Temples of Cambodia - ancient Khmer sanctuaries. Life is like a dream

It is a constitutional monarchy with a king as its head. The legislature is the parliament, which consists of two chambers. Its capital is Phnom Penh, and its main attraction is Angkor Wat (Cambodia). The photo below shows it at sunset.

A little about the country and its population

A small state lost in the green jungle. It originated in the 600s A.D. The nature is still pristinely beautiful and surprises the traveler with amazing plants of the wet savanna and unusual animals. In the center is A, surrounded by mountains on three sides. And the fourth overlooks the Gulf of Thailand. The main artery of the country and Tonle Sap flow through the valley. This amazing stream periodically changes its direction. A river can drain into or out of a lake. The population of the country is the Khmer people (approximately 14 million), who are 95% Buddhists. There are more than 4 thousand temples for them. The language that is used in everyday life is Khmer, the elderly speak French, the youth learn English and Chinese. The climate is humid and hot. The best months to visit are from late October to April, with dry winters with temperatures ranging from + 22 ° C to + 26 ° C. But the humidity is kept at 93% all year round.

Landmarks of the country

The tourism business in the country is still poorly developed. The city of Siem Reap is known for its pagodas, temples and wats: Wat Bo (wall paintings), Preah Angcherk and Preah Angchorm pagoda (very revered by the locals. There are two Buddha statues here), Yatep - local spirits live here who guard the city. Sihanoukville has beautiful beaches and diving centers. But still, the main thing that Cambodia is proud of is the Angkor temple complex. Everything fades before it, like the stars and the moon before the light of the sun. It is located near the city of Siemrap. Sights - Angkor - are located in the center of Cambodia in all their grandeur.

The temple complex can practically be considered a city. This iconic building is the largest in the world. Here is a panorama of Angkor (Cambodia, photo below), now cleared of the jungle.

In addition, this historical reserve features the Mount Bayon Temple. This is also a visited and very interesting temple. A magnificent view of Angkor opens from above. The jungle dominates Ta Prome and is not going to leave it yet. There are also more modest, but no less remarkable temples: Baksei Chamkorng, Thama Bai Kaek and Prasat Bey.

World Heritage Site under the supervision of UNESCO

Giant, the largest - that's all about Angkor. Cambodia a thousand years ago very quickly, in just 30-40 years, erected and also decorated a temple for Hindus, worshipers of the god Vishnu. This was done at the direction of King Suryavarman II. He was a warrior who spent his time not in amusements, but in worries about strengthening and centralizing the state. But he remained in history as the creator of the Angkor temple. Cambodia has attracted all its forces for its design and construction.

Design

By the time Angkor was created, Indian culture had existed for at least 4-4.5 millennia. The knowledge of Indian astronomers was extremely high. It can be assumed that they were involved in the creation of the layout of Angkor. Cambodia would hardly have been able to do this on its own. Moreover, the temple was dedicated to the deity Vishnu - the keeper of the universe, the protector from evil, the link between people and the Universe.

At the end of the 20th century, the British historian D. Grisby concluded that the main structures in Angkor are projections onto the ground. He was prompted to search for such a relationship by an inscription on an excavated stele of the 12th century, which reported that their country was similar to the sky. This connection is indicated by another inscription of an earlier time, which says that the stones of Angkor are associated with the movement of the stars in the sky. This gave rise to numerous modern research and debates in the world of historians and archaeologists. They do not stop today.

Construction

At that time, there was a lot of sandstone in the kingdom of Cambodia. The Angkor temple complex was built from it. The construction took about five million tons of material. It was floated down the Siemrap River. All stones are very smooth, as if they were polished. No mortar was used to hold them together and they are only held by their own weight. They fit one another so perfectly that the blade of a thin knife does not pass between them. It is believed that elephants were used in the construction. Absolutely all surfaces are covered with kilometers of carving. These are scenes from the Ramayana and Mahabharata, unicorns and dragons, warriors, griffins, charming dedavasis (dancers). From all of the above, it follows that there were very skillful craftsmen who built Angkor. Cambodia, by all assumptions, had centuries of experience in such construction.

Architecture

It was a period of maturity in the development of sophisticated architecture with complete harmony of all its parts. As in many ancient civilizations, the sanctuary was the abode of the gods. Only the priestly estate and kings gathered in it, and it was also intended for the burial of rulers. Angkor Wat, a temple complex in Cambodia, is a rectangle measuring 1.5 x 1.3 thousand meters and an area of ​​two km². The area of ​​the Vatican is almost three times smaller. Along the entire perimeter there is a moat filled with water, 190 m wide. A platform is installed in the center of the courtyard, which is fenced off by a wall. A temple was built on it. No capsule has been found anywhere with its original name or construction start date. Temple Angkor Wat (Cambodia) consists of three buildings with a common center. It houses five lotus-shaped towers. The highest central tower rises 65 meters from the ground. The main entrance leads from the west. The road to it, made of sandstone blocks, is surrounded by low parapets, on which there are sculptures of snakes with seven heads.

Today, the entrance to the gopuram (gate tower above the entrance) is through a sacred place under the south tower. It contains a huge Vishnu figure with 8 arms. She fills all the space with herself.

The sculptural design is organically connected with the entire composition of the temple. On the first tier, the most remarkable are eight huge images, the area of ​​which is 1.2 thousand square meters. m. The walls of the 2nd tier are decorated with bas-reliefs of apsaras (heavenly maidens). There are two thousand of them. The entire courtyard can be seen from the second level. Stone steps lead to the third level, to the huge conical towers. The highest is the center of the universe. All the towers represent, as the ancient Khmers understood it, the abode of the gods. In the tallest one, a reclining figure of Buddha is still preserved, although the temple was originally dedicated to Vishnu.

Historical reserve

The temples of Angkor in Cambodia are not limited to the colossal and mysterious Angor Wat. The city of Angkor itself was the "City of Capitals" with a population of more than 1,000,000 people who lived in wooden houses that rotted due to high humidity. Its ruins are located about five km from the Angkor Wat complex. There are preserved temples that were built of sandstone and tuff: the terrace of elephants, Ta-Prohm, Angor-Thom (included in the UNESCO heritage list), Preah-Kan (translated as "sacred sword"), Ta-Proum and the Bayon temple. He has 54 towers directed to the sky, and all of them are decorated with images of Buddha.

Angor Thom ("Great Capital") and Bayon Temple

It was the capital under the ruler Jayavarman VII. He adopted the philosophy of Buddha and built a square city in his honor with a fantastic area of ​​900 hectares. It is divided by roads into 4 equal parts. Remains of stone buildings have sprouted in the jungle. In the center stands the Bayon Temple.

Its size is smaller than other sights of Cambodia, but if you come closer to it, it amazes with grandeur. Bayon has three levels. The first depicts scenes from a peaceful life and battles. On the second, which is much better preserved, the tourist finds himself in a labyrinth of galleries with low ceilings. On each of the fifty towers, faces are carved, which, depending on the lighting, can look either good or evil. These ruins look majestic, especially when viewed from the third level.

Ta-Prohm

This is a temple-monastery, which was called Rajahavira ("royal monastery") with a complex layout. Its territory is heavily overgrown with trees with powerful trunks and branches. Clearing it began back in 1920. But the jungle does not want to part with him. This Buddhist temple is very romantic, as part of the destruction and tropical trees was deliberately left in it. It makes an indelible impression on tourists. On the territory of the monastery, among the ring structures, there are large silk trees and strangler trees.

If the seed remains in the crack of the masonry, then it gradually grows and breaks the wall with its roots and a heavy trunk. Initially, they become the frame of the building, but when they die, they destroy it. The temple itself consists of three galleries with one center. It is surrounded by a moat. The entrances through the gopura (entrance towers) are located on the four cardinal points. The stele in the monastery describes its wealth (tons of gold dishes, silk beds), and also credits the king with the creation of hundreds of statues of gods, decorative towers, almost half a thousand stone dwellings, as well as the presence of hospitals in the kingdom. All the remaining walls are of course exquisitely carved. The place where the episode of the film "Lara Croft - Tomb Raider" with Angelina Jolie was filmed is very popular among tourists. Red paint has been preserved on one of the pillars. As the guides say, human blood was added to it. In fact, iron oxides were added to it, which are very resistant to fading. The stegosaurus that is carved into one of the medallions is something inexplicable about Ta Prohma.

Angkor, Cambodia: how to get there

By air

There are no direct flights from Russia to Cambodia. There is an international airport near the city of Siem Reap. It receives liners via China (eastern and southern airlines), Korea (Seoul), Singapore, Vietnam, Thailand (Bangkok, Pattaya). The most expensive, but also the most popular flight, is Bangkok-Siem Reap. It is easier to fly to Bangkok and then take a flight via Kuala Lumpur or Phnom Penh. From the capital of Cambodia, you can go further by taxi or bus. The airport is 7 km from Siem Reap, and the hotel can be easily reached. And if a room is booked, then the tourist will be met free of charge and taken to the hotel.

Waterway

Siem Reap can be reached by speed boat from Phnom Penh, if time and money allows. Tickets are sold at the hotel reception or in travel agencies... Traveling along the lake and river in six hours will allow you to get acquainted with the life of the local population.

Bus

From neighboring Asian states (Thailand, Vietnam), as well as from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap, you can get there by bus. A lot of flights are offered. The cheapest are Cambodian. The bus during the day is quite safe transport. Night trips are not recommended.

Tours "Angkor-Cambodia"

Tour operators offer a trip to exotic Cambodia. For example, the Moscow companies Level.travel, VAND, Coral Trevel, and TEZ-tour. Tours are designed for three days and two nights.

Temple complex Angkor - the main attraction of Cambodia. The complex is so huge that it can rightfully be attributed to the list of the most majestic and grandiose structures in Southeast Asia. Thousands of people visit the temples of Angkor every year. Angkor Wat is the place for which you should visit Cambodia at least once in your life. I don't even know what impressed us more: or Angkor's temple complex.

Temple complex Angkor Wat

To avoid confusion, it is necessary to immediately clarify that the Angkor complex is called all temples located on a huge territory, in addition, there is Temple Angkor Wat, built by the ruler Suryavarman II, which can be called the pearl of Angkor or the main temple.

Angkor Wat temple - the pearl of the Angkor temple complex

I will not describe the history of the creation of Angkor, talk about the beauty of temples and unusual bas-reliefs, I will share only practical information that will come in handy when planning a visit to the Angkor complex.

Before the trip, I scrupulously studied the reports of people who visited Angkor, wrote out useful information, thought about the optimal route, and then tested this route in action. Today I will share this information with you. In this article, you will learn:

Where is Angkor Wat and how to get there

The Angkor temple complex is located in Cambodia, near the city of Siem Reap. All useful information about this city can be found in the article:

You can get to Siem Reap by plane, bus and even by water. If you are relaxing in or on, then you can buy an organized excursion to Angkor in one of the travel agencies. But still it is better to visit the temples of Angkor on your own. About how we got to Angkor from Pattaya:

If you are resting in Sihanoukwell, then Siem Reap can be reached by bus. If your vacation takes place in Vietnam, for example, then Siem Reap is best reached by plane from. You can, of course, take the bus, but the transfer from Ho Chi Minh City to Siem Reap will take quite a long time: 8 hours before and the same amount to Siem Reap.

Where to live in Angkor

Of course, it is impossible to live in the temple complex of Angkor itself 🙂 All tourists stay in the city of Siem Reap, which is closest to Angkor. The question often arises, which hotel to choose to be closer to the temples? In fact, the location of the hotel in relation to the Angkor complex is not important, in any case, the temples cannot be reached on foot. To visit Angkor, you will have to hire transport or rent bicycles (but without good physical fitness, I would not advise you to do this).

There are many hotels in Siem Reap for every taste and budget. I can recommend a good inexpensive hotel with a swimming pool, where we stayed for almost a whole week, Bou Savy Guesthouse, I talked about it in detail in photos and videos.

When is the best time to visit Angkor Wat

1. It is better not to visit Angkor Wat during major holidays , especially during the Khmer holidays, when the entrance to the complex for local residents is free.

There are a lot of tourists in Angkor Wat on weekends and holidays

2. It is not very pleasant to inspect the Angkor temple complex and during hot or rainy season. The hottest month in Cambodia is April, from mid-May the rainy season begins, which lasts until November.

In summer, umbrellas from the rain, and at other times of the year - from the sun

3. The optimal time to visit Angkor is autumn-winter. And arriving in Siem Reap in November, you will still find the bright tropical vegetation around and see the temples hidden in the green jungle. We, in February, found the Angkor complex not so green and nature resembled our autumn 🙂

Angkor landscape in February. Ta Prohm Temple

In mid-February, it was cloudy in the morning, and the sun appeared closer to lunch. On the one hand, in cloudy weather it is not so hot and it is more comfortable to inspect the temples, but on the other hand, without the sun, all the photos turned out to be gray and not bright.

Near and distant temples of Angkor. Small and large circle of Angkor

Temples that are included in the standard Angkor ticket are called nearby temples, but the temples that are at a decent distance from Siem Reap are called distant temples.

Near temples of Angkor

Nearby temples are usually visited along two routes: small circle and great circle of Angkor... There are several more temples that are on the offshoot of these two circles - these are the Bantaey Srei and Banteay Samre temples.

Banteay Samre temple

What is the small and large circle of Angkor?

Small and large circles of Angkor these are two routes to visit the temples, each calculated for one day. The length of the small circle is about 17 km. The length of the great circle is 26 km. A diagram of the location of the temples of Angkor, in which the small circle is indicated by a red line, and the large circle is indicated by a green line.

Map of the layout of Siem Reap and the Ankor temple complex

What temples are included in the small circle of Angkor?

