Angkor Wat

Constructed : Early/Mid 12th century, 1113-1150
Religion : Hindu
Style : Angkor Wat
King : Suryavarman II ★ 1113 - 1150 ★
Location : On the small circuit.

Comment : There are few places anywhere on earth to match the splendor of Angkor Wat that is one of the largest monuments to religion ever built and is truly one the wonders of the world.

Believed to have been constructed as a temple and mausoleum for King Suryavarman II at the peak of the Khmer empire in the first half of the 12th century, Angkor Wat is probably the best-preserved of the Angkorean temples. As with other Angkorean temples and walled cities such as Angkor Thom, the central theme of Khmer architecture revolved around the idea of the temple-mountain. By the time building on Angkor Wat was begun early in the 12th century, this had been elaborated to a central tower surrounded by four smaller towers. The central monument represents the mythical Mount Meru, the holy mountain at the centre of the universe, which was home to the Hindu god Vishnu. The five towers symbolise Mount Meru's five peaks.

It is difficult to express in words the enormous scale of Angkor Wat, but it can be explained in part by a look at the dimensions of the complex. The temple is surrounded by a moat which makes the one around the Tower of London, built at roughly the same time, look like nothing more than a garden trench. At 190 metres wide and forming a rectangle measuring 1.5 km by 1.3 km, it is hard to imagine any attacking force overwhelming the defences. But the moat was more than just a defensive bulwark, in line with the temple's Hindu origins it represented the oceans of the world. A rectangular wall measuring 1025 metres by 800 metres borders the inner edge of the moat.

There is a gate in each side of the wall, but unusually for the mainly Hindu-influenced Angkorian temples, the main entrance faces west. This entrance is a richly decorated portico, 235 m wide with three gates. However, the temple's greatest sculptural treasure is its 2 km-long bas-reliefs around the walls of the outer gallery and the hundred figures of devatas and apsaras. This intricately carved gallery tells stories of the god Vishnu and of Suryavarman II's successes on the battlefield. The whole complex covers 81 hectares.

P.S: If you want to visit Angkor Wat temple, don't forget to bring a long a nice camera to capture the beautiful view of this wonder like we are in the haven. And if you want to shoot photo of the whole temple you need to have a nice drone camera to shoot from the top of temple that has 213 meters height. And when you have a nice drone camera you can capture a beautiful area around the temple and the other temples around there as well. If you don't have one we recommend you to choose one from this site: https://10techy.com/best-drone-cameras/. I'm sure you will love all the pictures from your drone camera. Let see the example image below.

Angkor Thom

Constructed : Late 12th/Early 13th century
Religion: Buddhism
Style : Bayon
King : Jayavarman VII ★ 1181 - 1218 ★
Location : Just to 1.7 km in the North of Angkor Wat, a gigantic unit that one cannot miss, would not be this that because of the gate of entry and the bridge which precedes it. In the order, Angkor Wat, Ta Phrom Kel, Phnom Bakheng, Baksei Chamkrong, Prasat Bei and South Gate of Angkor Thom.

Comment : Angkor Thom (large Angkor ) is a royal city of 10 Km² surrounded by walls and ditches. There still, a book would not be enough to describe all the richness of this unit. The tourists in a hurry will cross the site in less than one hour, but those which are interested a little in this style of construction can largely envisage a half day on the spot! When Jayavarman VII started the construction of Large Angkor, Baphuon and Phimeanakas existed already but had been devastated by Chams.

Five majestic doors, whose stones sometimes mix with the roots of splendid trees, crowned giant heads, decorate the four cardinal points of the city and the access road to the Royal Palace. The construction of Large Angkor was the celebration of a victory (from where probably the door of this name) for Jayavarman VII after it drove out the Cham enemy at the end of the 12° century.
Angkor Thom is enormous temple which is protected in the rampart and the ring moat. As for the rampart around to be made accurately with the laterite, height approximately 8 meters. As for ring moat around 100 meters in width, as for depth 5 or 6 meters. Angkor Thom the north east which keeps reducing altitude - is located with respect to pivot southwest. Because of that, north east angle to be high southwest angle is low. The vertical separation presently approximately 10 meters. It took in the water of the ring moat from north east angle making use of this vertical separation, inside the castle flowed and accumulated in Angkor Thom in southwest angle, from here was discharged in the ring moat.

