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Sambor
Prei Kuk is the setting of the most impressive group of pre-Angkorian
monuments anywhere in Cambodia. There are more than 100 small
temples, scattered through the forest. Originally called Isanapura,
Sambor Prei Kuk was the capital of the Kingdom of Chenla during
the reign of the early-7th century king Isanavarman. This
city continued to be an important centre of scholarship during
the Angkorian period.
THE
PREAH KO STYLE
The
Roluos group, which stands about 15 km southeast
of Siem Reap, is formed by a collection of monuments representing
the remains of Hariharalaya, the first major capital of the
Angkorian-era Khmer Empire. The Angkor period was inaugurating
in 802 with the establishment of the first capital on Phnom
Kulen by king Jayavarman II. Nearly 50 years after, he moved
the capital to Hariharalaya, probably for defensive reasons.
Four successive kings reigned at this site for over 70 years
before Yasovarman built Phnom Bakheng and moved the capital
to the Angkor area in 905. The site houses three main temples
: Prasat Bakong, the oldest temple mountain of the Angkor-era,
Prasat Preah Ko, with beautiful preserved carvings and Prasat
Lolei, 4 tours built in the middle of a now dry baray.
Phnom
Kulen (Lychee Mountain), 48 km northeast of Siem
Reap is a sandstone plateau considered sacred by the Khmers.
This place is widely regarded as the birth place of the ancient
Khmer Empire.
THE
BAKHENG STYLE
The
Bakheng style dates from the late 9th century to the beginning
of the 10th century. It is characterised by the evolution
of the temple-mountain based on Mount Meru from the Hindu
mythology. Phnom Krom, Phnom Bok and Phnom Bakheng were built
on the top of a hill and feature the classic layout of five
towers arranged in a quincunx – a tower at each side,
with a fifth at the center.
Phnom Bakheng is the first significant temple
built at Angkor after Yasovarman I moved the state capital
from Roluos to Yasodharapura.
Phnom Krom is formed by the three old towers
dedicated to Shiva, Vishnu and Brahma respectively.
Prasat Kravan was built under the reign of
Harshvarman I and consists of five brick towers in a row on
one platform and contains some remarkable brick bas-reliefs
on its interior walls depicting the Hindu god Vishnu and his
consort Lakshmi.
THE
KOH KER STYLE
Koh
Ker was the capital city of the Khmer Empire during
hardly two decades (928-944) during the reign of Jayavarman
IV who is sometimes considered as a usurping because of the
disruption in the royal succession at the time of its accession.
Two kings reigned in Koh Ker; Jayavarman IV, who probably
already lived there since 921, and his son Harshavarman II
who stayed on the throne only 3 years, from 941 to 944. Rajandravarman
II, Harshavarman’s II son, moved back the capital to
Yashodharapura (Angkor) after his accession. The main ruins
at Koh Ker consist of an impressive seven-storey sandstone
pyramid (Prasat Thom). The second biggest structure of Koh
Ker is Prasat Krahom (red temple) built with red bricks and
lost in the jungle. The surrounding land was irrigated by
the Rahal Baray, similar to, but smaller than, the ones at
Angkor. It is believed that over 80 ruins lie in this area.
A lot of the beautiful carvings created in Koh Ker are now
kept in the National Museum in Phnom Penh.
PRE
RUP STYLES
At
the middle of the 10th century, the capital city were moved
for two decades 130km to the north east at Lingapura now know
as Koh Ker. In 944 AD, King Rajendravarman II returned to
Angkor and developped the Pre Rup style, a continuation of
the Bakheng style but with higher and steeper towers with
more tiers.
Bat
Chum is the prototype of the Pre Rup temple.
East Mebon is a temple with five towers representing
the five peaks of the Mount Meru from the Hindu mythology.
Standing on small island in the middle of the artificial lake
of the Easter Baray (7 km by 1.8 km), the East Mebon was formerly
only accessible by boat. Today, the Baray, once a source of
water for irrigation fed by the Siem Reap River, is dry and
the temple stands now in a plain of rice fields. East Mebon
is historically important in that it was the first temple
built after the capital was returned to Angkor.
