Godless Angkor

Name

"Angkor" is a distortion of the Khmer word "nokor" which is derived from the Sanskrit "nagara" (capital). Wat means temple, thus Angkor Wat means the Capital's Temple. However, the temple was originally named Preah Pisnulok, after its founder - King Suryavarman II - title after his death.

Location

Angkor Wat is six kilometers north of Siem Reap, and two kilometers south of Angkor Thom.

Related Sites

One of the Khmer provinces in those days was within modern Thailand, Phimai features a temple resembling a downscaled Angkor Wat.

Religious Role

King Suryavarman II built Angkor Wat between 1113 and 1150AC as his state temple. At first it was Hindu and dedicated to Vishnu, instead of the traditional Shiva of earlier Khmer temples, but afterwards it became a center of Buddhist worshipping. Angkor Wat is the epitome of Khmer architecture and have became Cambodia's symbol, appearing even on its flag.

The temple is in fact an open Hindu encyclopedia, which can be read on several fashions. As a geographical text, the baray represent the oceans surrounding earth, the walls are the mountains enclosing the world, and the four sides of the temple represent the different landmasses and the peak at the center Mount Meru - the gods' abode. The central quincunx of towers symbolizes the mountain five peaks; access to the temple upper areas was progressively more exclusive. On the temporal angle, the baray represents the present, while the central point is the universe creation time. On the social interpretation, the center represents the god-king, while in the Buddhist angle the three steps depicts the different here steps of spiritual development: the center represents the achievement of nirvana.

In 1177AC Angkor was sacked by the Cham, subsequently, King Jayavarman VII established a new capital at Angkor Thom and a new state temple called Bayon. Later, the temple was adapted for Theravada Buddhism use.

Unusual Angles

Orientation

Angkor Wat is oriented to the west, unlike most other temples in the area. Many scholars think Suryavarman wanted it to be his funerary temple, mainly since a funerary jar was found in the central tower. Moreover, the bas-reliefs proceed in a counter-clockwise direction in reverse of the normal ritual order; this is a supporting evidence of the claim, since in Brahmin practices during funerals some rituals are performed in reverse order. However, the temple was dedicated to Vishnu, who was associated with the west.

Continuity

Angkor Wat is the only temple within the complex that was never completely abandoned; furthermore, the surrounding forests never managed to cross the moat surrounding it, fact that further helped its survival.

Fake Arches

As the Cham, the Khmer did no know how to construct arches. Thus, all the corridors within the temple - along which the bas-reliefs are - feature triangular fake arches; there is no top stone stabilizing the fake arch.

Harmony

The dented oval towers of the temple are shaped like lotus buds and define the temples symmetry, creating a pleasant balance parallel in its evocative strength to the one used in ancient Greece. The five towers are arranged so that the central one is higher than the four others on the corners. By the sunrise, their outline against the dark skies created unforgettable views.

The Temple

The surrounding wall measure 1024 by 802m and is 4.5m high, the moat next to it is 190m wide. The main access to the temple is through a sandstone causeway at its west, an earth bank allows access through the east.

Gopura gates are placed at the cardinal points; the western one was the larges and featured three towers, which resemble a downscaled view of the temple behind it from this spot. A 350m walkway with naga handrails connects the western gopura to the temple. Each side also features a library and a pond between the library and the temple. The ponds are later additions to the design, as is the stone-lions guarded cruciform terrace connecting the causeway to the central structure.

The temple stands on a terrace raised higher than the city. It is made of three rectangular galleries rising to a central tower, each level higher than the last. Each gallery features gopura gates, while the two inner ones have corner towers, forming a quincunx with the central tower.