There is a Bayon temple on the Angkor thom center. You say that there were five ports, there was a door of the wood product in those and was closed in the night. There being a court of the woodwork inside, the king lived, in addition was a many temple and a reservoir. By the way, Angkor Thom (big capital) with being afterwards, it is the name which is accustomed.

Bakong

Constructed : Late 9th century - 881
Religion: Hindu (Shivaism)
Style : Preah Ko
King : Indravarman I ★ 877 - 889 ★
Location : Roluos Group. Located at Au Luok village, Ba Korng Commune, Prasat Bakong District in 15-kilometer distance from the provincial town of Siem Reap by the National Road No. 6. Then turning right.

Comment : They are first ones as the large-sized mountain type temple which was made with the sandstone in the process of evolution of the temple construction in Angkor period. Also the constitution where you can feel the central hall small lightly the stylobate (especially) in comparison with heavy appearance more, it probably will be considered as one process of evolution. View helix from near the central hall it seems, calls the artificial mountain it is suitable.

The ring moat of Bankong, presently being covered in the grass, has become like the swamp land. The ring moat was possible with the laterite, there was a stairway which it is possible with the sandstone which lap it is low is surrounded in the wall, in addition descends to underwater, but the part of that remains on east side participating road both sides. Lap there is a wall in the place which crosses the ring moat, furthermore lap there is a wall mark even in the inner part. In the halfway right side the Buddhism temple, is elementary school in the left hand. Foreward reaching to the stylobate section, the building which it is possible to left and right, with the sandstone systematically has lined up.

Furthermore when it advances, in the front the stylobate of five layer which is heavy-looking increases in pyramid type, the central hall of thinness one stands on that. In order from under and under one of the first section for the tower hall whose 12 is small to surround the central hall in fourth layer, it is arranged.

The stylobate section and the central hall are covered with the sandstone, but in order to surround around the central stylobate, eight hall groups which stand are the brick making. In addition, in order the small hall group of the brick and the sandstone where each one has specific name, to surround the central hall completely, it stands even in the forest outside the ring moat.

Among these it seems that the hall which remains on south side state is best. Also verifying the extent of such temple limits, probably will be useful to the scale of Bakong and knowing constitution.

Baksei Chamkrong

Constructed : Early/Mid 10th century - 910-947
Religion : Hindu
Style : Bakheng
King : Harshavarman I ★ 910 - 923 ★
Location : With less than 200 meters of Phnom Bakheng, on the left, right
before arriving at the Southern gate of Angkor Thom.

Description : Baksei Chamkrong is a 12-meter tall brick and laterite pyramid. Combine with a visit to the South Gate and Phnom Bakheng. Lighting is best in the morning. Harshavarman I began construction or perhaps dedicated statues at the site. The temple was later improved/restored by Rajendravarman II shortly after the capital was returned to Angkor from Koh Ker. According to inscriptions on the doorway Rajendravarman consecrated the temple with the installation of golden Shiva image in 947AD. It may have also served as funerary temple.

Banteay Chhmar

Constructed : Late 12th century
Religion: Mahayana Buddhism
Style : Bayon
King : Jayavarman VII ★ 1181 - 1218 ★
Location : 23Km from Sisophon and to the north-west of Angkor, this was one of the capitals of Jayavarman II. It was rebuilt during the reign of king Jayavarman VII and dedicated to his son, who was killed in battle.

Comment : Banteay Chhmar is not popular to tourists but very interesting temple located near by Thai border. Temple itself is mostly destroyed and Lost almost all of it's devatas and other bas-reliefs but some good curvings are still on the wall of galleries and gopuras.