• Angkor Wat
• Phnom Bakheng
• Baksei Chamkrong
• Angkor Thom: Bayon, Baphuon, Phimeanakas and east to Victory Gate, Elephant Terrace and Terrace of the Leper King
• Chau Say Tevoda
• Thommanon
• Ta Keo
• Ta Prohm
• Banteay Kdei
• Prasat Kravan
• Several small temples

Majestic bayon
Bayon Temple






Ta Keo Temple - now undergoing a large-scale restoration, cranes and workers spoil the whole atmosphere
Jungle Overgrown Ta Prohm

What temples are included in the great circle of Angkor?

Big circle it starts in the same way from the Angkor Wat temple and to the Bayon temple will coincide with the small one, and then goes north to the northern gates of Angkor Thom and to the temples:

• Preah Khan
• Neak Pean
• Ta Som
• East Mebon
• Pre Rup

Temple of Neak Pean



Elephants at East Mebon Temple

Distant temples of Angkor

The farthest temple from Siem Reap is the Koh Ker pyramid temple. It is located about 120 km from the city, almost near the border with Thailand. Another distant temple, Beng Melea, is located about 65 km from Siem Reap on the road to Koh Ker.

Also in Angkor you can visit:

• Temples of the Roluos Group
• Phnom Kulen National Park: sacred mountain with waterfall, 1000 lingam river and Buddhist temple
• Tonle Sap Lake with Floating Village

Sunrises and sunsets in Angkor

Sunrises in Angkor everyone is greeted near the lake at the Angkor Wat temple. There are a lot of people, the sooner you come, the more chances you have to take the best seats.

That's how many people who want to watch the sunrise on the lake in front of Angkor!
Everyone is waiting for the dawn, but it is still not there :)))

Sunrises in Angkor are said to be a gorgeous sight. We did not catch the beautiful sunrises, on the days of our visit to Angkor, in February, there were clouds in the sky in the morning, the sun appeared from behind the clouds only at lunchtime. On the one hand, this is good - it's not so hot to climb the temples, and on the other hand, it's a pity that we did not see all the beauty of Angkor Wat in the rays of the rising sun.

That's just such a dawn we managed to see in Angkor

The second place to meet the sun is the former royal baths Spas Srang. We tried to catch the sunrise there too, but on that day with the sun we were not at all lucky 🙁

A little more dawn, but it's already around 7 am, the sun is already high

Sunset in Angkor basically everyone meets at Phnom Bakheng. Having heard a lot about the wild crowds of people there at sunset and about the difficult ascent and descent, we decided not to go.

You can also try to watch the sunset from the Pre Rup or Ta Keo temples or look for other pyramid temples that you can climb and get higher than the jungle around you 🙂

To meet the sunset, you need to climb somewhere higher. For example on the Temple of Pre Rup Or on Ta Keo

I think that the sunset will be clearly visible from the balloon ( important: you need to make an appointment to get up in a hot air balloon at sunrise or sunset in advance!).

We tried to watch the sunset near the Angkor Wat temple. That's what came out of it

Sunset near Angkor
Sunset near Angkor
Sunset near Angkor

Dawn in February was around 6:00 am and sunset around 6:00 pm. Because of the cloudy weather, we did not see beautiful sunrises and sunsets in Angkor. You may be more fortunate.

The cost of visiting Angkor

For the premises of nearby temples of Angkor, you can buy tickets for 1, 3 and 7 days.

The cost of tickets to nearby temples of Angkor

• Ticket for 1 day - $ 37
• Ticket price for 3 days - 62 dollars (valid any 3 days during the week)
• The cost of a ticket to Angkor for 7 days is $ 72 (valid for any 7 days during the month)

Three and seven day tickets with photo. They take pictures immediately when buying a ticket. Ticket offices for one-day tickets and multi-day tickets are different. There is a queue in the morning (especially for one-day tickets), but it moves quickly.

Checkout queue at 5:15 am
Queue for 3 and 7-day tickets

Visits to the following places are paid separately at other ticket offices

• Cost of visiting Koh Ker temple - $ 10
• Cost of visiting Beng Melia temple - $ 5
• Banteay Srei and Banteay Samre - on general tickets to Angkor
• Phnom Kulen - $ 20
• Boat on Lake Tondesap - $ 20 per person
• Hot air balloon ride over Angkor - $ 20

Opening hours of the temple complex

All temples of Ankor (except for Ankor Wat itself) can be visited from 7:30 am to 5:30 pm. Ticket offices open at 5:00. In Ankor Wat, to meet the dawn, they start to start at 5:30.

On the territory of the temples are no longer allowed after 17:00 (except for Phnom Bakeng, where they meet the sunset). I read in the reviews that even after 18:00 people are not kicked out of the temples. I don’t know, maybe in small inconspicuous temples this is so, but they began to expel us from the Angkor Wat temple almost immediately after 17:30. And by 18:00 they were being kicked out very persistently. I don’t understand why not allow them to stay in the temples until the end of sunset?

You can climb to the main temple of Angkor Wat (to the top) from 7:40 to 17:00.

The time of visiting all the temples except for Ankor Wat itself is from 7:30 to 17:30
Main tower Angkor Wat

The cost of renting a transport in Angkor

Between the temples of Angkor people travel by taxi, tuk-tuk, bicycle or bike. Yes, ride a bike to the area of ​​nearby temples of Angkor now allowed!

In principle, a small circle with good physical fitness, you can go around on a bicycle. But keep in mind that it is very hot from 9 am in Angkor, so you need to leave before dawn, at 5 am. Bicycles can be rented at any hotel. Cost from $ 2 per day.

The main transport in Angkor is here-knock, which can accommodate up to 4 people. On tuk-tuk, you can see almost all the temples of the complex, except for the distant Koh Ker temple and national park Phnom Kulen (there a knock-knock just won't go up the hill). It is also better to go to Beng Meliyu by car, but some also go by tuk-tuk.

Tuk-tuk can be rented both at your hotel and on the street. Do not worry, there are so many tuk-tuk in Siem Reap that you will not be left without transport for sure 🙂

Our tuk-tuker 🙂

The cost of a tuk-tuk in Angkor

• Small circle of Angkor - 10-12 dollars
• Angkor Great Circle - $ 15-18
• Additionally for sunset or sunrise (early check-out) - $ 5
• Additionally for the temples Bantaey Srei and Banteay Samre - 5-10 dollars
• Beng Melia - we were told the cost of $ 35, I read in Vinsky that people went there on a tuk-tuk for $ 20

For a small circle of Angkor + sunrise (check out at 5 am from the hotel and return back to the hotel at 16:00) we paid 15 dollars.

For the big circle + Banteay Samre + early check-out (left at 5:30, at 14:30 we were in the center of Siem Reap) we paid $ 20.

We paid $ 7 for a ride to the hot air balloon, then to the Angkor Wat temple and then to the street of bars (from 15:30 to 19:00).

The cost of a car with a driver in Angkor

• Small circle of Angkor - 25 - 30 dollars
• Angkor Great Circle - $ 25- $ 35
• Beng Melia & Ko Ker - $ 80 - $ 100
• Beng Melia - $ 35-40
• Phnom Kulen - $ 40
• Phnom Kulen + Banteay Srei + Banteay Samre - $ 50

Prices are approximate, every year the cost of tuk-tuks and cars with a driver is growing. But you can bargain, it is often more convenient to take a driver "wholesale" for 3-4 days at once, discuss the route and bargain for the cost.

Another option for moving between the temples is to take an organized excursion at any of the travel agencies in the city. But even if you came to Siem Rome alone, it is still more profitable to hire a tuk-tuk and explore the temples at your own pace.

For example, a tour of Angkor with a visit to four temples: Angkor Wat, Angkor Tom, Ta Prohm, Bayon will cost 11 dollars per person for half a day and 13 dollars for a whole day, an additional entrance ticket is paid.

But it is more profitable to go with a tour to the distant temples of Ko Ker and Beng Melia if you are traveling alone. The tour will cost $ 45. The price includes entrance fees to these two temples. An independent trip there will cost at least $ 10 + $ 5 + $ 80 = $ 95.

Prices for organized tours to the temples of Angkor and other nearby attractions
Prices for organized tours to the temples of Angkor and other nearby attractions

Important: when you negotiate with tuk-tuk and car drivers clearly articulate the action plan: What time do you leave the hotel, what churches do you see, do you stop by a cafe for lunch, do you return to the hotel for breakfast after dawn, etc. etc. The Khmers are mostly lazy people, so if you do not clearly indicate which temples you want to see, they will take you to 2-3 temples and say that this is all, it's time to go home.

But sometimes tuk-tukers come across clever and can tell in what order it is better to inspect the temples, what is definitely worth visiting, and what, with a limited time, you can skip. It's good when a tuk-tuker drives up to one entrance to the temple and waits for you from the opposite entrance. This is especially true for long temples, so that after the inspection, in the heat, you do not come back.

Remember what your tuk-tuk looks like, sometimes it is not very easy to find your driver and vehicle in the crowd. The correct tuk-tuker will look for you and meet you at the exit of their temple, nevertheless, he will receive payment for his work only after returning you to the hotel 🙂

Guides in Angkor

Do you need a guide in Angkor? If finances allow, then I would advise you to take a guide around Angkor. We examined the complex ourselves, but beforehand I read a lot about the temples on the Internet and we had an audio guide to some of the temples. But all the same, I think that we missed a lot and many questions remained unclear for us.

A good guide will tell you everything, and show you where to take an interesting shot, and take a picture of you against the backdrop of the temples

I believe that a guide in Angkor is needed (especially if you have come on a long-awaited vacation, and not because we are traveling in Asia on a budget). But need a good guide. There will be no good from the bad. But I won't tell you how to choose a good guide 🙁 Earlier in Vinsky people shared the coordinates of the guides, but the guides became impudent and raised the prices, so this shop was closed. The guide Virak was once praised. I don’t know if he is now working in Angkor, or maybe he’s already so rich on Russian tourists that he lives somewhere in the happy hours 🙂

I would take a guide to the main temples for one day. And then I would have walked by myself.

Approximate prices for a guide in Angkor

• English speaking guides - $ 25- $ 35 per day
• Russian speaking guides - $ 40-60 per day

You can order a guide or transport in advance, write off and discuss all your questions.

The Angkor temple complex is huge, do not think that you will be able to see all the temples in a few days. Yes, this is not necessary, by the end of the second day, all the temples I saw merged in my head into one big stone 🙂

Somewhere in the temples of Angkor. On the second day, all the temples in my head merged into one big big stone 🙂

Take a look at the photographs of the temples before the trip and determine for yourself which ones you definitely want to see. The most popular temples are:

They are always crowded and you have to try hard to walk through these temples without crowds of tourists!

In addition to the main temples, I also really liked:

In small temples, crowds of people appear in influx: they brought a group of organized tourists - noise, clamor, the impossibility of taking normal photographs, and after 10-15 minutes the crowd subsided and you wander again alone. This is the beauty of an individual visit to the Angkor temple complex.

Determine for yourself what you want: see as many temples as possible or just enjoy the walk and the atmosphere of ancient Angkor.

We examined the temples of Angkor without haste: it is better to see less, but enjoy the walk and feel the atmosphere of the ancient city

If you come to Angkor for 3 days and do not want to bother with route planning, then the easiest way is to follow the standard route.

Route in Angkor for 3 days

1 day. Small circle (+ sunrise or sunset)

2nd day. Big circle + optional Banteay Srei and Banteay Samre

3rd day. Distant temples of Koh Ker and Beng Melia

There are different opinions as to how best to move in a small and large circle: clockwise or counterclockwise, so that it would less intersect with the crowds of tourists. We drove clockwise.

Route in Angkor for 2 days

If you come for only 2 days, then on the first day it is quite possible to inspect the main temples from the small and large circles (it is better, of course, to get around by car: faster and you will rest during transfers under air conditioning), and on the second day - distant temples.

If you want to visit Phnom Kulen, then it can be combined with the Banteay Srei and Banteay Samre temples. When visiting Phnom Kulen, one should take into account that on the way to the mountain reverse movement. Until 13:00 all transport goes up, and after 13:00 - back down. Those. you can't come to Phnom Kulen after lunch!

When is the best time to go to see the temples?

I believe that to inspect the temples of Angkor you need to leave the hotel as soon as possible. As much as I love to sleep and get up at 5-6 in the morning, it is a huge stress for me, but I advise you to move yourself and leave to see Angkor as early as possible.

Why? Firstly, in order to have time to see at least one of the main temples, before groups of organized tourists are brought up to it, and secondly, after 10 in the morning, such heat begins that it becomes very difficult to inspect the temples.

Here is such a crowd in the Bayonne temple already at 8 in the morning

How to plan your day in Angkor?

You can plan your day in Angkor in different ways 🙂

Option 1. Having left early in the morning at dawn and having examined several temples, return to the hotel by 9 o'clock, have breakfast, sleep, swim in the pool, and then after lunch go further for the inspection.

Option 2. Leave the hotel after an early breakfast at 7-8 in the morning, at 12-13, return to the hotel for lunch and rest, and at 15:00 continue visiting the temples.

Option 3. Everything is the same as in option 2, but to have lunch somewhere on the territory of the temple complex and have a little rest (maybe even sleep in the car or in a tuk-tuk), and not return to the hotel.

Option 4. Check out early in the morning from the hotel, take dry rations for breakfast and a thermos with coffee. Visit several temples, and then at 9 o'clock have breakfast somewhere on the ruins overlooking Angkor. Inspect the temples before lunch, and after lunch, return to the hotel to relax. It was on this option that we acted 🙂

We ordered breakfast at the hotel with us, brewed coffee in a thermos and had a great breakfast right in the ancient temple 🙂

Important: If you plan to return to the hotel for breakfast, for an afternoon break or for lunch, check this option with the driver in advance. Most likely, you will have to pay a certain amount.