The outer gallery measures 187 by 215m, with pavilions at the corners, and is connected to the second one on the west side with a cruciform cloister called Preah Poan (Thousand Buddhas), referring to the statues left there by pilgrims. North and south of the cloister are libraries. The inner walls of the outer gallery bear a series of large bas-reliefs depicting episodes from the Ramayana and Mahabharata Hindu epics, including the battles of Lanka and Kurukshetra as well as the Hindu 32 hells and 37 heavens. On the southern gallery is the only historical scene, a procession of King Suryavarman II. Small squares were cut out of the scenes after the final fall of the kingdom in order to destroy the site's alleged black magic powers.

From the second level upwards, protecting devata guardian-deities abound on the walls, alone or in groups of up to four. The second-level enclosure is 100 by 115m. Three sets of steps on each side lead up to the corner towers and gopuras of the inner gallery.

The square inner gallery is called Bakan, each side measures 60m and features axial galleries connecting each gopura with the central temple and secondary temples located below the corner towers.

The tower above the central shrine rises 43m to a height of 65m above the ground; unlike those of earlier temple-mountains, the central tower is raised above the surrounding four, giving Angkor Wat its unmistakable shape. The shrine itself, originally occupied by a statue of Vishnu and open on each side, was walled in when the temple was adapted to Theravada Buddhism by adding standing Buddhas on the new walls.

Few attractions are so ironic, few laugh so openly at the endless line of visitors who in infinitesimal steps consume it, each one taking a few sand grains on his shoes.

The irony in the iconic picture of Ta Prohm escapes most visitors; the view of giant trees slowly digesting the temples beneath them is so overwhelming that most travelers stay speechless and thoughtless. Yet, in their own fashion, the humans - acting as walking analogues to the trees - are doing just the same.

The beauty is unusual. The site is the contact interface between big trees and old stone temples, so big that it cannot be wholly appreciated from nearby; within the temple all is left for the visitor to see are the surprising encounters between smooth, living roots and the porously decaying stones.

Location

Located approximately one kilometer east of Angkor Thom and on the southern edge of the East Baray near Tonle Bati.

History

King Jayavarman VII built Ta Prohm in the 1186AC as a Mahayana Buddhist monastery and university; originally it was called Rajavihara, meaning Royal Temple.

The temple honored the king's family; its main image represents Prajnaparamita - wisdom - but it was designed after the king's mother. Nearby is the temple of Preah Khan, which in 1191AC was modeled after the king's father and dedicated to the Bodhisattva of compassion - Lokesvara.

According to a stele, when active, the temple housed more than 12500 people, 615 dancers and eighteen high priests.

Modern Times

Ta Prohm has been left to merge with the rainforest, in the same condition in which it was found, since eradicating the invading trees would lead to the temples destruction. Much work is being done to stabilize the trees-temples complex.

The Temple

Ta Prohm is different from the most famous temples in Angkor since it does not resemble a pyramid, but a flat complex of closely packed structures.

The external wall is 650 by 1000 meters long; the forest has reclaimed most of this area and the northern and southern gates cannot thus be used anymore. The inner structures are arranged facing the east, as most other temples in Angkor.

Face towers like those at the Bayon were added by the gates during the 13th century; some of them have collapsed. The temple's basic plan is hard to discern nowadays due to the damage caused by the trees; not all the passages within the structures are accessible and some structures have been utterly destroyed.

Some bas-reliefs depicting Buddhist scenes have survived, though they are much less impressive than those at Angkor Wat. Moreover, the trees' roots descending from the temples' roofs largely determine the visitor's path. However, the issue is secondary since this visit is not aimed at studying a Khmer temple - there are better-conserved ones in Angkor, but to see their splendid merging with the strangling trees.

Strangling Trees

Two types of trees strangle the temples. The larger ones are the silk-cotton trees (Ceiba pentandra), which grow straight and high; the smaller and greener ones are strangler figs (Ficus gibbosa).

Why does Ta Prohm look familiar if this is my first time in the place?

The temple was used in the film Tomb Raider and was extensively featured in its advertisements; the depiction of the temple is faithful to the original, though the underground facilities are the result of the filmmakers' imagination.