Pre Rup is a temple-mountain close in style
to the East Mebon but higher and artistically superior than
its predecessor. The upper level of the pyramid of Pre Rup
offers a brilliant panoramic view of the surrounding countryside
and is a popular spot to enjoy the sunset.
The East Mebon and Pre Rup were the last monuments in plaster
and brick and so mark the end of a Khmer architectural epoch.
THE
BANTEAY SREI STYLE
Banteay
Srei temple is also known as the Citadel of women.
This eponymous style is characterised by ornate carvings of
sensuous apasaras (celestial dancing girls) and devadas (dancers).
This Hindu temple, dating back to the 10th century, has three
central towers each decorated with superbly intricate reliefs
of male and female divinities, carved from pink sandstone
contrasting with the main walls made of laterite. While many
of Angkor temples are impressive because of their sheer size,
Banteay Srei stands out by the quality of craftsmanship.
THE
KLEANG STYLE
The
buildings of the Kleang style, centered in the area west of
the East Mebon, are the work of the king Jayavarman V at the
end of the 10th century.
The Phimeanakas inside the Royal Enclosure
was started by Rajendravarman and used by all the later kings.
It represents a genuine architectural revolution as it is
not square but rectangular. Furthermore, on the upper terrace,
surrounding the central tower, there was a gallery with corbelled
vaults, used as a passageway. According to Chou Ta-kuan, a
Chinese envoy in 1296, the Phimeanakas was originally covered
in gold.
The Kleangs are rectangular sandstone buildings,
opposite the Terrace of the Elepants, of unkown function.
Ta Keo, one of the great temple-mountains
of Angkor, is dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva. Ta Keo was
never completed for an unknown reason; if it had been finished,
it would have been one of the finest temple in Angkor. This
is an impressive structure rising to a height of 22 meters
to the sky. Its five towers shrines are supported on a five-tiered
pyramid. Ta Keo was the first temple built entirely in sandstone.
THE
BAPHUON STYLE
By
the mid-11th century, Khmer architecture reached its majestic
apogee with the Baphuon style distinguished by vast proportions
and vaulted galleries. The sculpture of the period shows increasing
realism and narrative sequence.
The Baphuon is a vast temple-mountain built
by King Udayadiyavarman II. The temple was approached by a
200m-long sandstone causeway, raised on pillars, probably
built later. Impressive animal carvings adorn the walkway
entrance. Largely collapsed and in ruined condition, the main
temple area is undergoing extensive restoration.
The Western Baray is an ancient reservoir more than 2 km across
and 9 km long with an average depth of 7 m. This huge construction
was realized by King Yasovarman 1st (889-910), the entire
expanse of water is contained within a levee of earth which
forms a dike, shaded by large trees and with the forest of
Angkor as its backdrop. At its present level, the water only
covers its western two thirds with, in places, depths of 4
and 5 metres - the remainder having been turned to rice fields.
On the island in the middle of the Baray stand the ruins of
the western Mebon temple of Baphuon style.
This temple contained formerly a gigantic bronze statue of
Vishnou which is today exhibited in the National Museum in
Phnom Penh. This artificial lake is now a recreational place
for the locals who flock here on the weekend.
THE
ANGKOR WAT STYLE
The
Angkor Wat style prolongs the Baphuon style and represents
the apex of Khmer architectural and sculptural genious. During
the 11th and 12th centuries, the Khmer Empire was at its zenith
and covered much of southern Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and Thailand.
The great King Suryavarman II (1113-1150 AD) embarked on the
most ambitious series of building projects to date, culminating
in his state temple Angkor Wat.
