some 48km from Siem Reap. This hilltop site has the
country’s largest reclining Buddha and it was here that the
King, Jayavarman II proclaimed independence from Java. It has
only just returned to government hands after the fall of the
Khmer Rouge and is currently fairly inaccessible due to the poor
state of the roads especially in the rainy season. Cutting
through the area is the River of 1000 Lingas. Just 5cm under the
water’s surface over 1000 small carvings are etched into the
sandstone riverbed while further downstream larger blocks of
stone are carved with Apsaras, Vishnu, and other figures. All
the sandstone used in the construction of Angkor was quarried
here.
The Roulos Group was
the capital of Indravarman I (877 to 889). These were the first
temples built to last and are made of brick with some carved
plaster reliefs. The group is made up of the 3 temples of Preah
Ko, Bakong, and Lolei. Many of the later temples in the Angkor
group are based on these earlier temples though constructed with
laterite and sandstone rather than brick.
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