Banteay Chhmar is the enormous plane surface development temple of the Bayon style. East west 800 meter north and south 600 meters. Inside the ruins collapse is terrible, but you can see the motif which is similar to the Bayon in the relief which barely remains.

Temple Detail : The temple complex of Banteay Chhmar was constructed by Jayavarman VII. There is debate over its origins, with some scholars suggesting it was built in tribute to Jayavarman VII’s son Indravarman and the Cambodian generals responsible for defeating the Chams, while others propose it was intended as a funerary temple for the king’s grandmother.

Originally enclosed by a 9km-long wall, the temple housed one of the largest and most impressive Buddhist monasteries of the Angkorian period. Today, it is one of the few temples to feature the enigmatic, Bayon-style visages of Avalokiteshvara, with their mysterious - and world famous - smiles. On the temple’s east side, a huge bas-relief on a partly-toppled wall dramatically depicts naval warfare between the Khmers (on the left) and the Chams (on the right), with the dead - some being devoured by crocodiles - at the bottom. Further south (to the left) are scenes of land warfare with infantry and elephants. There are more martial bas-reliefs along the exterior of the temple’s south walls.

The once-grand entry gallery is now a jumble of fallen sandstone blocks, though elsewhere a few intersecting galleries have withstood the ravages of time, as have some almost-hidden 12th-century inscriptions. All the remaining apsaras (nymphs) have been decapitated by looters. Banteay Chhmar was deservedly renowned for its intricate carvings, including scenes of daily life in the Angkorian period similar to those at Bayon.

Unique to Banteay Chhmar was a sequence of eight multi-armed Avalokiteshvaras on the outside of the southern section of the temple’s western ramparts, but six of these were hacked out and trucked into Thailand in a brazen act of looting in 1998. Still, the two that remain - one with 22 arms, the other with 32 - are spectacular.

Bat Chum

Constructed : Mid 10 th century - ???-960
Religion : Buddhism
Style : Pre Rup
King : Rajendravarman II ★ 944 - 968 ★
Location : At the end of the road of the circuits, between Banteay Kdei and Prasat Kravan, at the end of a road of a few hundreds of meters, on the left, little bit away from the road.

Comment : The small road which passes through rice plantations is very pleasant, especially with the lighting of end of day. One arrives then on three small brick towers under restoration but of which large-thing should not be awaited. The surprise comes from this built Buddhist temple in the 10 century, whereas the Hinduism was still very present among Khmers.

Ba Phnom

Constructed : N/A
Religion: N/A
Style : N/A
King : N/A
Location : Located at Chheu Kach commune, Ba Phnom District, Prey Veng Province in the distance of 78 Kilometers from Phnom Penh.

Comment : Ba Phnom is the place where it assumes that there was a king capital Vyadapura. But whether or not really capital existed is here, as for those which become evidence there is no at all. It has several tops, there being a low hill, there is a Buddhism temple in the top vicinity. The road which from the hill extends to the straight line on north probably at one time kingcraft.

Baphuon

Constructed : Mid 11th century , ????-1060
Religion : Hindu
Style : Baphuon
King : Udayadityavarman II ★ 1050 - 1066 ★
Location : Angkor Thom, by leaving Bayon,
on the left before arriving at the terrace of the elephants.

Description : Baphuon temple built by Udayadityarvarman II was the most poorly constructed of all the temples in Angkor. From the remaining ruins, it is possible to see how imposing it was. This temple hill was dedicated to Shiva, but in its reliefs many motives from the Vishnu epic can be seen. Restoration work continues to be carried out on the Baphuon.

Baphuon is a little frustrating to pass in front of such a monument and not to be able to visit it. One of the center pieces of Angkor Thom, Baphuon is currently closed with the public for restoration and surely still for a long time. You can just make the turn of it. It is about an enormous work: a puzzle of more than 300.000 stones scattered on several hectares and of which some weigh several tons! Each stone is numbered and recorded in files burned during the war! The work which was stopped in 1970 consists today with all to reconstitute and the result should be equal to the challenge to be judged some by what is already visible.

