What is Angkor? Angkor - a huge temple complex in Cambodia

Angkor Wat is a unique temple in Cambodia, built in honor of the god Vishnu. Although the history of this Hindu temple has not left much information, modern research by historians, archaeologists and astrologers has successfully revealed new facts about the existence of Angkor Wat and the powerful Khmer Empire.

The eighth wonder of the world, Angkor Wat, was declared the first nature reserve in all of Asia in 1925, and since 1932 it has been protected by UNESCO.

Angkor Wat, the eighth wonder of the world, is located in the northwest of the Tonle Sap Lake province of Siem Reap. The temple is located deep in the jungle, 6 km from the provincial town of Siem Reap and 240 km from the modern capital of Cambodia, Phnom Penh.

The construction of the Angkor Wat temple, in the imperial capital of Angkor, fell during the period of heyday and majesty of the Khmer Empire - in the 12th century. Today, apart from the remains of temple complexes and fortress walls, nothing remains of the huge city of Angkor, so the city itself began to be called a temple city.

Its dimensions are relatively small - 24 km by 8 km. According to recent archaeological research, Angkor was a large capital of the pre-industrial era, in which about 500 thousand lived. Human.

The Angkor Wat temple took almost 40 years to build, during the reign of Emperor Suryavarman II. Scientists believe that the construction of such a majestic temple was precisely his initiative, since after the death of the Emperor in 1150, construction work stopped, and in some places the decoration of the facades of the architectural complex remained unfinished.

The temple complexes in the city of Angkor are very important. Most of the historical facts that are known to humanity today about the Khmer Empire and culture are obtained by deciphering the inscriptions and drawings on the walls of these temples. What is surprising is that the Khmer folk oral tradition did not preserve the expected myths and legends about the very temples and sacred places of the city.

For example, it has still not been possible to establish for what purpose this monumental structure was built. There are 2 hypotheses - this is a tomb or an ordinary temple to the deity Vishnu.

The problem is that both hypotheses are confirmed in the technical description of Angkor Wat. This temple looks like both a tomb and a temple, which has never been combined before in conventional Khmer architecture.

Construction technologies used in the construction of the eighth wonder of the world

Angkor Wat, the eighth wonder of the world, is considered a classic example of Khmer culture, the first examples of architecture dating back to the 6th century. This style contains elements of Hindu, Buddhist and Chinese architecture.

The total area of ​​the temple is 2.5 square meters. km, the height of the central tower is 65 m. The total area of ​​the temple is 400 sq. m. This is a fairly massive building, which was built using manual labor and elephants.

The original name of the temple remains unknown - usually in temples you can find a capsule containing information about the mission of the sacred building. According to recent scientific and epistemological research, the temple was probably called the "Place of Saint Vishnu".

Angkor Wat was built during 1113-1150. and has the shape of Hindu temples, the shape of which is called "temple-mountain". Such architectural structures had a sacred connotation - human creation should be similar to the creation of nature, imitating Mount Meru - a symbol of peace in Hinduism. The building has smooth lines and consists of 3 main tiers, 5 towers and 200 monuments.

According to modern calculations by scientists, the construction must have involved a huge number of workers, because to build such a temple in less than 40 years in the 12th century. - marvelous. According to the descriptions of the traveler Antonio de Madalena, the temple towers and other structures became the best example of human architecture.

The entire temple is built from sandstone. The technique of constructing walls is considered unique - the Khmers did not use any binding materials, such as clay or cement. But the structure itself has a very powerful fixation due to the use of stone laying techniques based on the lock principle.

Good fixation of the walls is due not only to the skillful technique of stacking the stones, but also to their polishing - sometimes the gaps between the stones are almost invisible. To better secure more complex structures, deep spikes were made in the stones. Until now, archaeologists cannot explain the need for the holes found on many stones.

Such construction of temples in Angkor allows for the successful restoration of sacred structures - they are disassembled and put together like puzzles.