As I mentioned above, the most popular temples are Angkor Wat, Bayon and Ta Prohm. Angkor Wat, it seems to me, is generally not realistic to see without a crowd of people, but you can come to Bayon and Ta Prohom early in the morning and have time to walk along them almost completely alone.

The Angkor Wat temple cannot be viewed without a crowd of people

Therefore, we did this:

1 day:

• Dawn near Angkor Wat
• When the whole crowd after dawn ran to inspect Angkor Wat, we went to Bayon
• From Bayon we walked to the Bapuon and Pimeanakas temples, and there we had breakfast
• We examined the terrace of the Elephants and the Leper King and drove on along the small circle of Angkor
• We examined the temples of the small circle (except Ta Prohm) and returned to Angkor Wat
• Walking for two hours in the heat in Angkor Wat

In principle, I liked the route, only walking after 11 days was already hard and hot, so the impressions of the Angkor Wat temple remained blurry. Perhaps, before Angkor Wat it was necessary to return to the hotel for rest, and by 4 pm to move back to inspect it. But I knew that if I returned to the hotel, I wouldn't want to go to any temples that day. Still, it is very difficult to inspect the temples out of habit, and even in the heat 🙂 A few photos of the first day:

2nd day:

• Dawn near Srah Srang
• Handsome Ta Prom
• And further along a large circle with a stop at Banteay Samre
• Finished the day with the Hindu temple of Prasat Kravan

With such a plan, we managed to see Ta Prohm without too many crowds, but still we could go straight to it, and not wait for dawn near Spas Srang, all the same that day the sky was in the clouds. A few photos of the second day:

I don't remember where 🙂

Day 3:

After lunch we went up in a hot air balloon and walked around the Angkor Wat temple for two hours before sunset. A few photos of the third day:

Hot air balloon over Angkor


Bas-reliefs in the temple of Angkor Wat

All the most large and popular temples are in the small circle. Therefore, it may be worthwhile to inspect the temples of the large circle on the first day, and leave the temples of the small circle on the second day - for a snack 🙂

Despite the fact that the small circle is called small, you will have to walk in it and inspect more than in the big circle. In a large circle, it takes more time to travel by transport between the temples, during which you can rest. In general, the small circle of Angkor is more difficult to visit than the large one.

The Angkor Wat temple is best viewed during afternoon before lunchtime the sun shines directly into the lens.

Ta Prohm and Bayon try to visit as much as possible earlier in the morning or in the evening before sunset.

Take water with you. I really want to drink! Our first tuk-tuk driver supplied us with water, but the second tuk-tuker did not give us water. Water and fruit can be bought near the temples, but the price will be overpriced.

Ride a tuk-tuk in the morning in winter cold, you must wear a blouse. But it is very hot to walk during the day.

Dress up comfortable shoes, especially if you plan to climb the stairs to the top of the temples. It is better to choose closed shoes, there is a lot of dust and sand, the feet instantly become dirty.

And yes, get ready to climb many stairs. My legs just fell off the next day 🙂

Be are accurate on the ascents and descents of the stairs of the temples. There have been fatal accidents in Angkor. Now, in most of the temples, the old staircases were closed and the lifts were equipped with new staircases with railings. But not everywhere! Take extra care when climbing Ta Keo!

New staircase at Baphuon Temple

Take some wet wipes to wipe your hands. On descents and ascents, you have to hold on to the steps with your hands, and they are all covered in red dust.

It is most convenient to climb temples in shorts or trousers, although I have met many girls in long skirts. It will definitely not be comfortable in short skirts 🙂

Do not wear white and black clothes - you will have to sit on stones: all the dirt is immediately visible on white, and dust on black.

You can walk around the Angkor temple complex in any clothes, but you are not allowed to enter the main Angkor Wat temple in shorts and a T-shirt! A scarf on the shoulders will not save the day, and there is nowhere to rent clothes.

If possible, set aside five days in Siem Reap with Angkor to see everything leisurely and take breaks between days in the temples. We were in Siem Reap for 6 full days, but only half of them were allocated for the temples. If you are not a historian or a super lover of antiquities, then after a while all these temples in your head will simply mix up and you will not really remember which one you were in and what you saw.

Behave yourself properly. Just like in the photo below - don't do it!

Don't be celebrated on the ancient stones of Angkor!
Rare joint photo

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History

Angkor was the capital of the Khmer Empire for over 600 years, from 802 to 1432. During this time, the empire saw ups and downs, constant wars with its neighbors: Vietnam, Siam (Thailand) and Burma (Myanmar)... Between the wars, the rulers focused their efforts on building more and more temples. The temples that can be seen today are only a small part of the huge powerful empire... It is hard to believe, but at a time when European capitals were small settlements and, for example, there were no more than 40,000 people in all of Paris, the population of Angkor was almost a million inhabitants! The reason why only temples remained from the million-strong metropolis is simple: only “kings-gods” and priests were allowed to live in stone structures, and mere mortals built themselves dwellings of wood, which have not survived to this day.

Until 802, Cambodia was a scattered principalities. King Jayavarman II managed to unite the country into a single empire. He proclaimed himself "the king-god" and built a huge temple on top of Phnom Kulen hill, symbolizing Shiva's abode, on the legendary Mount Meru, in the center of the universe. This is how the architectural "race for glory" began, giving us beauty that we can admire today.

King Indravarman I (877-889) built an artificial lake and a Pre-Ko temple. The lake served as the beginning of the irrigation system, which allowed Angkor not to depend on the vagaries of nature for irrigating land. The king's son, Yasovarman I (889-910) , continued the work of his father, creating his own mountain-temple Phnom-Bakeng, from which today tourists admire the sunset over Angkor Wat. After the death of Yasovarman I, the capital moved briefly to Ko-Ker, a city 80 km from Angkor. Already in 944, Angkor again became the center of power of the kings of Rajendravarman IV. (944-968) who built Pre-Rup, and Jayavarman V (968-1001) , who created the temples of Ta-Keo and Banteay-Srei.

Angkor's largest gems, the Angkor Wat and Angkor Thom temples, were built during the city's classical heyday. The first king of this period, Suryavarman II (1112-1152) , managed to significantly strengthen the empire and spread the influence of the Khmers to nearby countries. He, unlike other kings, worshiped not Shiva, but the supreme deity Vishnu, to whom he dedicated the most majestic of all Angkor temples - Angkor Wat. By that time, serious problems began in Angkor itself: the city was overpopulated, there was not enough water, the surrounding lands were depleted. The construction of the temple undermined the economy of the capital. In 1177, the inhabitants of the Cham kingdom - vassals of the Khmer empire - rebelled, captured and destroyed Angkor. Four years later, King Jayavarman VII (1181-1218) drove out the Cham. On the site of old Angkor, the walled city of Angkor Thom was built. Jayavarman VII built many temples, including Bayon, a mountain temple with faces facing in all directions. Jayavarman VII was the first king of Cambodia to worship Buddha rather than Hindu gods.

After the death of Jayavarman VII, the empire fell into decay, Buddhism was forgotten and many Buddhist statues were destroyed. The Khmer Empire was never again able to regain its former power.

In 1351 and 1431, the Thais defeated Angkor, taking gold and art with them. The center of power in Southeast Asia has moved to Thailand. The capital of Cambodia was moved to Phnom Penh, and Angkor was abandoned.

In the 1860s, French traveler and botanist Henri Muo stumbled upon a monastery on the territory of Angkor, then under the control of Thailand. Descriptions of the majestic temples in the jungle of Cambodia appeared before that, but only after the publication of the discovery of Anri Muo did the eyes of Europeans turn to Angkor.

In 1907 Angkor was returned to Cambodia. It attracted travelers, adventurers, archaeologists, historians, and Angkor gradually became one of the main attractions of Southeast Asia. The rebuilding of the temples was a daunting task. Most of them, except for Angkor Wat, were heavily overgrown with jungle, sometimes so much that it was impossible to clean the temple without damaging it. A controversy erupted over the extent to which temples should be restored, whether late additions, such as Buddhist images in Hindu temples, should be removed, etc. In 1920, it was decided to restore the temples using the anastomosis method. The idea of ​​the method was that the restoration was carried out using only those materials that were used in the initial construction, and also to preserve the original structure of the temples. Modern materials were allowed to be used only if the originals were lost.

From the 1930s to the 1960s, most of the temples were rebuilt. The Khmer Rouge barely damaged Angkor, but restoration work was suspended and the jungle attacked the temples with renewed vigor. After the fall of the Pol Pot regime, work continued, and in 2003 UNESCO considered it possible to remove Angkor from the list of endangered cultural heritage.

A small dictionary for a better understanding of the description of temples

Gods

• Brahma is the main of the three primary gods of the Hindu trinity, the "creator".
• Shiva is one of the three primary gods of the Hindu trinity, the "destroyer".
• Vishnu is one of the three primary gods of the Hindu trinity, the "protector".
• Krishna is the eighth incarnation of Vishnu, usually depicted of blue color, most often with a flute.
• Lakshmi is the wife of Vishnu, the goddess of beauty and wealth.
• Parvati is the wife of Shiva, she is also Shakti or Durga, the goddess of power.

Mythical creatures

• Asura is a demon.
• Rakshasa is a demon.
• Yakshas are the inhabitants of the underworld.
• Apsara is a heavenly nymph, a dancer.
• Devata is a demigoddess.
• Nag is the naga snake.
• Garuda is half-human, half-eagle. Vishnu's mount.

Architectural and geographic terms

• Banteay is a fortress or citadel.
• Baray is an artificial reservoir.
• Boeng is a lake.
• Gopura is a gate tower in the temple fence of Hindu temples. Serves as the entrance to the temple complex.
• Linga (Lingam)- a phallic symbol that looks like an unfinished circle, from the center of which a stone rod protrudes vertically - the symbol of the god Shiva.
• Phnoma is a hill or mountain.
• Prasat is a tower.
• Preah is sacred.
• Wat is a temple or pagoda.

Temples of Angkor

The Temples of Angkor are perhaps the most impressive site in all of Southeast Asia. The ancient Khmer kings did not spare any means to surpass their predecessors, and each subsequent temple was larger, better and more elegant than the previous one.

The pearl of a visit to Angkor is the magnificent Angkor Wat (Angkor Wat)... The profile of its spiers has practically become a symbol of Cambodia. Angkor Wat consists of five central towers of shrines, three rectangular galleries, increasing in height towards the center, surrounded by a moat of water 190 m wide. The general profile imitates a lotus bud. From the entrance gate, on the west side, an alley with a fence decorated with seven-headed snakes leads to the Temple.

The first gallery, the outer wall above the moat, has square columns on the outer and closed walls on the inner side. The ceiling between the pillars of the outer façade is decorated with lotus-shaped rosettes, and the inner one is decorated with figures of dancers. The bas-reliefs on the walls of the three galleries depict scenes from various mythological stories and historical events. Here you can see scenes from the battles of the Ramayana and Mahabharata, the image of the army of Suryavarman II, the churning of the ocean by demons and gods, the victory of Vishnu over the demons and scenes of various mythical battles.

From the first gallery, a long alley leads to the second. You can climb the platform using a staircase decorated on both sides with figures of lions. The inner walls of the second gallery are covered with images of apsaras, heavenly maidens.

The third gallery encompasses five Towers that crown the highest terrace. Very steep staircases present the difficulty of climbing to the realm of the gods. The walls of this gallery are carved with motifs of snakes, whose bodies end in the mouths of lions.

The Temple stones, smooth as polished marble, were laid without any adhesive mortar. Construction material it is sandstone that was delivered from Mount Kulen, a quarry about 40 km to the northeast. Almost all surfaces, pillars and even roof lintels are carved in stone.

Restoration work was carried out in Angkor by the Indian Archaeological Society between 1986 and 1992. The temple is part of the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Angkor Thom is a great city surrounded by a high eight-meter wall. Each side of the wall is 3 km long, the outside of the wall is protected by a wide 100-meter ditch filled with water. It is believed that during the heyday of the empire, about a million people lived here. Angkor Thom was built by King Jayavarman VII (1181-1218) after he recaptured Angkor from the Cham warriors who had captured it. You can get to Angkor Thom through one of five large gates, each gate is accessed by a bridge built across a moat. It is best to enter through the most beautiful southern gate. There are 108 stone statues on the bridge, guarding the city, 54 devatas on the right (deities), left 54 ​​asura (demon)... Devatas and Asuras Supported the Many-Headed Naga (snake)- Khmer symbol of the rainbow, the bridge between earth and heaven. In front of a row of statues are nagas, seven heads of which are ready to pour out deadly poison. Above the gate there are four stone faces looking in different directions.

Bayonne

Bayon is a temple complex in the center of Angkor Thom, built in honor of Jayavarman VII. The temple has three levels and is surrounded by three walls. The main part of the temple's decor is the image of the everyday and everyday life of the Khmers. There is also a blank wall 4.5 meters high, which depicts scenes of Jayavarman VII's victory over the Cham in the Battle of Tonle Sap Lake.

In 1925, the temple was recognized as a Buddhist sanctuary, and in 1928, thanks to the efforts of F. Stern and J. Sedes, it was correctly dated.

In 1933, a statue of Buddha was found in the well of the foundation, in whose features there was an external resemblance to Jayavarman VII and which, during the Brahminist restoration (immediately after the death of Jayavarman VII) has been desecrated. It has been restored and installed on a terrace east of southern Khleang.

Main article:

Bapuon

After enjoying the wonderful atmosphere of Bayon, you can walk to the neighboring temple of Bapuon (Baphuon)... For a long time, only construction site... Only two years ago, this ancient Hindu temple dedicated to Shiva was opened to the public. Several decades of restoration work in the temple has been called "putting together one of the most difficult puzzles" in the world.