It will thus be necessary to wait a certain time to have to be able to admire gigantic Buddha lying which is inside. This temple-mountain of which the sight in its top is, appears it, exceptional, was to be the central temple of second Angkor , intermediate stage between Phnom Bakheng and Bayon. What is presented today as an immense building site should become a major temple to visit after the end of work.

Temple Detail : The big temple where the court is located immediately on south side. Presently, France undertaking restoration, the large-sized crane is moving. As for being possible to visit, entering from Toumon, to the point of the aerial going/participating road ending. The inner part from that, it has become off limit. Because of that, walking outer circle generally, the back (west side) it turns, it means to return looking at the sleeping form of the explanation/releasing.

Banteay Torp

Constructed : Late 12th/Early 13th century
Religion: N/A
Style : N/A
King : Jayavarman VII ★ 1181 - 1218 ★
Location : 9km South of Banteay Chhmar.

Comment : Banteay Torp (Fortress of the Army) is another sandstone temple with five towers located south of Banteay Chhmar. Not so big but the shape is impressive. Banteay Torp constructed around the same time as Banteay Chhmar, it may be a tribute to the army of Jayavarman VII, which confirmed Khmer dominance over the region by conclusively defeating the Chams.

Banteay Thom

Constructed : N/A
Religion: N/A
Style : N/A
King : N/A
Location : North of Angkor Thom.

Comment : Coming out of the Angkor Thom north gate, the road divides into two groups directly. The pavement turning right, but when it chooses the road which advances straight, furthermore turns left directly and advances straight for a while, eventually in the left hand the top of the hall of temple is visible on the other side of the forest.

Furthermore it advances straight, the small handwritten plate (Banteay Thom is written on the wood of the road right hand in the Khmer language) being about it has been attached, the thin road it keeps going the right. It is easy to overlook this turning point.

Bayon

Constructed : Late 12 th century
Religion: Buddhism
Style : Bayon
King : Jayavarman VII ★ 1181 - 1218 ★
Detail : Only the gallery circumference 1,200m total height 43m 54 towers.
Location : Center of Angkor Thom, 1500m in the north of the Southern Gate.

Comment : In the heart of Angkor Thom lies the beautiful Bayon temple. Bayon was built about a century after Angkor Wat. Bayon is unlike most of the other temples; no walls surround the terrain, and the style is Buddhist. The more than 200 large faces carved on the 54 towers are believed to depict the god Loki, or Avalokitesvara, or the Buddha King, or a mixture of the portrait of the Buddha and the King Jayavarman VII, but opinions differ. For many architectural and symbolic details a fitting explanation still has to be found. There are also some significant changes in style which leads archeologists to believe that the Bayon was built over a long period of time. The third level with the towers was changed later; the central part may have resembled the Indian temple mount Meru in an earlier stage, similar to temples like Angkor Wat.

Visit the Bayon in the early morning. The sight of the rising sun slowly revealing the many faces with their eerie smile is a sight not to be missed. Come back during the afternoon to have a look at the galleries with their many bas-reliefs depicting scenes of everyday life as well as great battles and military processions. Some of the reliefs were re-carved when the temple later became Hindu. View the reliefs from left to right, as opposed to Angkor Wat.

Before becoming the temple of state of Jayavarman VII, Bayon had been devastated by Chams, which partly explains this architectural confusion which makes of it also its charm! Bas-reliefs of the lower levels, and the sight on the stone heads of the higher level are among most interesting and more impressive things to be seen in Angkor! The reconditioning of the unit of the temple was a colossal work, the more so as certain stones were completely hidden in a very dense vegetation which asked for large work of releases until the anastylose of the towers and the central solid mass in the Forties.