The territory of Angkor Wat has the shape of a square island, fenced by a 190 m water moat, the perimeter of which is 1300 m by 1500 m. You can enter the temple only from the eastern and western sides, where 2 sandstone bridges were specially built. Moreover, it is believed that the main entrance is western, this is evidenced by the remains of 3 destroyed towers.

There is evidence that the temple was not used for its intended purpose already in the 15th century.

Angkor temple complex

The ancient capital of the Khmer Empire, Angkor, was the center of political and economic life throughout the IX-XIV centuries. According to scientists, Angkor, or the temple city, has a total area of ​​9 square meters. km. As evidenced by architecture, each emperor built a temple or tomb during his reign.

Since the empire did not have a single religion, each new building corresponded to either the Hindu or Buddhist canon - a religion that the emperor himself supported.

Therefore, 72 temples were built in the city during this period, which form the canon of Khmer culture and architecture. The peculiarity of Khmer temples is that they were built as homes for the gods. Hindu and Buddhist practices do not allow believers to visit these places because these places are shelters for saints.

Geographically, the Angkor Wat temple was built to the south of the historical center of the city, so the landscape of the capital is divided into 2 sections - the temple of the god Vishnu itself and Angkor Thome - the historical center of the city. From an architectural point of view, all the buildings of the Khmer capital - temples, squares, ritual places - are divided into 2 large groups: Small and Large Circle:

Angkor Wat, the eighth wonder of the world, is the most majestic temple in the city, and the occasion of its construction is special. Historians and archaeologists still cannot determine the purpose of constructing such a majestic structure - should it be a Vishnu temple, the burial place of a king, or both.

After him, architects note the originality of the Bayon and Ta Prohm temples - as the largest in Angkor Thom. Also, Angkor had a good defensive structure, and it was possible to get into the city only with the help of 5 bridges.

Ta Prohm

Ta Prohm (or Ta Prum, from Khmer - “ancestor of Brahma”) is a temple complex built by Emperor Jayavarman II in 1186 in honor of his mother, located in Angkor Thom.

The temple covers an area of ​​180 acres. In addition to the central statue of Prajnaparamita, the goddess of wisdom from which the emperor's mother was identified, the temple has another 260 sculptures of deities.

After construction was completed, more than 12 thousand people lived and worked here in honor of the emperor’s mother. Human.

Ta Keo

Ta Kaew is another Hindu temple in the center of the capital of Angkor, the construction of which was begun by Jayavarman V in 975. On its territory there is a skillfully made central entrance alley, decorated with columns on the sides.

According to archaeological research, it was found that this is the first temple-mountain that was completely built from sandstone. The temple itself has the shape of a rectangular pyramid. A characteristic feature of Khmer architecture is the presence of a central tower. The Ta Keo temple itself has 4 tiers and its height is 45 m.

Bayon

Bayon is considered the central temple in Angkor Thom, also built of sandstone. Bayon was built at the beginning of the 13th century. in memory of the first Buddhist emperor Jayavarman VII, during whose reign the population of the Khmer Empire massively changed the cult of Shaivism to Buddhism.

The structure of the temple has 3 levels, with an area of ​​140 by 160 m, on which 54 towers of different heights are located. Initially it was believed that this depicted Buddha, but in 1933, after examination, it was established that the face of Buddha has many similarities with images of Jayavarman VII himself.

The decor of the Bayon Temple is stone carvings that depict everyday scenes from the life of the Khmers. Obviously, the central plot is the one that depicts the victory of Jayavarman VII over the Chamam troops at the Battle of Tonle Sap Lake, after which wars ceased for a long time.

Angkor Wat

Angkor Wat, the eighth wonder of the world, is an example of national architecture, art, culture and religion. Being both the tomb of Suryavarman II and the sacred temple of Vishnu, Angkor Wat combines symbols of the religious and secular culture of the Khmers. Today this temple is a symbol of the state of Cambodia.

The central building of the temple is multi-level, with numerous transitions. The temple consists of a central tall tower (65 m) and smaller towers. Together these towers symbolize the 5 peaks of the sacred Mount Meru.

