Majestic Angkor Wat temple, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is the centrepiece of 40 temple and palace ruins scattered over a 200km area, collectively known as Angkor. Towering above the jungle, it offers insights into the once mighty Khmer civilisation.
Conservation work continues apace as more and more visitors come to look at surely the greatest of South East Asia's man-made wonders with its gorgeous bas relief sculpture and architecture based in cosmology. Once virtually cut off due to genocide and civil war, Angkor Wat is now more accessible and safe to travel to, with the base town of Siem Reap developing infrastructure for visitors.
Angkor Wat is the most photographed and most famous of the Angkor monuments: its symmetry, detail and scale have been compared to the Egyptian pyramids and India's Taj Mahal. Built as a Hindu temple or tomb, its dimensions may represent a replica of the universe in stone. The long causeway, the moat, the galleries of bas relief carvings showing asparas (female divinities) and deeds of the Gods and the summit (from which the layout is finally clear) all make a visit an awesome experience.
Angkor, the kingdom, was founded by King Jayvarman II around the ninth century. Some 39 kings followed his example, unifying the Khmer civilisation, conducting battles with neighbouring kingdoms and adding to the monuments there. Although the magnificent structures were initially based on the Indian model of the time, Khmer architecture developed its own unique style. Moving tons of stone to the sites and assembling them without mortar are the achievements of the Khmers, along with highly developed artistry seen in the decoration and carvings.
Deserted in the 15th century, after repeated Thai raids, the first foreigners to see Angkor were the Portuguese in the 16th century and reports of its grandeur and beauty continued to flow in until the French took control of Cambodia for seven decades from 1864.
Restoration and research work at Angkor was abandoned in 1972 when the Khmer Rouge ravaged the country. The jungle grew back over the sites, though latterly mines and bandits have been cleared from the area and the restoration work continued. The most dramatic example of the scale of this work is at Baphuon. This 11th-century temple mountain sanctuary lies scattered in huge blocks of stone, which are currently each being reassembled like a massive stone jigsaw.
The best example of an uncleared and unrestored ruin is the endlessly romantic Ta Prohm, where the jungle grows through and over the stones. Sunsets here can be magic and while most people head for Phnom Bakheng hill, another option is Bayon, where huge and serene stone faces turn pink for just a moment. For sunrise it has to be Ta Prohm again for a truly unforgettable experience.
Several days are needed to see a selection of the monuments of Angkor, and in addition to one-day passes, visitors can buy passes for three days or a week. While the Cambodian summer - March - is particularly forbidding due to the heat, visitors off season (such as during monsoon) may find they have the site virtually to themselves.
Angkor Wat is the most photographed and most famous of the Angkor monuments: its symmetry, detail and scale have been compared to the Egyptian pyramids and India's Taj Mahal. Built as a Hindu temple or tomb, its dimensions may represent a replica of the universe in stone. The long causeway, the moat, the galleries of bas relief carvings showing asparas (female divinities) and deeds of the Gods and the summit (from which the layout is finally clear) all make a visit an awesome experience.
Angkor, the kingdom, was founded by King Jayvarman II around the ninth century. Some 39 kings followed his example, unifying the Khmer civilisation, conducting battles with neighbouring kingdoms and adding to the monuments there. Although the magnificent structures were initially based on the Indian model of the time, Khmer architecture developed its own unique style. Moving tons of stone to the sites and assembling them without mortar are the achievements of the Khmers, along with highly developed artistry seen in the decoration and carvings.
Deserted in the 15th century, after repeated Thai raids, the first foreigners to see Angkor were the Portuguese in the 16th century and reports of its grandeur and beauty continued to flow in until the French took control of Cambodia for seven decades from 1864.
Restoration and research work at Angkor was abandoned in 1972 when the Khmer Rouge ravaged the country. The jungle grew back over the sites, though latterly mines and bandits have been cleared from the area and the restoration work continued. The most dramatic example of the scale of this work is at Baphuon. This 11th-century temple mountain sanctuary lies scattered in huge blocks of stone, which are currently each being reassembled like a massive stone jigsaw.
The best example of an uncleared and unrestored ruin is the endlessly romantic Ta Prohm, where the jungle grows through and over the stones. Sunsets here can be magic and while most people head for Phnom Bakheng hill, another option is Bayon, where huge and serene stone faces turn pink for just a moment. For sunrise it has to be Ta Prohm again for a truly unforgettable experience.
Several days are needed to see a selection of the monuments of Angkor, and in addition to one-day passes, visitors can buy passes for three days or a week. While the Cambodian summer - March - is particularly forbidding due to the heat, visitors off season (such as during monsoon) may find they have the site virtually to themselves.
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