Beng Mealea

Beng Mealea - "Lotus Pond"

Constructed : Early 11th century
Religion: Hindu
Style : Angkor Wat
King : Suryavarman II ★ 1113 - 1150 ★
Location : About 50 km to the East of Siem Reap.

Comment : "The excursion of Beng Malea which, with requests one whole day can be combined with a shooting party, the area being rich in small and big game and even in deer. Tigers, panthers and elephants, herds of beefs and buffaloes wild until Prah Khan in Kompong Svay in the east" wrote Maurice Glaize in 1944! If these remarks are not any more of topicality, the visit of the site of Beng Malea which has just been opened to the public remains nevertheless a small forwarding but the access roads are now excellent if one agrees to make a small turning.

This visit can combine with that of Banteay Srey, or Phnom Khulen, of Chau Srey Vibol and the Roluos group! A very beautiful day in view for those which want to see all in only once. The temple in itself mainly is dilapidated in invaded by the vegetation, but the visit is facilitated by a wooden way which traverses part of the temple. Some places nevertheless remain enough sportsmen when it is a question of climbing the many falls. Built little before Angkor Wat, of which it would have been a kind of prototype, this temple is at the cross of several main roads of the time. A visit which gives the impression of a beautiful adventure and, now so rare, where very few visitors are crossed.

Beng Thom

Constructed : 12th century
King : Jayavarman VII ★ 1181 - 1218 ★
Location : Angkor Thom.

Comment : Angkor Thom is enormous religion which is protected in the rampart and the ring moat. 12 century latter halves, which controls Angkor. One side in square of 3 kilometers, as for the rampart around to be made with the laterite, as for the height approximately 7.5 meters. The ring moat around is width 100 meters.

As for the vertical separation there are approximately 5 meters. At one time making use of this vertical separation, the water of the ring moat was taken in inside the castle from north east angle. The water which it takes in inside the castle flowing, accumulated in the pond which is called Beng Thom in southwest angle, from here had discharged in the ring moat near southwest angle. Beng Thom exists with the rectangular pond, presently, but as for the water surface being covered in the water plant, almost it cannot see. Being quiet it is in the deep forest, it is the place of strange atmosphere. After the Angkor Thom south gate entering, when it traces the lane in the forest west side, it reaches to Beng Thom, but the road has become complicated.

Chau Say Tevoda

Constructed : Early 12th century
Religion: Hindu
Style : Angkor Wat
King : Suryavarman II ★ 1113 - 1150 ★
Location : On the small circuit, on the right side while leaving Angkor Thom by Victory Gate, opposite Thomanom.

Comment : Chau Say Tevoda is currently very interesting to be able to observe the enormous work that requires: the method used, the anastylose, consists in dismounting the monument item by item then to rebuild it by reconstituting the missing elements. This very hard method applies perfectly to the Khmer monuments and makes it possible to return to them an aspect nearest possible to that of origin contrary to the methods of restorations traditional.

The restoration is illustrated and commented in a small building located near the temple, it is a unique opportunity to understand the vastness of work in progress or to come on the site of Angkor!

East Baray

Constructed : Late 9th century - 889
King : Yasovarman I ★ 889 - 910 ★
Location : East of Angkor Thom.

Comment : With the enormous reservoir which has the size of 7 kilometers by 1.8 kilometers, on the center there is east Mebon. Being maximum, it is the farmland of 7 ten thousand hectares, with the pondage of 30 million cubic meters of water, but presently as for the water it is dried up.

It cuts the pre-loop of the making a big detour route and between east Mebon, it passes the part of the earth quantity like the sequence, but this is at one time dike. By the way, turning right foreward east Mebon.

Khleang

Constructed : Late 10th/ Early 11th century
Religion: Hindu
Style : Kleang
King : Jayavarman V ★ 968 - 1001 ★
Location : Angkor Thom, at the east end of the Royal plain, opposite the Terrace of the elephants.

Comment : Kleang can be translated by store, but it appears not very probable that these two sandstone buildings are only stores. Several versions circulate about the use of these two constructions which undoubtedly are not temples.