The total area of ​​the building is 81 hectares. The temple is surrounded by a water moat, the width of which is 190 m and the total length is 5.5 km. According to the Buddhist tradition, the ditch of other faiths symbolizes the oceans of the world. By the standards of modern architecture, Angkor Wat is the largest structure in the world.

Etymology of the name of the temple Angkor Wat

Angkor Wat is the modern name that the eighth wonder of the world received after the decline of the Khmer Empire. The original name is not known, but scientists suggest that the temple was named after the deity Vishnu.

The "Angkor" and "Wat" parts of the temple name have their epistemological translation from the Khmer language. The meaning of the word "Angkor" has Sanskrit roots and means "city". Modified slightly, this term in Khmer has a broader meaning - "empire", "state" and "country-state".

According to research, only in the XIV-XV centuries. this name, "Angkor" came to be used as a proper name. But then “Angkor” was used for this part of the empire, which was the most developed. Today it is used only to designate an ancient city.

The immediate name of the temple must also include “Wat”. Usage "Wat" comes from the Pali language and means "the place on which the temple is built." This term is used to refer to any sacred site on which a Buddhist monastery is built in the countries of Cambodia, Laos and Taiwan. In the Khmer language, "Wat" means "honor" and "admiration".

Today, in Khmer, the name of the temple is “Ongkovoat” and in most translations and explanations it means “temple city” or “capital city”.

Why did people leave the largest temple in the world?

Residents of the capital began to leave its walls en masse in the second half of the 15th century.

One of the reasons why the Khmer Empire fell was the constant wars from the beginning of the 13th century.

Despite all the majesty of the capital of the Khmer Empire, in 1431, the troops of neighboring Siam defeated the imperial army and captured Angkor, which was the center of political life for 5 centuries.

Historians called this period the Angkorian period, which was characterized by the dawn of economic and political stability of the empire, the construction of cult temples of Khmer architecture.

The imperial capital was plundered and heavily destroyed by Siamese (Thai) troops, then an epidemic broke out, and the population fled to the southern regions, where the new modern Khmer capital, Phnom Penh, was later located.

Thus, when the territory of Cambodia (Kampuchea) was consumed by wars between its inhabitants, the majestic capital was swallowed up by nature - the jungle covered the entire city, which was rediscovered by French naturalists in the 19th century.

Angkor Wat: temple architecture

Angkor Wat is an architectural complex of a temple-mountain, a characteristic type of temple construction according to Buddhist canons. It has clear rectangular walls that are decorated with carvings.

In addition to the required 5 towers, the temple has many sculptures and also landscape planning - a moat around the temple is filled with water, and later 2 reservoirs of an even square shape were created.

What's inside the temple

Apart from numerous statues of deities, the main decoration inside the temple is the carvings. Angkor Wat is decorated with many kilometers of carvings on all 3 tiers. Also inside the temple is mostly decorated with bas-relief.

The walls of the temple still fit perfectly, and nowhere is the depiction of the transmitted scenes - the everyday and festive life of the Khmers, scenes from the life of the emperor, and even magical drawings of dragons and dinosaurs - disturbed.

Today, inexplicable holes remain on the walls of the temple - archaeologists assume that these were fastenings for bronze decorations, which were looted after the decline of the empire.

Three-level structure of the Angkor Wat temple

Angkor Wat is a complex architectural structure, the creation of which took place without any mechanical devices. But despite this, the Khmer architects managed to build an amazing complex complex of temple galleries and numerous passages of several floors.

First tier

Central here are 3 galleries of ideal rectangular shape. The third gallery is the most famous; it is skillfully decorated with magnificent two-meter wide bas-reliefs, the length of which is more than 700 m.

On the first tier there are courtyards and 2 libraries. The pavilions of this tier are connected by galleries, which are decorated with the longest bas-reliefs in the world, and also with ornaments on the cornice.