In ancient times, the Bapuon Temple was one of the most beautiful structures in Angkor. However, by the early 1950s, it was on the verge of complete destruction. Led by French archaeologists, a team of restorers decided that the only way to preserve the temple was to take it apart to strengthen the foundation and then reassemble the building. In the early 60s, the project was launched and Bapuon was dismantled. During the deconstruction, the blocks of the temple were moved into the surrounding jungle, each block was numbered. In the mid-1970s, the Khmer Rouge came to power and work was suspended. As it turned out later, the Khmer Rouge destroyed the documentation for the dismantling of the temple, and there was no information in what order the 300,000 stone blocks should be stacked. The task was the most difficult - there were no two blocks that were identical, each stone could only lie in its place. The architects had to rely only on numerous photographs and memories of Cambodian workers. The work was further complicated by the fact that at a later time, in the 10th-16th centuries, a 60-meter unfinished statue of Buddha was carved into the wall of the second level, which violated the uniform style of the temple. One way or another, today the giant puzzle has been assembled and the main work on the temple has been completed. True, there are still some Finishing work part of the temple is still closed scaffolding, it makes it difficult to photograph him.

A steep staircase with very high steps leads to the top of the temple. If you decide to go upstairs, do it carefully.

North of Bapuon is the famous Elephant Terrace (Elephant Terrace), a thick wall 320 meters long, along which are carved images of elephants, lions and garuds - mythical half-humans, half-birds. You can climb the wall and walk along the top, or look at the images below. It is better, if time permits, to do both - the images from the inside of the wall, which are visible only from above, are no less interesting. At one time, the terrace served as a platform from which the king and the invited audience could observe official ceremonies and conduct a review of troops. Also on the terrace there are traces of pavilions in which the king could receive delegations. There are 5 massive arched entrances leading to the terrace from the Royal Square: three in the central part and one at each end. The east and west terraces are adorned with bas-reliefs and statues of garuds and lions, supporting the Atlantean-style terrace. In Angkor Wat, on the bas-relief of heaven and hell, the same figures support the heavenly palaces. The north and south sides are decorated with life-size carvings of elephants with drovers. A small Buddha carved into the wall of the central section confirms that the terrace is the work of the Buddhist King Jayavarman VII. The central staircase is decorated in the same way as the gate to Angkor Thom - three elephant heads with trunks forming pillars, crowned with lotuses. The elephant terrace has an unusual relief: somewhere the figures protrude quite a bit forward, and somewhere they protrude very strongly. In some places, the trunks form columns; the remains of stairs have been preserved. This is an impressive sight, there is only one problem - a lot of tourists clicking their cameras.

A little further north is another terrace - Terrace of the Leper King (Terrace of Leper King)- a platform of seven meters height, 25 meters long. The terrace is part of the Royal Square. On the three outer sides of the terrace, in several rows, images of gods, demons, mythical nagas and inhabitants of the depths of the sea are carved. The best images are from the eastern (front) sides of the terrace. At the top there is a stone figure of a man surrounded on four sides by warriors, from which the terrace got its name. There are several versions of who is depicted on the statue and why this is a leper. One by one, this name was given to the terrace because of the lichen spots covering the statue. According to another, numerous chips on the face of the statue led to the thought of leprosy. (on the copy standing today, they are not, the original is kept in a museum in Phnom Penh)... There is a theory that the statue actually depicted one of the two Cambodian kings with leprosy. However, the Khmers never depicted kings without clothes. The most common versions are that the statue depicts the god of death Yama, the terrace was used for cremations of members of the royal family, or that the statue symbolizes the inhabitants of the underground kingdom of the Yakshas.

Legend of the leper king

A young king reigned in the newly built capital. He became famous in military campaigns and in governing the country, but his heart was cruel. He was hated by all except the four concubines, whose whims were law to him. When the women were bored with court life, they wished to go on a journey with him, and the king, without notifying anyone, left the palace. The very next day, discord broke out in the kingdom - two noble nobles began to fight for the throne and launched a civil war. During their wanderings, the king and the concubines decided to visit a hermit who predicted the future. When the disguised king appeared before him, he guessed the high rank of the guest and said: “You were a great sovereign, but from now on they will never call you king. Two large armies are fighting to take your throne, and only you can end the strife. But at the zenith of your glory and triumph you will know the bitterness of being and a terrible fate will befall you. " These words shocked the king. After a while, he entered the camp of one of the rebellious nobles, made an alliance with him and led his army. Putting the other to flight, he subsequently killed the nobleman with whom he entered into an alliance. At the head of both armies, the king returned to the capital to restore peace. It was then that the hermit's prediction came true. When the king rode on a horse through the city, an old woman in rags suddenly thrust a dagger into the horse's chest - it collapsed, and the old woman threw herself on the king and pressed her flabby body against him. The king was released from this embrace, and the woman fell, wounded by a thousand blows. The old woman took revenge on the fact that a few years ago her daughter was kidnapped and imprisoned in the royal harem. She was a leper and infected the king. Leprosy developed rapidly, and everyone left him, except for the four concubines. He lost his right to the throne and had to live outside the palace, doomed to despair and death by starvation. In the legendary history of Cambodia, this king is identified with Prince Preah Tong, who came from India to marry the daughter of King Naga, he also allegedly founded the first capital of Cambodia - the city of Angkor Thom.

There are also several small temples and chapels inside Angkor Thom. Interesting of them Tep-Pranam (Tep Pranam)- a large open terrace in the shape of a cross with a statue of a huge Buddha sitting on a lotus in the position of "calling the earth as witnesses", made of stone blocks. The statue reaches a height of 6 meters and is located on a lined pedestal 1 meter high. Constructed from used stones, the statue has a rough-cut appearance, the head of the Buddha, “crowned with flames,” clearly belongs to a later period. The statue itself dates from the 16th century and was restored in 1950. Nearby is another restored statue of a standing Buddha in the rare "no fear" pose. Nearby there is a small monastery where Buddhist nuns live.

This small Buddhist sanctuary in the forest north of Angkor Thom's Terrace of the Leper King is inviting enough to be given some attention while visiting other monuments on the west side of King's Square. Interestingly, above one of the gates one can find the Hindu god Indra on his three-headed elephant Airavat, and above others - "the temptation of Mara with her army of demons" attacking the Buddha, who himself has not survived. This neighborhood is very unusual for the Khmers - it is assumed that Buddhist images of Preah Pallilai (Preah Pallilay) managed to avoid destruction by convinced Hindus, successors of Jayavarman VII, due to its proximity to Tep-Pranam and the Saugatashram monastery, whose official status and proximity to the Royal Palace may have saved the precious images and made them inviolable.

Exit Angkor Thom through the south gate. Ahead, a few hundred meters, there is a 67-meter Phnom-Bakeng hill. (Phnom Bakheng), with the construction of the temple on the top of which the entire development of Angkor began. Previously, at sunset, crowds of tourists came here to take pictures of Angkor Wat in the setting sun. The views remain the same, but now no more than 300 people are allowed upstairs at sunset, so if you want to enjoy the sunset from above, come early. The staircase leading to the top is closed for repairs, you can climb up the winding path from the south side of the hill. For $ 15, you can climb to the top on an elephant, but, as a rule, you need to reserve a place in advance.

Ta-Keo construction (Ta Keo) was started in 975 by Jayavarman V (968-1001) ... It is the first sandstone temple in Angkor. The temple is dedicated to Shiva. For unknown reasons, probably due to the death of the king, it remained unfinished and unadorned - it seems that he escaped from an underground cave, pushing the surrounding jungle. It is known that the temple was originally called Hemasringagiri - "Mountain of Golden Peaks", possibly prasata (towers) the temple was planned to be covered with gold. Ta-Keo is the modern name meaning "tower of crystal".

By tradition, the main temples were built in the center of the royal city, Jayavarman V broke the tradition by building Ta-Keo not in the center of his capital, but to the north - near East Baray. With bar (body of water) the temple is connected by a procession alley with two rows of columns. The temple itself is a 22-meter rectangular pyramid. Conceived as the embodiment of the five peaks of Mount Meru, Ta-Keo has five prasats located in the center of its main tier, and is surrounded by a now dried-up moat that symbolizes the ocean.

On the first level, on a high plinth, there is a 120x105 meter fence and a blank wall with axial gopuras (gate towers), the main of which faces east. Two rectangular buildings are preceded by porticoes parallel to the east wall.

The second level rises to a height of 5.6 meters - there is a solid gallery 79x73 meters in size with a false stepped brick vault, blanked windows on the outside and open windows with columns on the outside. The gopuras are built into the walls with corner towers. The gallery, formed by more ancient rectangular buildings, cannot be entered, which indicates its purely symbolic purpose. Inside the fence, two rectangular buildings line the eastern wall, and two "libraries" are on either side of the access road. To make room for these buildings, the east side of the terrace was made wider than all the others. The libraries have an interesting structure: inside they have only one room, but outside, thanks to two lowered semi-cylindrical vaults resting on the walls along the perimeter, a semblance of a nave and two side-chapels is formed. Compared to other ornate temples of Angkor, Ta-Keo looks Spartan, but this does not detract from its unique atmosphere. Steps lead to the very top of the pyramid of the temple. Each step is about 40 cm high and about 10 cm wide, so you can only put your foot sideways while holding onto the top steps. And so 22 meters - the rise is not for the faint of heart, but we strongly advise you to climb up. It is not known whether the Cambodians chose any energy nodes to build their temples, but the feeling of a stunning atmosphere and closeness to the sky here is indescribable. At some point, it becomes unclear whether it is necessary to descend from here back to earth ...

Ta-Prom

Kipling was describing some kind of abandoned temple in India, but this description is just perfect for the Ta-Prohm temple. (Ta Prohm)- a huge temple-monastery, swallowed by the jungle. Of all the temples of Angkor, Ta-Prohm is the most poetic, with the most amazing atmosphere created by huge trees encircling walls, sprouting through stones and hanging over towers. Over the centuries, the roots have grown together with the walls to such an extent that it is impossible to remove the trees so that the buildings do not collapse. Ta-Prohm was built in the 12th century by King Jayavarman VII as a Buddhist temple. The Ta-Prohm territory is very large, like the Angkor Wat territory, but in terms of architecture, the temple is completely different from other Angkor temples. It consists of a chain of one-story long buildings, interconnected by walkways and galleries. In fact, this temple-monastery is a series of concentric galleries with towers and many additional buildings, surrounded by powerful walls. It is known from various sources that the temple had 39 prasats, 566 stone and 288 brick structures, in which there were 260 statues of the gods.

Many passages are littered with stones and inaccessible. The uniqueness of Ta-Prohm lies in the fact that many ancient inscriptions are carved on the stones here - more than in any other Angkorian temple. On a stone stele, now in the Angkor National Museum, it is written that in the best times the temple belonged to 3,140 villages, 79,365 people worked in the temple, including 18 high priests, 2,800 clerks and 615 dancers. More than 12,000 people permanently lived inside the temple. On the site of the forest that surrounds the temple today, there was once a large, lively city, and many treasures were kept in the temple's treasuries. Now all this is hard to believe, because most of the buildings have turned into ruins. Stones and trees are so intertwined, forming a common ensemble that sometimes you begin to doubt whether this complex was the basis - a stone or a tree. There are two types of trees: large - banyan tree (Ceibapentandra) features thick, pale brown roots with a knobby structure, while the smaller one is a strangler fig tree (Ficus gibbosa) with a lot of thin, smooth and gray roots. Typically, the seed of the tree falls into a crevice in the masonry of a building and the roots grow down to the ground. The roots work their way between the masonry and, as they get thicker, actually become the frame of the building. When a tree dies or falls in a thunderstorm, the building collapses with it.

French Far Eastern School (Ecole Frangaise d "Extreme-Orient), which is rebuilding Angkor, decided to leave this temple in its "natural state" as an example of what most of Angkor's temples looked like when they were opened in the 19th century. And yet the jungle had to be cleared out of Ta-Prom quite thoroughly to prevent further destruction and to make it possible to visit the temple. For a truly jungle-conquered temple, visit Beng Mealea Temple (Beng Mealea).

One of interesting riddles Ta-Prohm is a picture of a stegosaurus carved on the wall, which guides like to lead to. Few people know that there is another image of a dinosaur here, it is almost impossible to find it without a guide, and only experienced guides can show it. Where the ancient Khmers could see the dinosaur and how it ended up on the wall, no one can explain. The most popular tourist spot in Ta-Prohm is the Fig Tree Root Courtyard where Lara Croft: Tomb Raider was filmed. At this point, the main character picks a jasmine flower and falls into the ground. It would be ideal to walk around Ta-Prohm when there are no crowded tourists around. Unfortunately, this is almost impossible. The only chance is to come here immediately at dawn and be the first, or be here just before closing, when most tourists are busy contemplating the sunset.

Kipling on Ta-Prohm Temple

The Monkey Folk in the Cold Lairs did not think about Mowgli's friends at all. They brought the boy to the abandoned city and were now very pleased with themselves. Mowgli had never seen an Indian city, and although this city lay in ruins, it seemed to the boy magnificent and full of miracles. One sovereign prince built it a long time ago on a low hill. The remains of the stone-paved roads leading to the ruined gate were still visible, where the last pieces of rotten wood still hung on rust-eaten hinges. The trees were rooted in the walls and towered over them; the battlements on the walls collapsed and crumbled to dust; creeping plants emerged from the loopholes and spread along the walls of the towers in hanging shaggy lashes. A large, roofless palace stood at the top of a hill. The marble of its fountains and courtyards was all covered with cracks and brown spots of lichens, the very slabs of the courtyard, where the princely elephants used to stand, were lifted and moved apart by grasses and young trees. Behind the palace could be seen row after row of roofless houses and the whole city, like an empty honeycomb, filled only with darkness; the shapeless block of stone, which was formerly an idol, now lay on the square where four roads crossed; only pits and potholes remained at the corners of the streets, where wells once stood, and the dilapidated domes of temples, on the sides of which wild fig trees sprouted.