At the very center of Angkor Thom, the distinctive Bayon is one of the few originally Mahayana Buddhist temples and the last state temple to be built in Angkor.

Location

North of Angkor Wat and facing the east, the temple is located at Angkor Thom’s center, with broad roads connecting it to the city’s gates. Its location at the downtown area center hints at is importance.

Dedication

The Bayon was built by King Jayavarman VII and dedicated to the Buddha; additional contributions by this king include Ta Prohm, Preah Khan, Banteay Kdei and Angkor Thom’s walls and naga-bridges. After his death, the temple was modified first to meet Hindu standards and later Theravada Buddhist ones. The Hindu and Buddhist Theravada additions include the eastern terrace, parts of the upper terrace, the libraries and the inner gallery square corners. The Hindu Jayavarman VIII destroyed the courtyard’s sixteen chapels.

The Face

Resembling an elaborate pyramid, the Bayon is unforgettable due to its many towers displaying four faces each. The face is always the same one: King Jayavarman VII; watching on the four different directions and featuring a tower for each Khmer province, the king hinted his people in a not very subtle way that he was watching them. Modern surveillance bubbles have indeed deep roots; these activities were never neither a sign of democracy nor of societies respecting human rights.

The wide, square face featuring a very broad nose is typical of Cambodian people. The face represents also the bodhisattva of compassion called Avalokitesvara or Lokesvara, reminding us that the Khmer kings regarded themselves as "devaraja" (god-king); being Buddhist, Jayavarman VII pictured himself as one of the bodhisattva.

Not Only a Face

Beyond the towers, the Bayon includes two massive bas-reliefs, representing mythological and historical scenes. The temple is remarkable within the complex due to its density: the towers are next to each other in sharp contrast to the leisure setup of Angkor Wat and other temples in the area.

The outer gallery’s outer wall, features bas-reliefs of historical events; despite their richness, they do not include any texts. The scenes include a marching Khmer army, a naval battle against the Cham, market scenes, scenes of daily life in Angkor Thom, the construction of temples, victory celebrations, a land battle against the Cham which includes fighting elephants, and others.

The raised inner gallery shows bas-reliefs added later by the Hindu king Jayavarman VIII, depicting scenes from the Hindu mythology. Shiva, Vishnu, and Brahma, as well as beautiful Apsara dancers and other deities are its main themes. Atop the gallery is the upper terrace, were the face-towers are located. Some researchers conjecture that the towers were not part of the original low temple; their addition created the distinctive density of the Bayon. The towers concentration – with higher ones by the center - creates the illusion that the structure was originally constructed in a pyramidal shape and then carved in to create the towers. Nowadays only thirty-seven towers remain, most of them feature four faces, but records tell forty-nine and fifty-four towers existing in different periods. Smaller towers are located along the inner gallery, at its corners and entrances.

The central tower is forty-three meters tall; at the temple’s early days it featured a big meditating Buddha seated and shielded by the serpent Mucalinda. Jayavarman VIII, removed and destroyed the statue; in 1933 it was recovered and pieced back together; nowadays it is in display nearby.

Downtown Angkor

The Angkor complex was immense and included areas serving various functions. At its peak, Angkor Wat was its largest and most elaborated temple, but the administration of the Khmer kingdom was not done from there but from the nearby downtown area, usually known as Angkor Thom.

Jayavarman VII

Built in the late twelfth century by king Jayavarman VII, Angkor Thom was the last Khmer capital city in the Angkor area. At its center, the king placed the state temple, the Bayon. An inscription found in the city refers to it as a bride and to Jayavarman VII as the groom.

Location

Angkor Thom was built slightly southeast and overlapping parts of Yasodharapura, the earlier kingdom’s capital, and by the bank of the Siem Reap River, a tributary of the Tonle Sap Lake. It was roughly two kilometers north of Angkor Wat.

Name

Until the sixteenth century, the old name of Yashodharapura was in use; only then Angkor Thom - namely meaning "Great City" - became popular.