Some affirm that they were Palaces intended to receive noble visitors. Others say that the judges made use of it to imprison supposed guilty and that their culpability was or not confirmed by the divinities who made them accept various ill treatments, but a version much more romantic comes us from a local child who affirmed us than these two buildings, located opposite the royal platform of the Terrace of the elephants, behind Prasat Suro Prat and at each east end of the Royal Plain, were intended to the musicians of the King who could thus hear the music in stereophony during his spectacles!

Kapilapura

Constructed : N/A
Religion: N/A
Style : N/A
King : N/A
Location : In North East of Angkor Wat, in the forest.

Comment : It went north from near Toumon of encore watt, alongside the septentrional ring moat. The fact that you have searched is Kapilapura. When it runs to north from ring moat north east angle a little, in the forest of the right hand of the road, leaving behind structure of the brick making was found. That was Kapilapura.

Our knowledge only enable us to pose assumption that it will rest to you to check, but a priori, it would seem that it acts more than one funeral monument that of a temple as well as Pre Rup of which it uses same building materials and would seem to be one close time. This very pleasant walk in the forest, where one is accompanied by songs of very varied birds, of cries of monkeys and other animals does not present any danger but is not to be advised to the tourist in a hurry who agrees only a few days of visit for such a gigantic site!

Kbal Spean

Constructed : 11th - 13th century
Religion: Hindu / Buddhism
Location : 40Km from Siem Reap.

Comment : Kbal Spean, Known under the name of "the thousand Lingas river" consists of sculptures dug in the cliff of the bed of the river on a 200 meter length between a bridge and a waterfall. These sculptures to sanctify the water of the river, date between XI and XIIIth century.

To go to Kbal Spean, after having seen Bantey Srei's magnificent sculptures, there's at first a road mad of a dozen km, and then approximately 40 minutes of walking in the jungle by a small fitted out path. Several hundreds of "lingas" (representation of the sex of the god Shiva in the Hinduism) are sculptured by important groups in the river with spaces sculptured by Hanuman (the monkey god), of Ram and Lakshmi as well as that of slept Vishnou meditating in a cosmic sleep on the essential ocean. Kbal Spean's water is going to join rivers Sieam Reap and Puok by way of Angkor Wat's temple.

East Mebon

Constructed : Mid 10th century, 944 - 952
Religion : Hindu
Style : Banteay Srei
King : Rajendravarman II ★ 944 - 968 ★
Location : On the small circuit, in the medium of the Eastern baray.

Comment : In perfect alignment with the Royal Palace of Angkor Thom, Victory Gate and exactly in the East, in the middle of a gigantic baray of 7 km by 1.8 km, is Mebon Oriental. The baray, formerly supplied with Tonle Sap and which was used to feed the neighbouring cultures is entirely covered today with ground and sand so that you reache Mebon by the road. But formerly, the only manner of reaching this temple was to cross the baray in boat, which explains the presence of the four landing stages located at each cardinal point.

This temple mountain does not have a central pyramid which was replaced by a simple platform. It is supposed that they will not have wanted too much to charge this small island located at the medium with such a quantity of water. This temple was built at the time when the country had been shaken by the usurping king Jayavarman IV and Rajandravarman II had just brought back the capital from Kho Ker to Angkor. Rajaendravarman II would have built this temple in the honour of his divinized parents and to protect the country and to contribute to the continuity of the royal line. The elephants which decorate each angle of this temple are very realistic and recall us that this temple is related to a legend of a magic elephant.

Kas Ho

Constructed : N/A
Religion : N/A
Style : N/A
King : N/A
Location : In the South of Western Baray, in the middle Ak Yum and Ta Norey Temple.

Comment : Prasat Kas Ho is a small ruin located just south of West Baray. Almost all of the building collapsed and coverd with trees. not interesting to usual tourist. This ruin is just a mound coverd by trees.