Angkor Wat is the largest and most impressive
of all the temples. Angkor Wat was built between 1113 and
1150 by king Suryavarman II and dedicated to Vishnu, the Hindu
god of preservation, although some people believe it is actually
dedicated to the king himself, as his mausoleum, because it
faces to the west, which represents death. It is the best
preserved of all the temples. Its layout and its scale are
simply breathtaking, the wall surrounding the enclosure measures
1,000 by 800 meters and the moat, said to represent the oceans
of the world is 200 meters wide. Angkor Wat is an architectural
allegory of the mythical Mount Meru. In Hindu mythology, Mount
Meru is the centre of the universe, where the Gods lived,
represented by the central tower of Angkor Wat. This amazing
temple homes the longest continuous bas relief in the world,
which runs along the outer gallery walls.
The Preah Pithu group includes five small
temples with interesting carved lintels set in a quiet area
surrounding by the jungle.
Chau Say Tevoda and Thommanon
are two small monuments framed by the jungle of similarities
in plan and form and have beautiful carvings. They represent
two separates incarnations of the same architectural theme.
Chau Say Tevoda is in a poorer state that Thommanon.
Banteay Samre is one of the most complete
complex at Angkor, restored with the method of the anastylosis.
Built under the reign of Suryavarman II during the mid 12th
century, its unique feature is the interior moat covered with
a laterite paving.
Beng Melea was built during the 12th century
during the reign of Suryavarman II, at about the same time
as Angkor Wat of which its layout and style closely mirror.
However, Beng Melea is completely ruined and largely overrun
by vegetation and competes with Ta Prohm for the “lost
in the jungle” ambience. It is a tangle of trees, lichen-covered
stones, broken towers and galleries. Many impressive sculptures
are hidden among the rubble and the vegetation. This temple
is very lightly touristed and offers plenty picturesque pictures’
opportunities.
Preah Vihear dominates the plain from its
prominent position in the Dangrek Mountains, which straddle
the Thai border, at an altitude of more than 700 m. Preah
Vihear, dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva, was first built
in the late 9th century under the reign of Yasovarman I with
significant additions by the following kings, especially Suryavarman
II (1112-1152), the builder of Angkor Wat. The temple complex
runs 800m along a north-south axis, and consists essentially
of a causeway and steps rising up the hill towards the sanctuary,
which sits on the clifftop at the southern end of the complex.
The temple has four levels and four courtyards, and also five
Gopuras, or entrance pavilions, sometimes surmounted by a
tower.
Prasat Bakan, also know as Preah Khan. This
temples complex was probably built during the ninth century,
originally for Hindu worship, it was later transformed into
a Mahayan Buddhist centre. At some point, Preah Khan was home
to the prestigious kings Suryavarman II and Jayavarman VII,
the latter probably took refuge in this city during the Cham
invasion. This laterite and sandstone complex was probably
the second biggest city of the Khmer Empire as it covers an
area of 5 square kilometres and comprises a huge 3 km long
baray. This is one of the most remote temple of Cambodia
THE
BAYON STYLE
In
the end of the 12th century the Bayon style, the last great
Angkor architectural style, developed. Considered a synthesis
of previous styles, Bayon style is monumental and characterised
by a return of the realism as well as by the representation
of Buddhism imagery and, correspondingly, fewer Hindu themes.
A decline in quality is visible in the use of more laterite
and less sandstone.
The legendary Jayavarman VII drove the Cham – which
controlled Angkor for four years – from Cambodia in
1181 and was declared king. He broke with almost 400 years
of tradition and made Mahayana Buddhism the state religion,
and immediately began Angkor’s most prolific period
of monument building. Hundreds of monuments were constructed
in less than a 40-years period and we will explore the most
important ones.
Srah Srang Royal Bath is a large lake (700
by 300 meters) originally excavated during the mid-10th century
and remodeled in the 12th century as part of Jayavarman VII’s
massive building campaign. Srah Srang, which was used for
ritual bathing, has an elegant terrace flanked with lions
and nagas and a small island near its centre with sparse remains
of a temple.