Setup

The walled area of Angkor Thom was small, only nine square kilometers in size, an eight meters tall wall and a moat surrounded the town. At its center was the Bayon, which was connected by broad avenues to the city gates. Those were connected through bridges to the other parts of the complex; the naga-bridges feature guardrail shaped as naga serpents held by a row of devas on the left and asuras on the right (see pictures). An additional gate named the Victory Gate is north of the east gate; the Victory Way runs parallel to the east road connecting it with the Victory Square and the Royal Palace north of the Bayon.
Of the secular buildings of the city none survived since they were constructed of wood. A system of canals supplied the town with water. Theologically, the whole town could have been a representation – larger than Angkor Wat – of Mount Meru (see Angkor and Angkor Wat entries in this journal).

North of the Bayon was the Victory Square, and not far from there was the Royal Palace, which included the Phimeanakas Temple that for a while was the state temple. The Baphuon is another temple of interest. The city's last addition was the Mangalartha Temple in 1295, afterwards it entered a slow period of decay in which older structures were improved but none added. According to travelers' reports, by 1609 the city was abandoned.

The city gates – Gopura in Sanskrit and Khmer - feature twenty-three meters towers with faces similar to the ones appearing at the Bayon, though they were later additions. They are 3.5m wide and 7m tall; its wooden doors did not survive.

Prasat is a Khmer word derived from the Sanskrit "prasada," meaning "tower;" it usually refers to temples shaped as slightly elliptic towers. At Angkor Thom’s corners were Prasat Chrung - Corner Towers - built of sandstone and dedicated to Avalokiteshvara.

Terrace of the Elephants

King Jayavarman VII used the Terrace of the Elephants as a platform from which to view his army’s parades, as a place for public ceremonies and as a base for his Audience Hall; as such, it was attached to the Phimeanakas palace temple complex. The 350m-long terrace is named for the very distinctive elephants’ carvings on its eastern side. Other carvings, on the middle section of the retaining wall, included garudas (half-men half-bird deities) and lions.

I delayed writing an Angkor journal for a long time. Despite having visited the site in three different years, what could I possibly add to the probably millions of words already written about it?

Yet, the temptation was big and after all I have a few good tips, including where to find a decent cup of coffee within the complex.

Why should the visit be prepared?

My first visit was done in the company of two fellow travelers I met in the way from Bangkok. I wasn't an expert, but knew enough to appreciate and enjoy the site. That wasn't true for the other two, who quickly got bored and sat sipping coffee while I shamelessly kept climbing deformed rock piles; they simply didn't have a clue what they were looking at.

What is Angkor?

Angkor was the capital city of a Khmer kingdom, the name was derived from the Sanskrit "nagara," meaning "city." The kingdom existed as such from 802AC, when Jayavarman II declared himself "universal king" (chakravartin) and "god-king" (devaraja), until 1431AC, when the Thais invaded Angkor.

Where is Angkor?

Angkor is located in modern Cambodia's northwestern corner, just north of the Tonle Sap Lake, near the modern town of Siem Reap and not far from Aranyaprathet in Thailand.

Details regarding practical ways of reaching the area from Thailand and Cambodia are in my journal Planning Cambodia.

How many structures are in Angkor?

Within the area covered in the past by Angkor, over a thousand structures have survived; some of them are temples, other monuments or administrative buildings. Angkor Wat is the name of the central and largest temple; Angkor Thom was the walled downtown area. The Bayon is one of the most impressive temples and Ta Prohm is the famous site where strangler trees grow atop temples.

How big is the complex?

At its peak, the city covered over three thousand square kilometers, meaning that Angkor was the biggest city the world ever knew before industrial times.

Is the complex related to black magic ?

It is worth paying attention to the stone murals in Angkor Wat. Many of them have missing squares; the mutilation was performed by the local population after the empire's fall. In such a way they attempted to neutralize any magical power left in the temple.