R. Kipling. The jungle book

Preah-Kahn

One of the largest projects of Jayavarman VII, Preah-Kan (Preah Khan) was much more than just a temple - it was a Buddhist university with over a thousand teachers, surrounded by a large city. As in Ta-Prom, a stele with information about the temple was found here: the inscriptions reveal the history of its foundation and purpose. The royal palace of Yasovarman II previously stood on this site, and the inscription on the stele about the "lake of blood" reminds that the temple was built on the site of a major battle with the Cham, which prevented the capture of Angkor - in that battle, the Cham king was killed. The city was named Nagara Jayasri in honor of King Jayasri, who became famous in this battle. (in Sanskrit nagara means "city"), and the modern name Preah-Kan - "Sacred Sword" - is a translation of the name Jayasri from Sanskrit.

If Ta-Prohm was dedicated to the mother of Jayavarman VII, then Preah-Kan five years later, in 1191, was dedicated to the king's father, Dharanin-dravarman. A statue of the Bodhisattva Lokeshwar was created from it. In other chapels in the city, there were 430 minor deities. The entrance alley with pillars is followed by a naga bridge, exactly the same as the one that crosses the Angkor Thom moat - the bodies of two giant naga snakes on both sides of the dam hold a row of devatas (demigods) left and asuras (demons) on right. Unfortunately, the temple's relatively remote location allowed treasure hunters to steal their heads. In general, this kind of giant figures resembles the famous scene on the Angkor Wat bas-relief "Whipping the Milky Ocean". As in Angkor Thom, the nagas take us across the moat - it is likely that here, too, they symbolize the bridge between the world of people and the gods.

The eastern tower of the outer fence has three entrances, the main entrance is the largest, a cart could pass through it. On the walls there are magnificent stone sculptures of giant garudas, which hold in their hands by the tail the naga serpent - their traditional enemy. These 5-meter figures are located at 50-meter intervals around the entire perimeter of the fourth encirclement - there are 72 of them in total, the largest garudas are located in the corners. Gopura of the third fence is the largest in Angkor. In front of it is a large cruciform terrace with balustrades of nagas and lions. On the right, the so-called House of Fire is one of 121 chapels built by Jayavarman VII along the main roads of the empire. All chapels are built in the same way, oriented from west to east, with towers on the western exits and with windows only on the southern sides. From their names on the engravings, it can be understood that they were related to the arks with the sacred flame and, possibly, served as staging points in the ritual journey. Gopura of the third enclosure is the richest decorated. Its three widely spaced towers and small pavilions at both ends are connected by galleries with columns on external parties... The length of the gopura is 100 meters, there are five entrances in total, as well as a gallery on the left side. The entrance was guarded by two demon guards, today only one of them remains - only a preserved pedestal reminds of the second. Between the central and south towers, two giant beautiful tree, their trunks are located at an angle to each other. The trees are very old - there is a great danger that they will fall and seriously damage the masonry.

Just behind the gopura, just like in Ta-Prohm, there is a large building - the Dancers' Hall (now it has no roof)... The building consists of four small courtyards, each surrounded by 24 columns, and together they form a gallery. The building got its name from the bas-reliefs of the apsaras captured in the dance. Note the empty niches above the dancers' bas-reliefs. Carved statuettes of Buddhas once stood here, they were destroyed during the reign of Jayavarman VIII, the restorer of Hinduism, along with thousands of others throughout Angkor. Inside the galleries of the second railing, allow your eyes to adjust to the darkness and admire the graceful carved garudas. In the vestibule to the west of the sanctuary there is a lingam - the symbol of Shiva, installed here, probably in the second half of the 13th century.

Immediately behind the gopura of the second fence is a small Vishnu temple with a long pedestal at the eastern entrance, on the pedestal there are holes for three statues and a spout for carrying out a water consecration ritual, like on a linga. The inscription on the doorframe states that the missing statues depicted Rama, Lakshman and Sita, and lateral surface the same doorway is decorated with carvings. The western pediment depicts a scene in which Krishna lifts Mount Govardhana. Further, three small rectangular temples surround the Buddha temple: the northern one is dedicated to Shiva, the southern one is dedicated to the deceased kings and queens, and the western one is Vishnu.

The central sanctuary is, as usual, shifted to the west. The inner walls here are dotted with small holes, which served for attaching the bronze cladding sheets. The temple's engraved inscriptions claim that over 1,500 tons were used. In the center is a small stupa, added around the 16th century. In the morning, from a certain angle, you can achieve the illusion that the top of the stupa is dazzlingly glowing. Originally there was a statue made from the father of Jayavarman VII - Jayavarmeshwara, it was probably destroyed by Jayavarman VIII during the restoration of Hinduism in Angkor. As in Ta-Prohm, huge trees grow here right on the walls; it is impossible to remove them without damaging the masonry. Nevertheless, Preah-Kan is considerably clearer of the jungle than Ta-Prohm.

2.5 km to the east, a narrow path leads to the Temple of Neac Pean (Neak Pean), translated as "Coiled Serpents". It was built by the same Jayavarman VII in the XII century. This unusual, small by Angkorian standards architectural monument with a cruciform arrangement of water bodies and a tower of a sanctuary on a round island in the middle is very symbolic. The base of this building, laid out in the form of lotus petals, makes it look like a huge flower that has floated to the surface, although this can only be seen for a short time - during the rainy season, when the pools are filled with water. At this time, the temple is reflected in the water and is unlike any other. Neak Pean is undoubtedly one of the gems of Khmer art.

A stone stele in the Preah Kan temple mentions this temple, calling it "Kingdom Happiness" and tells how King Jayavarman VII built the "North Lake" "as a mirror decorated with stones, gold and garlands." The pool sparkled, illuminated by the light of the golden temple and adorned with red lotus flowers. Inside is a towering island, especially beautiful thanks to the waters that surround it. An inscription on one of the walls found during the clearing of Preah Kan mentions Neac Pean "as a famous island that attracts with its pools - they wash away the dirt of sins from those who come there." The temple was a place of pilgrimage: people came here to bathe, and "the sick returned healed." In the 13th century, Chinese Zhou Daguan described the temple as follows: “The North Lake lies a quarter of a mile north of the walled City. In its center stands a square tower of gold with several dozen stone rooms. If you are looking for golden lions, bronze elephants, bronze oxen, bronze horses, you will find them here. " Two nagas encircle the base of the circular island, from which the name Neac Pean originated. Their heads diverge to the east to give passage, and are in the style of the head of the serpent king Mukalinda, who protected the Buddha in meditation when a thunderstorm was approaching. The upper platform appears as a huge blooming lotus crown. There is no statue in the Buddhist sanctuary, but the entire environment has been preserved - two tiers with lotuses and pediments, decorated with bas-reliefs from the life of the Buddha: "Hair cutting" in the east, "The Great Departure" in the north and "Buddha meditating under the bodhi tree" in the west. On the outer walls of the temple there are bas-reliefs in the form of three beautiful groups with large images of Lokeshvara, a compassionate bodhisattva.

Four identical chapels are located inside the steps of the central pond. They served to cleanse the pilgrims who, as can be judged from the bas-reliefs on the pediments, came here in the hope of being cured of diseases or getting rid of misfortunes. The bas-reliefs on the walls of the chapels depict scenes where the deity, the savior of Avalokiteshvara, stands in the center: on one side of him, a weak patient crawls with difficulty on the ground, and on the other, the same person straightens up and regains the ability to walk. A number of lingas can be found in the south (symbols of Shiva), no doubt part of the "thousand lingas" described in the Preah-Kan inscriptions.

In the east, the sculptural group, unfortunately badly damaged, is a horse carrying small men hanging on it. This image is associated with a legend taken from a Sanskrit text: the merchant Simhala, along with his comrades, went in search of precious stones. A terrible storm sank his ship off the coast of Tamradwip (island of Ceylon), and the merchants fell prey to the terrible cannibals who threatened to eat them. And then the bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara turned into a horse, found himself on the island, and then took off and carried the merchants to the Buddha, saving them from death.

Eastern Mebon

Huge East Barn (reservoir) that surrounds Eastern Mebon (Eastern Mebon), now dried up. The reservoir was built by King Yasovarman I almost half a century earlier than the temple for the regular supply of water to the new city of Yasodharapura and was 7.5 km long and 1830 meters wide. In every corner of the baraya there were steles engraved with verses in Sanskrit, they proclaim the protection of the Ganges, the goddess of the sacred river Ganges in India. The barrai was filled with water from the nearby Roluos River. An interesting rather non-standard method of construction - the reservoir was not dug into the ground, instead the walls were poured - this is how a huge "pool" turned out.

King Rajendravarman decided to build a temple on the island. Eastern Mebon is not actually a "temple mountain", despite its similarities. The visibility of the height is due to the fact that the water has left the reservoir that previously surrounded it, exposing a powerful five-meter base. The temple ends with a rather modest platform with five towers. In pairs, around the surroundings, there are eight small brick towers with interesting lintels with leaf ornaments and octagonal stone columns. Built by the king's architect Kavindrarimathan (only Khmers left us the names of their architects), the main deity of the temple - Rajendreshvara was consecrated on Friday, January 28, 953 at about 11 o'clock in the morning, as evidenced by the corresponding inscription. Since the temple was on an island, there was no need for fences, ditches and dams, instead of them, four marinas were built on the foundations on the cardinal points. The outer enclosure, 108x104 meters, is walled with a cutout in the middle of each side to provide sufficient space between the marinas and the four gopuras. A railing surrounds a series of long galleries. The next level of the internal enclosure is a 2.4 meter laterite terrace. Its low walls also have cutouts, making room for the north, east and south gopur. In the open space between inner wall the surroundings and the central platform are in pairs, on the cardinal points, eight small brick towers and five laterite buildings - three facing west and two east. The central platform, 3 meters high, is clad with sandstone and bears the east-facing brick towers of the sanctuaries. The central tower, as usual, is larger than the others, and stands on a two-meter platform.

Behind the eastern gopura of laterite and stone, on both sides, are the remains of a series of long galleries, best preserved on the south side. All galleries were built of laterite with windows protected by balustrades and tiled roofs. On the next terrace at the corners are two elephants, looking outward - they are made of monolithic stone. Eight almost identical elephants stand right behind the walls, at the corners of both fences. To get to them, you need to climb the stairs leading to the gopura of the inner environment, turn left along the cornice to the door and follow the elephant in the southeast corner.

The buildings on the east side have all the hallmarks of "libraries" - this is evidenced by their position in the corners, orientation to the west and size. It looks like they originally had brick vaults. The western doorframes of the building in the northeastern corner are decorated with two elephants sprinkling water from their trunks on Lakshmi. The lintel of the eastern door of the western gopura depicts Narasimha, the avatar of Vishnu in the form of a lion tearing apart the king of the asuras. Of particular interest in the towers are the lintels and false doors to the north, west and south. On the central tower, the eastern lintel depicts Indra on the three-headed elephant Airavata, and on the western one Varuna, the guardian of the West, along with figures holding lotuses. The southern lintel depicts the god of death, Pit on a buffalo. On the southeast tower, in which the statue of Brahma stands, on the northern lintel, a monster devours an elephant. Ganesha is depicted on the eastern edge of the northwest tower. Not far from Eastern Mebon is a similar temple of Pre-Rup. The structure itself is not so interesting, but wonderful views open from its top, this is a great place to watch the sunset.

Rulos group of temples

The Rulos complex is located southeast of the main Angkor complex. Several centuries before Angkor, King Jayavarman II (802-850) founded on this place the first capital of the Khmer empire, Hariharalaya.

Construction of Indratataka ("Reservoir of Indra") in Hariharalaya, around the Lolei temple, where the waters of the Rulos river flowed, it made it possible to constantly provide water rice fields and various temple complexes adjacent to settlements, where, according to rough estimates, at least 15,000 people lived. The waters of Indratataka were directed to canals around the temples of Preah-Ko, Bakong, Preah-Monti, near the last temple, the palace of Jayavarman II's successor, Indravarman I was probably built. Rulos monuments are one of the earliest large permanent temples built by the Khmer the beginning of the era of classical Khmer art. Before the construction of Rulos, even for the construction of religious buildings, only light ones were used. (and short-lived) Construction Materials.

Build the Hindu Islamic Temple of Bakong (Bakong) King Jayavarman III began, but he did not manage to finish it during his lifetime. The temple was completed and consecrated by his successor Indravarman I in 881. The five tiers of the temple pyramid and other elements symbolize the sacred Mount Meru, and the temple itself was dedicated to the god Shiva. The stele installed at the base of the temple describes the consecration in 881 of his linga, Sri Indreshrava. Although the Ak-Em temple on the south bank of West Baray was built earlier, Bakong is considered the first true "mountain temple" - in part because it is the first such structure of sandstone, and also because it is larger and more complex in structural relation. Bakong is the largest and most interesting temple in the Rulos group. Its dimensions are quite significant: 900x700 meters, inside there are two ditches and three concentric fences. The outer moat, on average 3 meters deep, is the border of the outer, third fence without a gopura, but with the remains of two sidewalks leading one to the east and the other to the north. Between the outer and inner moats there are 22 evenly spaced brick towers, not all of them finished. The second fence, from which only laterite ruins have survived to this day, formed the border of the site about 25 meters wide - the servants lived here. Currently, there is a Buddhist monastery in the northeastern corner of this site. The entire complex is surrounded by a 59 meter wide moat forming a 315x345 meter rectangle. From east to west, the moat is crossed by two dams - the continuation of two of the four axial roads of Hariharalaya. Roads run between rows of giant stone naga, the precursors of the magnificent balustrades of the classical era.