Banteay Kdei – opposite of Srah Srang
- was originally constructed over the site of an earlier temple
and functionned probably as an important Buddhist monastery
under Jayavarman VII in regard of its plan and of the hundreds
of buried Buddha statues excavated from the site. However,
as no marker stones or steles have ever been found, its function
still remains unclear. The temple area is enclosed by a large
laterite wall (700 m by 500 m) and contains three main enclosures
with laterite towers, connecting galleries and beautifully
frontons and lintels that escaped the desecration (the 13th
century vandalism of Buddha images).
Preah Khan is a labyrinth of pavilions, halls
and chapels in a vast area encloses by four walls.
Banteay Prei is a quiet temple with a sandstone gallery and
an internal court including impressive trees and beautiful
apsara carvings.
Prasat Neak Pean is a small temple with a
collection of five ponds representing the paradisiacal Himalayan
mountain-lake Anaavatapta from Hindu mythology. The small
temple of Krol Ko, with a single central
tower surrounded by two laterite walls stands nearby.
Ta Som is a small temple of Bayon’s
style dedicated to Jayavarman VII’s father. It is a
single shrine on one level surrounded by three laterite enclosure
walls with entrances (gopuras) to the east and west, each
crowned with four faces. A huge ficus tree grows from the
top of the east gopura providing a dramatic example of nature
and art entwined.
Ta Phrom was a monastery built by Jayavarman
VII as a residence for his mother. Ta Phrom has been controversially
left to the destructive power of the jungle by French archaeologists
to demonstrate the awesome power of nature. It has been largely
consumed by the jungle and as you will climb through the dilapidated
stone structures you will see many giant trees growing out
of the top of the temple itself. At every turn you will expect
to see Indiana Jones or Lara Croft step out from behind a
fallen pillar. As such, it is one of the most regularly visited
temples, with visitors often arriving during the middle of
the day to take advantage of the protective canopy the forest
has spread above the temple. Ta Phrom looks as many of the
monuments did when European explorers first laid eyes on them.
This Royal city of Angkor Thom was first
built under the reign of Udayadityavarman II in the 11th century.
About one century later, it was destroyed when the Chams from
Vietnam rose up against the Khmers invaders, sacking the city.
It was subsequently rebuilt by the king Jayavarman VII at
the end of the 12th century. Its vast walls, some 6m wide,
8m high and 13km in length contain many monuments. The area
within the walls was more spacious than any city in Europe
at the time and must have supported a considerable population,
estimated at about one million. Inside the walls the king,
his relatives and officials, military officers and priests
took residence, the rest of the people lived outside of the
great enclosure, between the two artificial lakes. The South
Gate displays well-restored statues of asuras (demons)
and gods lining the bridge. Inside the complex, the Bayon
Temple is a temple mountain, built by Jayavarman
VII, situated in the centre of the city of Angkor Thom. It
is a three-tiered pyramid with a 45 meter high tower, topped
by four gigantic carved heads representing Avalokiteshvara
but with the features of Jayavarman VII. They gaze out to
the North, South, East, and West, and wherever you stand in
the temple, you will be surrounded by 54 towers all crowned
by gigantic faces, with their unnerving smiles. Unlike his
predecessors who had worshipped the Hindu deities of Shiva
and Vishnu, Jayavarman VII adopted Mahayana Buddhism as royal
religion. This sets the Bayon apart from many other Angkorean
monuments. The Royal city houses the Elephant Terrace,
which owes its name to its outstanding depiction of these
animals and the Terrace of Leper King, which
presents a magnificent sculpture of King Yasovarman, popularly
known as the leper king. The original of this statue is in
security in the National Museum in Phnom Penh.
Phra
Phutthos, better know as Kompong Kdei bridge because
of its vicinity with the city of the same name, was constructed
at the end of the 12th century during the reign of Jayavarman
VII. This is an imposant stone structure with more than twenty
narrow arches spanning 75 meters. Receiving few visitors,
Phra Phutthos is notwithstanding the longest corbeled stone-arch
bridge in the world and really worth the detour!
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