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Wat's to See in Angkor?Cambodia's Grandest Treasure - Thousand Year Old Angkor Wat
Designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1992, the Angkor Archaeological Park (near Cambodia's international airport in Siem Reap) is a must see for tourists.
Like Egypt’s Valley of the Nile and Sri Lanka’s Cultural Triangle, the World Heritage site of Angkor Archaeological Park has a host of awe-inspiring ruins - true relics of antiquity - in such a well preserved state as to amaze 21st century visitors. This was the capital of the Cambodian Khmer Empire between the 9th and 15th centuries, when it extended from what is now China’s Yunnan province in the north to Singapore in the south, from Vietnam in the east to the Bay of Bengal to the west. The highlight of any visit here is the magnificent temple whose image is featured on the Cambodian national flag - Angkor Wat (whose literal translation means City which is a Temple). Approaching from the east, the sheer size and grandeur of this monument cannot fail to move the visitor. Extending over 500 acres the complex is surrounded by a 650 feet wide moat; the central towers rising to a stupendous 210 feet. Originally built in the 12th century as a Hindu temple, with changes of regime it became a place of Buddhist worship. Sadly, most of the Buddha statues were destroyed by the Khmer Rouge in the nineteen seventies – but the extraordinary bas reliefs in Angkor Wat's galleries are still so intricate and beautiful that it is hard to imagine they were created nearly a millenium ago. Probably the most photographed monument in the Angkor complex is the south gateway to Angkor Thom, the original fortified city of King Jayavarnman VII (1181-1215). This gopura (tower) bears four enormous faces, thought to represent the King himself, facing the four cardinal directions. At the centre of Angkor Thom is the famous Bayon temple – site of 54 towers decorated with over 200 massive serene stone faces, again thought to represent the omnipresent King. Other sites – the miniature temple complex of Banteay Srei with its delicately carved pink sandstone motifs, the island temple of Preah Neak Pahn (“Coiled Serpents”) with waterspouts sculpted in the form of animal heads, the aerial palace of Phimeanakas – are well worth seeing. However, to get a real feel for these ruins, which until a few decades ago had been engulfed by the tropical jungle, one should visit the monastery of Ta Prom or the temple of Ta Som. Here, massive fig and silk cotton trees can be seen growing out of the very walls of the buildings. In some places the tree roots cling to the sides of the buildings, in others they bind the crumbling edifices together. Commencing life as tiny seeds dropped by birds into the crevices of these buildings, these huge trees over the years have grown and flourished, allowing the jungle to encroach and engulf these works of man. They serve to remind us how insignificant the most painstakingly crafted works of humans are when compared to the simple works of Nature. How to get there: Fly in to Bangkok, Singapore or Phnom Penh - then take Bangkok Airways from Bangkok, SilkAir from Singapore or Siem Reap Airways from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap. Accommodation: www.siemreap.raffles.com Information:cambodia-immigration.com Currency: Cambodia Riel (4000 to US$1) – but US dollars are accepted freely in Siem Reap and the Angkor complex.
The copyright of the article Wat's to See in Angkor? in Cambodia Travel is owned by Sanjiva Wijesinha. Permission to republish Wat's to See in Angkor? in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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