At the corners of the inner fence remained eight small square brick buildings, one in the northwest and southwest corners with entrances to the east and two each in the northeast and southeast corners with the entrance to the west. The vents in them have led some researchers to believe that cremations were carried out in these prasatas. The other two are later, long "libraries" made of stone, oriented from east to west. Immediately after the eastern entrance, there are the remains of two other long "libraries" of laterite, oriented from north to south, and traces of another, oriented from east to west in the southeast corner.

The pyramid itself, almost square in plan, has a clear profile. Each of the five tiers represents the kingdoms of mythical creatures, from bottom to top: nagas, garuds, rakshasas (demons), yaksha (tree deities) and finally devat (demigods)... The pyramid is 67x65 meters at the bottom and 20x18 meters at the top, decreasing at each step. Four gopuras lead to four staircases, at each landing the next march is preceded by an elegant semicircular threshold, lions on either side. To correct visual perception, the height and width of the stairs imperceptibly decrease as they rise - the masters applied the law of proportional reduction, which until then was used only when erecting prasat roofs. Each terrace of the pyramid is slightly recessed to the west, again for perspective correction.

The elephant statues at the corners of the first three steps of the pyramid are reminiscent of the legendary animals that support the earth. They are designed to convey their strength and stability to the building. In addition, the elephant was the mount of the god Indra, as well as of the earthly rulers. The fourth terrace houses 12 sandstone towers, each likely containing a linga. Remains of bas-reliefs are still visible on the wall of the fifth and last terrace.

The pyramid is crowned by a tower of a much later period. (XII century), similar in style to the Angkor Wat towers, with three false doors and one real one. The goddesses, carved into niches on both sides of the doors, are badly damaged, since this tower was almost completely destroyed and restored only in 1941, but in some places it is still well preserved. The entrance to the sanctuary is guarded by lions in the traditional Khmer style. The tower is crowned with a dome in the shape of a lotus.

Bakong exactly corresponds to the Hindu cosmic symbolism: the temple depicts Mount Meru, the first moat is the cosmic sea from which this mountain arose, and dry land is the land inhabited by people, which, in turn, is surrounded by mountain ranges (city walls) and another sea (second moat).

This elegant little brick temple with six towers, adorned with stucco moldings of lime mortar, was the first sanctuary built by Indravarman I in the 9th century capital of Angkor, Hariharalaya. Its surrounding moat is so large in relation to the temple that there is a version according to which it was part of the royal palace, traces of which have not yet been found.

(Preah Ko)- the modern name of the temple, meaning "sacred bull", in honor of Nandin, Shiva's flying mount. The temple got this name because of the three statues of a large bull installed on its territory and indicating that the temple is dedicated to Shiva.

On a perfectly preserved stele at the base of the temple, after the traditional praise of Shiva, a short genealogy of Indravarman I is given, followed by a eulogy " right hand prince "in Sanskrit, which says as" long, strong and terrible in battle, his sparkling sword falls on his enemies, defeating kings in all directions. Invincible, he calmed down only when his two enemies showed their backs and, valuing their lives, left themselves to his protection. " The inscription is accompanied by a reference to the cult of Devaraja, or "king-god" on the Mahendra mountain (Phnom Kulen) and ends with a mention of the installation in 879 of three statues of Shiva and Devi. The other side, written in Khmer, dates from the later year 893 and describes offerings to the deities Parameshvara and Prithivindreshvara. The temple begins in the west with a laterite sidewalk that divides the surrounding moat. Once upon a time, two parallel galleries passed on both sides, but only the foundation has survived to this day. A small terrace leads to the gopura of the second encirclement.

The sandstone plinth forms a common platform for the six towers. On the east side, it is cut by three staircases, the side walls of which are richly decorated with guards. (dvarapalami) and dancers (apsaramis) and are guarded by seated lions. Nandin lies in front of each staircase. There is one central staircase on the west side. The brick towers of the sanctuaries are arranged in two rows and vary in size. In the east, first row, the middle tower is higher than the others and is shifted slightly backward. As usual, all six towers of the sanctuary are open to the east. Each tower has four tiers. The towers are covered with lime plaster with sculptural bas-reliefs - it's amazing how, after 11 centuries of existence, they have survived to this day. Note the sandstone false doors with superb octagonal columns on the east side - they are undoubtedly some of the finest examples of Khmer art.

Three prasatas (towers) in the background they are similar to the towers of the first row, but somewhat lower and are intended for female deities. They are entirely made of bricks, with the exception of the sandstone door frames. Statues of young armed Dvarapals are placed in niches in the recesses of the prasat walls of male ancestors. (guards) and statues of devatas (semi-deities) guarding the prasatas of female ancestors.

The sanctuary was intended for male deities. Corner piers are richly decorated, guards stand in blind arches (dvarapala)... Here, unlike those in Bakong, they are unique in style - made of sandstone and inserted into brickwork. The northern prasata contains the linga of Rudreshvara, the emblem of Rudravarman, the maternal grandfather of Indravarman I, and the southern prasat contains the linga Prithivindreshvara, the emblem of the father of Indravarman I. Their wives Narendradevi, Dharanindradevi and Prithvindradevi were worshiped in their deified form. (devi means "goddess")... As in Bakong, only a few sculptures have survived in Preah Co. Of these, only Shiva in the southeast corner tower and the headless goddess in the rear central tower were left in the temple. Both of these statues date from the period of the temple's creation.

Lolei

Another small temple in the Rulos group, Lolei (Lolei), was built by the successor of Indravarman I, Yasovarman I (889-910) on a small island in the Indratataka reservoir - today there are rice fields in this place. All that remains of the temple are the four towers that follow the design of the Preah Co towers. On the doorways, Sanskrit inscriptions state that the king dedicated the temple to his parents and royal maternal ancestors.

(Banteay Srei)- the modern name of the temple, it means "Citadel of Women", or possibly "Citadel of Beauty", the latter reflecting the size and beauty of its decoration. The original name of the temple, inscribed on its central linga, is Tribhuvanamahesvara, which means "Great God of the Triple World." The monument was built of red sandstone and is unusual in that there is no monumentality, typical for other temples. Its buildings are miniature by local standards and are very beautifully decorated with intricate patterns and carvings. For the first time in the history of Khmer architecture, no individual elements but whole mythological scenes. Banteay Srei is deservedly called “the pearl of Khmer art”.

The buildings of the temple are divided along a central axis oriented from east to west. The buildings to the south of the axis were dedicated to Shiva, and to the north of the axis to Vishnu. Later, in the XII century, Banteay Srei was "rededicated" to Shiva, as evidenced by the found tablet made by one of the priests.

Unlike the main temples in Angkor, Banteay Srei was not royal. It was built by one of the advisers of King Rajendravarman II - Yajnavaraha on the land given to him by the king on the banks of the Siem Reap River. As has always happened, a settlement of ordinary people surrounded this temple, and thus a small city called Iswarapura was formed. Discovered by the French only in 1914, Banteay Srei gained fame when, in 1923, the writer André Malraux, who later became Minister of Culture under de Gaulle's government, stole four apsaras from it. He was immediately caught and the stolen parts were returned to the temple. It was this temple that was first rebuilt in 1931-1936 using the anastilosis method. The method, developed by Dutch restorers in Java, involves restoring destroyed objects using only original materials. Thanks to the success of this method at Banteay Srei, the French archaeological service in charge of the restoration of Angkor began to use it universally in the restoration of other treasures of the ancient city. On the one hand, the task at Banteay Srei was facilitated by the small size of the buildings, small blocks of stone carved from durable sandstone that retained its clear carvings with an abundance of decoration. On the other hand, the restoration process was complicated by the remoteness of the temple, minimal funds and the inexperience of the workers who learned on the job.

To eliminate the threat of damage to the temple due to flooding, a drainage system was made according to the joint Cambodian-Swiss project in 2000-2003. Measures were also taken to prevent trees from damaging the walls of the temple. Unfortunately, the temple was constantly and is still subject to theft and vandalism. By the end of the 20th century, the authorities replaced the original statues with exact copies, but this did not stop the thieves - they steal copies of steel. The statue of Shiva, placed in the National Museum in Phnom Penh for safekeeping, was attempted to be stolen directly from the museum itself.

After the opening of the stele of the foundation of the temple in 1936 in the eastern gopur, it became clear that Banteay Srei was designed entirely at once, this is also confirmed by the homogeneity of the style. Engraved in 968, in the first year of the reign of Jayavarman V, the inscription gives the date of the beginning of construction of the temple: April-May 967, together with the position of the Sun, Moon and planets. This was the last year of the reign of Rajendravarman II. After the traditional prayer to Shiva, the text of the stele contains a eulogy to the ruler Jayavarman V and his guru Yajnavarah, who founded Banteay Srei together with his younger brother, having installed Shiva's linga in the central sanctuary. Other inscriptions engraved on the doorposts of the doorways mention the placement of another linga in the southern sanctuary and a statue of Vishnu in the northern one. The temple is greeted from the east by a cruciform laterite gopura with sandstone columns and beautiful decorations.

The pediment on this gopur depicts Indra on a three-headed elephant and, in addition to the beautiful pink hue of the stone, gives the temple a rich decoration. Banteay Srei is surrounded by three walls measuring respectively 95x110 meters, 38x42 meters and 24x24 meters. From the gate to the third fence, there is a wide sidewalk, decorated with posts on both sides - in the old days, they were destroyed every year by wild elephants. On the left side of the sidewalk on the pediment of the "library" is a plot known as "Umamaheswara", in which Shiva holds a trident and with his wife Uma rides the bull Nandina. On the right side there is a "library" with an excellent pediment, where Vishnu, appearing in the form of the lion Narasimha, tore apart the asura king Hiranyahashipa at the moment when he was about to kill his son, a great devotee of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

On the pediment of the eastern tower of the second fence, under a garuda holding a branch with leaves, two elephants pour water from pots on Lakshmi, the goddess of beauty and fertility, the wife of the god Vishnu. Inside the third, very last, central fence, on the "library" to the right of the entrance, the famous bas-relief of the pediment depicts an equally famous story from the Ramayana, how Ravana, depicted as a multi-armed and multi-headed Rakshasa, tries to shake Mount Kailash, where Shiva lives. The mountain itself is depicted as a multi-tiered pyramid against a stylized forest background. At the top sits Shiva with his wife Uma, who sat down next to him in a delightful pose. Shiva presses down on the mountain with his right foot to stop shaking. The second row depicts clearly anxious priests and worshipers pointing a finger at Ravana. On the right is a praying female figure. In the third row, worshipers with the heads of elephants, lions, birds and horses. Monkeys wear exquisite headdresses on both sides. The lower tier is occupied by animals that flee in terror from Ravana.

On the pediment of the "library" on the left is another famous bas-relief, this time a plot from another epic, Mahabharata. Krishna and Arjuna, who were resting on the banks of the Yamuna River near the Khandava forest, were approached by a brahmana who turned to the god Agni (God of fire)... Further, the options differ: either Agni said that he wants to burn the Khandava forest in order to eat its vegetation and animals, or he wants to destroy the snake Takshaka, or Krishna and Arjuna wanted this forest to be burned to found the city of Indraprastha. One way or another, Indra on the three-headed elephant Airavata prevents the fire by releasing torrents of rain to protect his friend, the snake Takshaka, who lives in the forest. Krishna and Arjuna, in turn, oppose Indra, blocking the downpour with a hail of magical arrows, and blocking the exit from the forest for its inhabitants on both sides.

On the western side of the same "library" - Krishna kills King Kamsa. This scene is taken from the holy book of Srimad Bhaga-vatam and takes place in the palace - his image gives us an idea of ​​what beautiful wooden palaces were in Angkor. Two big figures presented in perspective, which is rarely found in the bas-reliefs of Angkor. Krsna is holding Kamsa by the hair and is about to kill him. At the corners in chariots drawn by horses, apparently, Krishna and Arjuna, armed with bow and arrows, arrived at the palace. The rest of the rooms show worried women watching what is happening.

The western pediment depicts a scene from the Ramayana: the battle between Valin and Sugriva. Valin, son of Indra, took away from Sugriva, son of Surya (sun god), the kingdom of the monkeys. Rama promised to help Sugriva regain the kingdom in exchange for the help of the army of monkeys led by Hanuman against the army of Ravana in order to free his wife - Sita. During the fight, Sugriva won, but Valin resorted to cunning - he pretended to be dead and was ready to deal a fatal blow to Sugriva, and then Rama (on the right with a bow) pierced him with his arrow. Behind Rama is his brother Lakshman. The magnificently expressive bas-relief of the dying Sugriva in the arms of his wife Rati is depicted in Angkor Wat. Inside, closer to the southern wall, in a doorway with three geese, stands the most beautiful apsara, one might say, a symbol of the beauty of Banteay Srei and partly of the whole of Angkor.

Beng Melea

Beng Melea (Beng Melea) interesting first of all because it was not cleared, like almost all the temples of Angkor, but left in the state in which it was found. The jungle has completely taken over the temple. Here you can climb roofs, ride vines and feel like a jungle dweller (which one, choose yourself)... Beng Melea was built during the reign of King Suryavarman II (1113-1150) ... Created in the same style, but slightly earlier than Angkor Wat, Beng Melea may have served as its prototype. Despite the fact that there are many carved vaults and doorways, there are no bas-reliefs in the complex, and the carvings themselves are quite rare. When the temple was active, the walls may have been covered with frescoes. In those days, Beng Melea stood at the crossroads of several important roads to Angkor, Ko Ker and North Vietnam. The temple covers an area of ​​one square kilometer, it is all covered with jungle and there are very few visits - this creates the feeling of a “lost world”. The trees here grow straight out of ruined towers and galleries, and are perhaps the most impressive types of "temple trees." Around the Beng-Melea temple, a large moat was dug, overgrown with lotuses, like burdocks ...