In the temple, on the first tier, 1800 apsara dancers immediately meet. The composition of bas-reliefs on the 1st tier are images of the Hindu epic, military scenes of thousands of figures, including Emperor Suryavarman II.

Second tier

You can go to the 2nd tier through specially constructed galleries and transition bridges. The galleries here are decorated with numerous relief scenes, and the bridges are placed on small pillars. In addition to the towers, there are also 2 libraries on this tier.

Third tier

The third building is considered the heart of Angkor Wat - here the architectural ensemble of the temple most symbolically resembles Mount Meru, which, according to legend, has 5 celestial peaks. The central tower served as an altar - the main place of worship of Vishnu, whose statue stood here. This tier depicts the most complex bas-reliefs in terms of technique.

The entire composition of the temple-mountain is made in absolutely precise proportions.

The mysterious connection of Angkor with the spiral of the constellation Draco

The ancient capital of Angkor remains not fully studied by historians and archaeologists. In 1992, research began actively by the British historian, John Grigsby, who found a connection between city planning and the starry sky.

He put forward the theory that the temples in the ancient capital reflect the projection of the Milky Way, namely, they model the wavy part of the star spiral of Draco and part of the neighboring stellar ensembles - the Northern Crown, Daneb, Cygnus, Ursa Minor and Ursa Major.

In addition to the direct location of the temples in this order, it is this part of the northern constellation Draco that is displayed on the walls in the temple of Bayon and Phnom Bakheng.

Comparisons between the planning of city temples and parts of the milky way are obvious, although not exact. Thus, the proportions between the temples resemble the proportions between the stars, but the territory of the temples themselves disrupts the geometric pattern in the sky.

This inaccuracy was debunked by the following study - using computer design, it was confirmed that the central temples are indeed a mirror image of the heavens, but they only repeat the starry sky of the spring equinox of 10,500 BC.

Such research has suspended the belief about the active development of the imperial capital of Angkor in the 9th - 13th centuries, but the main hypothesis, which still remains refuted, is that the temples of the Khmer culture were built on the foundations of earlier cultures.

Stegosaurus at Angkor Wat. Could the Khmers have seen dinosaurs?

Since the early 1990s. There are active discussions about the earlier construction of the capital of the Khmer Empire, but even they cannot explain how the Khmers were able to depict a dinosaur on the walls of their temple.

In Hindu temples there are often decorations from the mythological period, where the entire animal world is depicted. But the presence of the Angkor Wat temple on one of the reliefs remains unique image of a herbivorous dinosaur, Stegosaurus, whose remains date back to 140 million years ago.

Sacred numerology of Angkor

The ancient capital of Angkor attracts the attention of not only historians and archaeologists, but also astronomers and mathematicians. Many consider this place sacred, due to the constant symbolic repetition of the numbers 72, 54 and 108 in the landscape, decoration and planning of the city.

These numbers are sacred in Buddhist and Hindu cosmology, so they, or the sum of these numbers, can be found throughout the city:

1. The city itself is located 72 degrees east of the Egyptian Pyramid of Giza.
2. During the power of the empire, 72 temples were built in the city.
3. Along the perimeter of Angkor Thom, the historical center of the city, there are huge sculptures - 54 Devas and 54 Asuras.
4. Bayon Temple has 54 towers.
5. In the Angkor Wat temple there is an image of 108 nagas.
6. There are 108 small towers around the central sanctuary of Phnom Bakheng.

Legends and myths about the temple

The ancient city of Angkor attracts a huge amount of interest. And since there is very little information about this period, myths and legends about the reality of this place begin to arise.

In addition to a significant number of skeptics who do not believe in the authenticity of the architecture of the ancient city, questions are often raised about the real “hiding” of Angkor in the 19th century. French naturalists. The main question that raises doubts is what the travelers themselves came up with, since the 19th century. not particularly popular for its scientific approach.

It is obvious that Henri Muo unintentionally, but mythologized this city, giving it a special piquancy. Today, for example, it is difficult to verify whether there really was a dormant jungle that swallowed up the city.