Genesis

Before Angkor, two kingdoms existed in the area: Funan from the first century BC to 550AC and Chenla, from 550Ac to 800AC. Both kingdoms held complex relations with the Chinese and the Cham.

In the year 802AC, the Khmer King Jayavarman II declared the independence of Cambodia from Java and established his capital at Hariharalaya (the Roluos Temples) at the northern end of the Tonle Sap Lake.

The new kingdom bordered China, Champa and a place identified as "the land of cardamoms and mangoes" (somewhere in modern Thailand).

Building Babel

Yasovarman I ascended to the throne in 889AC and immediately began the construction of a new capital north of the first one and called it Yasodharapura, which featured the first temple in the area surrounded by a baray - a surrounding water canal.

Suryavarman II built Angkor Wat between 1113 and 1150AC, dedicating it to Vishnu, instead of the traditional attachment to Shiva of earlier Khmer temples. By any standards, this is the pinnacle of Khmer religious architecture. The temple is in fact an open Hindu encyclopedia, which can be read on several fashions. As a geographical text, the baray represent the oceans surrounding earth, the walls are the mountains enclosing the world, and the four sides of the temple represent the different landmasses and the peak at the center Mount Meru - the gods' abode. On the temporal angle, the baray represents the present, while the central point is the universe creation time. On the social interpretation, the center represents the god-king, while in the Buddhist angle the three steps depicts the different here steps of spiritual development: the center represents the achievement of nirvana.

In 1177AC, the Cham launch a sea invasion up the Mekong River and across the Tonle Sap Lake and destroyed the city. Jayavarman VII defeated the Cham and assumed the throne in 1181AC to become the greatest Khmer king. He built Angkor Thom as his walled capital over the ruins of Yasodharapura; at its center was the Bayon, one of the most striking temples in the whole complex. He led the transition from Hinduism to Mahayana Buddhism, which included alterations of Angor Wat.

After his death, the country returned to Hinduism, only to convert to Theravada Buddhism during the 14th century. In 1431AC the capital was destroyed by the Thai Ayutthaya Kingdom . Abandoning it, the Khmer relocated the capital in Phnom Penh, a site which was easier to defend; a few centuries later the Thais imitated the event by moving their capital from Thonburi to Bangkok as a defense from the Burmese.

Modern Times

From the late 19th century French archaeologists began the restoration of Angkor; the works stopped during the Khmer Rouge era and its aftermaths and were resumed in 1993 by the Japanese, the French and UNESCO, which recognized the site as a World Heritage Site.

Wining Strategies for Visiting the Complex

All the local guides have read the Lonely Planet books and would try to sell that company's idea of how to visit the temples. They offer the free sunset view plus a two days trip along the short and long circuits described on those guides. Moreover, the pricing strategy of the place follows the pattern as well, asking twenty dollars for the first day, the same amount for the second day and then giving a free third day.

There are better tactics for covering the main sights. The day before the planned visit, rent a "moto" for two dollars and go to Angkor around 5pm, buy a one day ticket for the next day and enter to see the sunset from the sunset hill, that's included in the ticket. The sunset is west from that hill while the temples are on the eastern side; nonetheless the experience offers an astonishing view of the temples from above.

Once back at town, invite the moto driver to drive you the next day for six dollars; explain he should arrive at 4:45 or 5am sharp and in a sober state.

If the sky is unclouded, the sunrise behind the temples is spectacular; the angular temples' silhouettes are outlined first by the dim lights and provide an unforgettable view.

After the sunrise is over do not stay at Angkor Wat since it will be crowded. You can have a good coffee and breakfast at the stalls in front of the main entrance; those on the left are for tourists while those on the right are regular Khmer stalls, at them, tasty Khmer food is offered.

Spend the morning hours visiting Angkor Thom (the city surrounding the central temple), the Bayon (with its columns featuring the king's face on each direction) and Ta Prohm (the temples with trees growing on them). After finishing them, return to the Angkor Wat complex, when everybody is elsewhere.