Ko-Ker

Temple complex Ko-Ker (Koh Ker)- the most remote temple from Angkor in this region. From Siem Reap, it is located at a distance of about 100 km on the same road as Beng Melea. The temple represents the remains of one of the capitals of the Khmer Empire of the Angkorian period. In 928, King Jayavarman IV, who usurped the throne, founded a new capital, Ko-Ker, 100 km from Angkor. The king was rich and powerful, he erected the impressive royal city of Ko-Ker, brahminical monuments, temples and towers, built a huge bar (reservoir-reservoir) Rahal. Jayavarman IV ruled Ko-Ker until his death in 941. His son Harshavarman II remained here for three more years before returning the capital to Angkor. The Ko-Ker complex has not been restored. There are no crowds of tourists here, and therefore one can try to imagine what such structures were like before clearing them from the jungle that swallows them.

The main ruins of the complex are Prasat Thom, an impressive 7-tiered pyramid and temple complex, towers and small temples near the road, and numerous lingams. An interesting part of Ko-Ker is the Shiva shrine. There is a giant, human-sized, lingam - the largest in Cambodia. By the way, the lingam can be used as a compass: the open channel of the lingam always points to the north.

The main building of the complex is the large seven-tiered pyramid Prasat-Tom. There are many legends around it. The Khmers believe that the shaft in the center of the pyramid is the link between the earth and the underworld. Guilty subjects were thrown into it by order of the king. It is said that a Khmer peasant who fell into the mine in 1996 somehow got out of it with a ten kilogram gold bar. After this incident, the peasant was mentally damaged and could not explain where he got the gold from, or how he got out. Later, in 2004, two archaeologists again tried to penetrate this mine, and, according to legend, one of them was taken out a few hours later dead with completely gray hair, and the other disappeared altogether. Also, according to the testimony of local residents, marked coconuts thrown into this well emerge the next day in the Andompray river basin, 3 km away. And no one can hear the sound of such a nut falling - no matter how much you listen. The entrance to the pyramid is prohibited, the dilapidated staircase leading to it is closed. However, if you really want to tempt fate, give the guard $ 5, and he will look the other way. However, you will not be able to go down into the mine without special equipment.

Be extremely careful while walking around the Ko-Ker sanctuary, exploring the ruins and untrodden paths. A proven path leads past all the main objects, it is better not to go deep into the thickets - although no one has been blown up by a mine for a very long time, it is believed that the complex has not been completely cleared of mines after the Pol Pot terror. The entrance ticket to Ko Ker costs $ 10.

Vicinity of Angkor

Phnom Kulen

Phnom Kulen (Pnom Kulen)- a small mountain range 50 km north of Siem Reap and 25 km from Banteay Srei. Its highest point - 487 m Kulen and back will cost $ 30-40.

During the construction period of Angkor, stones were mined here in quarries for the construction of temples and floated on rafts along the river. Phnom Kulen is considered a holy mountain in Cambodia, the top of the mountain is a sacred site for both Hindus and Buddhists who come here as pilgrims. It is also significant for Cambodians as the birthplace of the ancient Khmer empire, it was on Phnom Kulen that King Jayavarman II declared independence in 804. There is some disagreement over who the independence was proclaimed from. Most believe that Cambodia was a vassal of Java, according to other scholars - Cambodia at that time was under the rule of Laos. Jayavarman II did not confine himself to the proclamation of freedom, at the same time introducing a new cult of the "king-god", also called the linga cult, which existed for many centuries after his death.

An interesting attraction of Phnom Kulen is the stream of a thousand Lingams, here more than a thousand small religious images are carved in stone. The uniqueness lies in the fact that the images are under water, 5 cm below the surface. This is not an accident, but the original idea of ​​the artist: by order of the king, the riverbed was diverted to the side so that the masters could carve the figures, and then returned to its original place. Among the especially interesting figures is Vishnu, reclining on his snake Ananta with his wife Lakshmi at his feet, a lotus flower with the supreme deity Brama grows from Vishnu's navel.

Phnom Kulen is a national natural park with beautiful waterfalls, the largest of which offers a break from the Cambodian heat and a swim. Phnom Kulen also played a role in modern history. It was here that the last battles between the Khmer Rouge and the Vietnamese took place in 1979. Near the mountain is Preah Ang Thom, a 16th century Buddhist monastery with the largest reclining Buddha statue in Cambodia.

Siem Reap is one of the largest cities in Cambodia. This is a calm, cozy city, spread out on the shady banks of the river of the same name. Most tourists come to Siem Reap to visit Angkor, which is only 5 km from here. But if earlier Siem Reap was a quiet sleeping area for travelers, today the city has grown and offers tourists a choice of numerous hotels and restaurants with cuisines from all over the world. The name Siem Reap means "Siam the vanquished." The city is named in honor of the defeat of the Siamese by the Khmers (thai) the capital of Ayutthaya in the 17th century.

There are few attractions in Siem Reap. It will be interesting to coincide with the trip to Angkor with a visit to the Angkor National Museum (Angkor National Museum), which contains a remarkable collection of artifacts from the ancient city, including about a thousand images of Buddha made of wood, stone and precious stones.

The French Quarter is a pleasant stroll along the river in the southern part of the city. To the south of it is the Old Market (Psar Chaa)... In addition to looking at the traders' stalls, here you can buy interesting souvenirs, for example, pencil "prints" of temples on rice paper, they are inexpensive, and look very beautiful on the wall. Behind the market, by the river, many vendors sell silk scarves and sarongs, wood carvings, silver, and more.

An evening in Siem Reap can be spent on the bustling Pub Street (Pub Street) with a mass of restaurants, cafes and bars. Lovers of peace and romance can walk along the river bank to the south, to the southern outskirts of the city. Obsessive taxi drivers often offer tourists trips to the art school and silk factory. The main purpose of such an excursion is to persuade travelers to buy a painting or something made of silk, and at a price much higher than that for which you can buy a similar thing on the market.

Routes

When planning a route, almost all tourists ask themselves the main question: which temples to visit? There are a huge number of temples in Angkor and the surrounding area, and it is impossible to see all of them - and indeed it is not necessary. You should not try to fit as many temples as possible into the trip - by the end of the day, the sensations will dull, the temples will begin to merge into one and the impressions will be blurred. Better to focus on the minimum program: Bayonne , Angkor Wat, Ta Prom, Ta Keo inside Angkor, Banteay Srei and Phnom Bakeng, as well as Beng Melea and Ko Ker outside it.

Classic routes

Traditional routes in Angkor are "small circle" and "big circle". As practice shows, they are convenient from a geographic point of view, but not quite optimal for getting the greatest experience. It is better not to stick to the classic routes, but to make your own travel plan for the most interesting temples.

To visit the distant temples of Ko-Ker and Beng-Melea, you can save the day. If you arrive in Ko-Ker in the early morning, you will be walking almost alone. Then you can go in the direction of Angkor and stop at Beng-Melea on the way. Please note that Khmer taxi drivers really do not like to work at night, even if you find a driver who agrees to this, the cost of the trip at night will be at least 50% more expensive. It is also possible to spend the night in a guesthouse (tourist hotel) near Ko-Ker.

Small circle

This 17-kilometer route starts from the western wall of Angkor Wat and leads north past the Ta-Prom-Kel temples (Ta Prohm Kel)(Phnom Bakheng) (beautiful view at sunset) and Baksey-Chamkrong (Baksei Chamkrong) to the southern entrance to Angkor Thom (Angkor Thom)... On the central square of Angkor Thom behind the Bayon Temple (Bayon) the path turns east towards the Victory Gate (Victory Gate) and between the surprisingly similar twin temples of Chau-Sei-Tevoda (Chau Say Tevoda) and Tommanon (Thommanon) follows to the Ta-Keo temple (Ta Keo)... At this temple, the path turns to the southeast and bypasses the dried up reservoir East Barai (East Baray) leads to the Ta-Prom temple (Ta Prohm)... Then you need to walk between the huge Buddhist temple Banteay Kdei (Banteay Kdei) surrounded by four concentric walls and the dried-up Sras-Srang basin (Sras Srang), turn southwest and past the Prasat Kravan Hindu Temple (Prasat Kravan, easily recognizable by its five brick towers)

A detailed historical excursion that will tell you about Angkor Wat - the legendary temple complex in Cambodia. Get ready, it will be interesting!

The religious building of Angkor Wat is the world's largest Hindu temple. It is considered one of the most magnificent "pearls" of Angkor - the ancient capital of the powerful Khmer empire. While on vacation in Cambodia, an independent traveler should definitely visit this mysterious and beautiful place.

Angkor Wat: history

More than ten centuries ago, the Khmer Empire (Cambujadesh) existed on the territory of Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, Thailand. Its founder was King Jayavarman II (802-850), who united these lands through bloody wars.

The empire reaches its peak a little later, during the reign of Suryavarman II (1113-1150). The king worshiped the Hindu god Vishnu, and Angkor Wat was erected in honor. The construction of the religious building took over 30 years. Not only local craftsmen worked on its creation. By order of the ruler, craftsmen were sought throughout Asia.

Sandstone was used as the main material, which was brought from a quarry located 40 km away. from the construction site. The stones were polished and stacked on top of each other. No mortar was applied during installation.

In those early days, rulers were considered messengers of the gods. After the death of Suryavarman II, the temple became his tomb. Since then, the history of Angkor and its main religious monument have been inextricably linked.

The construction of the temple complex undermined the country's economy. In addition, the capital was overpopulated, at that time more than 1 million people lived in it. Water was sorely lacking, and fertile land were emaciated. During the reign of Jayavarman VII (1181-1218), several uprisings took place, as a result of which Angkor was partially destroyed.

Later, the capital was repeatedly invaded by Siamese troops. After the last invasion in 1431, Angkor finally fell into decay. People left the city forever. Only monks remained in the temples. The capital of the empire was moved to Phnom Penh. The territory of Angkor was swallowed up by tropical forests, and the structures became home to thousands of animals. But the city did not disappear forever.

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In the early 17th century, Portuguese and Spanish travelers stumbled upon mysterious stone structures in the jungle. But for some reason, the Europeans did not attach importance to the unusual find and soon forgot about it. Ancient Angkor owes its second birth (late 19th century) to the French traveler Henri Muo. He described the ancient city in detail and with admiration in his manuscripts. Crowds of researchers, scholars, historians, pilgrims and traders rushed to Angkor.

Photo 45 years after opening: 1906

Unfortunately, not a trace remains of the former splendor of the capital. The sandstone from which the buildings were built collapsed over time under the influence of wind, sun and water. Most of the wooden buildings were burned down by vandals during the war. Roots and branches of trees have sprouted through the walls of buildings in many places.

Thanks to the efforts of thousands of people, by the middle of the 20th century, many buildings in the city, including Angkor Wat, were restored. After the end of the civil war, the restoration of the temple complex was carried out mainly by Indian specialists. Since 1992, the unique creation of Khmer masters has been under the protection of UNESCO.

Photo 45 years after opening: 1906

The device and architecture of Angkor Wat

The temple is located in the very center of the ancient city. Angkor Wat has a length of 1.3 km from north to south and 1.5 km from west to east. A rectangular religious building. Consists of three levels (tiers) that increase in height towards the center. In appearance, it is somewhat reminiscent of a pyramid. The levels represent three elements: air, earth and water. The territory of the complex is surrounded by lush greenery and reliably protected from all sides by a moat with water. The width of the moat is more than 100 m. A stone bridge has been laid across it, connecting the rectangular "island" with the land. Further, the road leads to the main entrance. The central gate and the front of the building are oriented to the west. There is also a road to the east side of Angkor Wat, but it is less visible and can be found with a guide.

The entire territory of the temple has to be bypassed on foot, transport is prohibited here.

Angkor Wat is located in such a way that when you look at it from any side, only three out of five towers are always visible. This proves the skill of the architects of the time. The towers and tiers are interconnected by staircases, crossing galleries and covered walkways. The resulting interior space is divided into numerous square-shaped courtyards.

The walls of galleries and corridors, columns and stairs are covered with bas-reliefs, carvings and paintings. The ceilings are decorated with lotus images and intricate designs. On the territory of the complex, there are many statues of outlandish animals, mythical heroes and real historical characters.

The first tier is the largest and consists of several galleries and passages. The walls are decorated with numerous images. There are 8 panels, the total length of which is more than 800 m. The main "plots" are the battles of the gods, the reign of the great Suryavarman II and numerous battles for the power of the empire. Several panels are dedicated to scenes from the epics "Mahabharata" and "Ramayana". Outer wall made in the form of a double row of columns.

There are corner pavilions at the end of each gallery. Two pavilions are connected to the main galleries. Two more end in shallow niches in the wall. Once upon a time, these recesses were also decorated with bas-reliefs, but over time they have worn off and are barely noticeable.

The gate towers of the main entrance are connected to the towers of the second tier by means of passages. There are four patio which fill up with water during the rainy season and serve as swimming pools. The inner walls of the galleries are made in the form of columns, through which the courtyards-pools are visible. On the opposite walls, between the windows with figuratively carved pillars, figures of thousands of heavenly dancers (apsaras) are carved. There are many statues in the long corridors.

At the intersection of the galleries (from north to south) there are corner columns with inscriptions in an unknown language. On both sides, on the second tier, there are libraries, each of which has four entrances.

I saw an excellent aerial panorama of the world famous Cambodian temple, was impressed, and decided to tell you in more detail. But first, be sure to fly over this ancient structure anyway. Soak up the spirit of an ancient civilization. The huge temple with pointed towers is a miracle of symmetry. Symbolizes a sacred mountain from Indian mythology. There are moats around the temple, which symbolize the oceans washing the foothills of the divine mountain. Angkor Wat is the largest temple complex in the world. It is interesting for its galleries, towers, pavilions and gates, richly decorated with stone carvings, but all of them are inferior in grandeur to the central temple.

In 1150, the gigantic Angkor Wat complex was erected in Cambodia. Most likely, the construction took about 30 years, so we can assume that Angkor Wat began to be built around 1110. The ruins of Angkor lie about 240 km north-west of the capital of Cambodia (former Kampuchea) - the city of Phnom Penh, near the large Tonle Sap Lake. Although, in theory, the temples of Angkor Wat are the most place in India, as they are a typical example of Hindu architecture.
Clickable 3000 px Angkor Wat is dedicated to the Hindu god Vishnu and serves both as a sanctuary and tomb of Suryavarman himself. Angkor Wat for the Khmer people who ruled from the 9th to the 15th century in Cambodia is something like a heavenly palace in which the spirit of kings can dwell. In front of the temple there is a moat 200 meters wide. During the rainy season, which in Cambodia can last up to 4 months, the moat fills with water. In addition, several more lakes have been dug within the city. Inside, you can only get through the main portal in the wall that surrounds Angkor Wat on an area of ​​260 square kilometers.
The temple itself is built from several platforms following one after the other. The first platform (180 by 180 meters) is 3.5 meters high, the second platform (110 by 115 meters) rises by 7 meters, and the third (75 by 75 meters) is 13 meters above the ground. All three terraces are surrounded by galleries with gable roofs... The towers are interconnected by absolutely symmetrical galleries. All buildings are symmetrically located. This is strange, because in ancient times the Khmers were not familiar with the laws of equilibrium. All buildings in Angkor Wat are distinguished by the rigor of lines and clarity. Lush jewelry doesn't match this in any way. Each stone of the temple is covered with carvings or bas-reliefs. That there is only the gallery of the first platform 600 meters long. There are 8 panels with a total area of ​​over 1000 square meters. Most often, scenes from the life of the gods are depicted. There are many erotic motives. The most popular figure found here is the dancing goddess Apsara. In the center of the complex on the Bayon temple is depicted the face of Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara, one of the main characters in Buddhist mythology. In addition to the images of the gods, there are historical pictures in the temples. For example, those that depict local rulers, warriors, going to battle.
There are 5 main shrines in the temple. The first is located in a 60-meter tower, which can only be accessed through a gate, staircase and open courtyards. There are four more around this tower, where the remaining shrines are kept. There are more than 200 small temples in Angkor Wat.
Tourists usually start their journey around Angkor Wat from the western entrance. Climbing up the short flight of stairs The first cross-shaped terrace guarded by giant stone lions leads to a long sidewalk that leads to the center of your journey. The gaze falls on the gopura (gopura - entrance, entrance in Hindu terminology) with three towers, the upper part of which is dilapidated. The shape of this gopur is so developed and elongated that it almost looks like a separate building. A long closed gallery, through which one has to pass, stretches along the moat on both sides. This is the main facade of Angkor Wat. In the middle, a passage is narrow enough for the main entrance, and along the edges of the gallery you can go through huge arches located at ground level. The arches used to serve as passageways for elephants, horses and carts.
From the central entrance, the guides lead tourists to the right and walk them to the end of the gallery, paying attention to the windows with chiseled columns and skillfully carved bas-reliefs on the walls. All five towers of Angkor can be seen at the end of the gallery.
In the courtyard, on the left and right, there are two small buildings - these are libraries. They, like all the buildings of Angkor Wat, have the shape of a cross. Behind the libraries there are two swimming pools (65x50 meters). The left one is always filled with rainwater, and the right one is usually dry. Standing in front of the left pool, you can clearly see the 10 towers of Angkor (five of them are reflected in the water).
Between the first and second levels of the complex, there are cross-shaped transitional galleries with square columns dividing the courtyard into four parts. Some of the columns are decorated with inscriptions in Khmer and Sanskrit. All the rest free place given over to graceful rosettes, cornices and bas-reliefs. In fact, there is no place that the hand of the carver does not touch. Further up the stairs you can get to the second level gallery (100 × 115 meters). Its main feature is the image of more than 1,500 sculptures of beautiful goddesses.
The next third, and last, level was allowed to visit only the king and monks. Twelve staircases with 40 steps each - one in the center of each side and 2 in the corners - rise at an angle of 70 degrees to itself important level... The steps are very narrow, so you need to go up sideways and go down with your back, that is, facing the steps.
Angkor Wat might not have reached us. There were too many people willing to destroy it, even after Angkor Wat was opened. Today, traces of shooting are visible on the walls of the temple. According to the political beliefs of the Khmer Rouge, the country needed to be freed from religious dependence, so numerous figures of the gods were beheaded. Now, two decades later, restoration work has begun. Oddly enough, but this powerful complex was discovered relatively recently - about 100 years ago. Lost in the Cambodian jungle near Lake Tonle Sap, the French traveler Charles Emile Buyvo wandered for a long time among dense thickets, giant trees, frightened by predators and tortured by clouds of mosquitoes, but suddenly stumbled upon an ancient city. Before that, the existence of this complex was not even suspected. This is how Angkor Wat (“Pagoda of the Capital”), the pearl of the ancient Khmer craftsmanship, the world's largest religious building, erected in the middle of the 12th century, during the reign of King Suryavarman II, was “brought out of oblivion”.

The history of the Angkor period dates back to 800 BC, when the Khmer king Jayawaman II declared the independence of Kampuchea (Cambodia) from Java and founded the capital of the new state - the city of Hariharalaya, located in the north of Lake Tonle Sap. From that moment on, Jayawaman II was active in seizing the territories of neighboring states and by 802 BC Kampuchea owned the lands that now belong to China and Vietnam. In the same 802, he declared himself a full-fledged ruler and created a cult of worship of the god Shiva.

In 889, Yasovarman I ascended the throne and decided to start building a new capital - Yasodharmapura, which in Sanskrit means "holy city". Keeping tradition, he, like his predecessors, is building a huge reservoir. The construction of reservoirs was associated not only with the life and needs of the city, but also with the observance of the tradition, the roots of which go back to the myth of the sacred Mount Meru, surrounded by a great ocean. In religious construction, Mount Meru symbolized a temple surrounded by water, and the lingam *, located inside the temple, symbolized the ruler, who was the governor of God on earth. Yasovarman I built his temple on the Phnom Bokeng hill and surrounded it with a moat, which was filled with water from the reservoir he created. During his reign, Yasovarman I built many churches and carried out no less reforms.

Over the next 300 years, the great rulers of the Khmer Empire built many temple complexes, which, after many centuries, brought to us the story of the life of a great civilization. The last temple was built during the reign of Jayavaman VII. After his death, the centuries-old construction ceased.

It is known that already by 1000, during the period of its highest prosperity, the city occupied an area of ​​190 sq. km, which meant that it was the largest city in the medieval world. Angkor was the size of modern Manhattan. 600,000 people lived on the vast expanse of its streets, squares, terraces and temples, and at least a million more lived in the vicinity of the city. The inhabitants of Angkor were Khmers who professed Hinduism, brought to Southeast Asia in the 1st century A.D. NS. The earliest mentions of Angkor in Cambodian annals date back only to the 15th century. Unfortunately, there are no documents left from the most ancient people. They used very fragile material as material for recordings, which did not withstand time. But inscriptions carved in stone are of great historical importance, there are more than a thousand of them, most of them are made in Khmer and Sanskrit. It is not known how the complex was built - not a single source has survived, except for the legend, which speaks of the divine origin of the city. According to this legend, Prince Preah Ket Mealea was a guest in heaven with the god Indra. He lived there in a beautiful palace. However, the heavenly dancers did not like the prince, and they begged God to return him to earth. In order not to offend Preah Ket Mealea, Indra ordered the heavenly architect Preah Pushnuk to build on earth a palace-temple exactly repeating the one in which the prince was staying. Thus, according to legend, Angkor Wat was founded.
It is absolutely certain that Angkor Wat was a thriving city. A completely incomprehensible reason - why did it turn into an abandoned city, where did all its inhabitants go? After all, the fertile soil gave three harvests of rice a year, Lake Tonle Sap abounded with fish, and dense forests - with various game. There are now two main theories. According to the first, in 1171 the city was destroyed by the Cham - the neighbors of the Khmers. And in 1431, the Thais finally finished off the already weakened people. But then it is completely unclear why the invaders did not occupy the conquered lands ...
There is a second theory, which is denied by the scientific world, as it is absolutely fantastic. It is based on a Buddhist legend: the emperor was so insulted by the son of one of the priests that he ordered the boy to be drowned in the waters of Tonle Sap Lake. In response, the angry god brought the lake out of its shores and crushed Angkor along with all its inhabitants.
Angkor Wat is perhaps the largest religious building ever built by man. It is much larger than any Muslim mosque, European cathedral, any pagoda or pyramid. However, despite all the historical and cultural value, the complex is threatened by a serious problem. Unfortunately, they do not want to seriously engage in the reconstruction of Angkor Wat, as it requires very large expenses. But this historical monument of ancient culture is in a very deplorable state. The war waged here over the past two decades, as well as the plundering of temples by thieves, had very disastrous consequences for the monuments. But, in addition, the inexorably advancing jungle vegetation destroys the Angkorian complexes, its stone buildings are covered with mosses and lichens.

To date, the Angkor temple complex is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Interesting fact: all the temples of Angkor were built without the use of cement or any other binding materials. In the construction of temples, blocks of sandstone stone were most often used, which were interlocked according to the principle of a castle, and the fortress walls were laid out of tuff.

Angkor Wat is surrounded by a moat 190 m wide. In the old days, crocodiles were bred in it. On the western side, the moat is crossed by a stone dam, which is the entrance to the territory of the temple. The territory of Angkor Wat is surrounded by a wall 1025 m long by 800 m. A long and wide road leads from the gate to the temple, laid along an embankment that rises almost one and a half meters above the ground.

Angkor Wat has been much better preserved than many other structures of the Angkor complex, which is explained by the fact that after the last settlements left these places, Buddhist monks lived in Angkor Wat. They live here and now.

The complex was discovered on January 22, 1861 by the French traveler Henri Muot. In the 1970s, some of the buildings and sculptures in the complex were vandalized by Pol Pot's soldiers. In 1922, along with other structures of the city of Angkor, it was taken under the auspices of UNESCO.

Bike - good idea for walking through the temples. Of course, only if you intend to stay in Siem Reap for more than a day.

Most of the local population prefer this particular type of transport when they visit Angkor, which means you have the opportunity to be closer to the local population, which entails not only joy and pleasure, but more low prices for food and drinks on the territory of the temple complexes.

White Bicycles is a fairly large local bike rental company. They are supported by many hotels and guesthouses, since the bulk of their income goes to charities, in support of educational programs for children from low-income families.

Taxi is a fairly common way to travel to temples. It is convenient for those who want to "touch" the treasures of Angkor, but prefer such travel in an air-conditioned cabin of a car. The negative side such walks can probably be that you find yourself isolated from sounds, smells and many other delights.

The cost of one day of renting a taxi ranges from $ 25 to $ 35. Basically, the price depends on what time you plan to start a walk through the temple complexes. If you prefer to meet the sunrise on one of the wonderful terraces of Angkor Wat, then the cost of renting a taxi will be higher.

Renting mopeds by foreigners in Siem Reap is prohibited by law. However, some manage to bring a moped from Phnom Penh. If you have found a way to rent a moped, we strongly recommend leaving it in paid parking lots, because there is a huge possibility of theft or theft.

For those wishing to get a bird's eye view of Angkor Wat, Angkor Balloon can offer you a trip in a balloon basket. The route is fixed and there is no possibility to change the course, the flight height is about 200 meters above the ground. The cost of pleasure is $ 11 per person (up to 30 people fit into the basket). Unfortunately, this type of travel is not always available due to weather conditions.
Elephant trekking was at its peak in the early 20th century. It was on the elephants that the first routes were laid along the temples of Angkor. Now, of course, everything is more civilized and put in the rut of organized tourism. You can ride an elephant from Angkor Thom Gate to Bayon Temple. The cost of such a trip will cost you approximately $ 10. But in a place called Angkor Village, you can not only order an elephant ride, but even get a real lesson from professional drovers. They will teach you how to confidently sit on the elephant and you will learn some commands to control the elephant. The cost of such a course is approximately $ 50. Popular with traveling in groups. The cost of renting a minibus with a driver (for 12 people) is approximately $ 50 per day.
Perhaps the most popular transport for moving around the Angkor complex. Rickshaw cabins can be quite comfortable and an important bonus is that they can protect you from the rain. If you are lucky with the driver, he can be a good guide, and also, knowing the time flows of tourists on the main routes in the complexes, he can help you avoid crowds of photographing and shouting people. The cost of renting a motorcycle rickshaw ranges from $ 10 to $ 20 per day.
As we said earlier, walking is not the most convenient travel option and there are many reasons for that. Firstly, Angkor Thom is located 8 km from Siem Reap. Secondly, many picturesque temples are located at a distance of 15-10 km from Angkor Thom. It is also important to take into account the fact that after 11 o'clock in the morning the sun is at its zenith and long walks can be a very serious burden on the body. However, if the facts described above did not scare you away, you decided to walk on foot, then discover the road that runs outside the wall of Angkor Thom. This route will reveal not only little-known temples hidden in thickets of tropical trees, but also give you the opportunity to enjoy the singing of birds and the music of the jungle.













By the way, literally in August 2014