The last thing that remains in question is the antiquity of the bas-reliefs themselves. The technique used to create the plots is very skillful, and not everyone believes that the ancient Khmers could so accurately convey the features of the heroes on the walls.

Angkor has a magnificent history, so some scholars are trying to find connections between the Khmer culture and the previous, more mysterious culture of lost Atlantis.

It is believed that Rudyard Kipling wrote The Jungle Book after visiting this place. Angkor Wat has only one folklore story. The local population believed that at night the Snake Goddess descended into the same tower, who turned into a beauty and seduced the king.

She was considered the city's mascot. And when misfortunes began to fall on the city, it was believed that the Snake Goddess stopped coming. This explains why the temple, the eighth wonder of the world, has many depictions of snakes on its facades.

Article format: Mila Friedan

Video about Angkor Wat temple

Video about Angkor Wat temple:

Once upon a time, I read in a beautiful book with pictures about an ancient temple in the middle of the jungle. And I had a dream to see Angkor - an amazing temple complex built between the 9th and 13th centuries by the ancient Khmers. This ancient architectural structure is both the main attraction of Cambodia and its pride. are located a few kilometers from the city of Siem Reap. They are popular among tourists from all over the world and each of them wants to visit Angkor Wat - the largest Hindu temple in the world and a real treasure of the Khmer Empire. To look at them, I came to Cambodia three different times, and each time I discovered something new.

What is Angkor?

Angkor is an area in Cambodia that contains numerous ruins of temples from the ancient Khmer Empire, which flourished at the beginning of the last millennium. It contains entire constellations of ancient Khmer cities, which combine a variety of architectural styles. Each of the temple cities is connected with the other, and at the same time they are independent and represent different stages in the development of the empire. Some temples (for example) were forgotten immediately after the overthrow of the king who built them, others ceased to have value after another form of construction was found, like the unfinished Ta Keo. But each of them is unique.

The central part of the Angkor territory is Angkor Thom city, surrounded by a deep moat with water and walls 8 meters high and 3 kilometers long. There was a huge palace on it, built under Jayavarman VII, in which the king and people close to him lived, as well as temples and important government institutions. The most famous of them are the Bayon Temple, the terraces of the elephants and the leper king, as well as the Royal Palace and the nearby temple-mountain Bapuon.

Basic information:

Where is Angkor and how to get there

Angkor is located in Cambodia, north of the lake near the city of Siem Reap. It is located on flat terrain, like the ancient city, among fields and forests south of the Kulen plateau. GPS coordinates of Angkor: 13° 26′ 0″ N, 103° 50′ 0″ E. The size of Angkor is amazing, its length is 24 kilometers from west to east and 8 kilometers from north to south.

Getting to Angkor can be done in several ways:

Angkor Wat on the map of Southeast Asia

What is the Angkor temple complex?

Angkor temple complex is an architecturally unique collection of temples made of stone (mainly sandstone and laterite), differing in shape: mountain temple, ground-level temple, Angkor Wat (a unique combination of the forms of a mountain temple and a ground-level temple), temple-monasteries , as well as the huge cities of Angkor Thom and Koh Ker. The temple complex was built by the Khmer civilization between the 9th and 12th centuries on the territory of modern Cambodia. The main attraction of the temple complex is the Angkor Wat temple, which occupies an area of ​​2.5 km 2. And Banteay Srei, built in 967, is considered the most beautiful temple of Angkor, according to many travelers, and this is especially noticeable in the morning rays of the rising sun.

Pink sunrise and silhouette of Angkor Wat temple

- These are amazing ceremonial structures of the Khmers, not similar to each other. They are united into a temple complex, grandiose in scope and historical significance, built during the rule of the Khmer Empire (IX-XVI centuries).

It will take several days to explore all the temples of Angkor, since the archaeological park covers an area of ​​about 200 km 2. The most famous of the temples is Angkor Wat, and the neighboring Angkor Thom and Bayon are known as the most outstanding architectural monuments of the Khmer Empire, included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Basic information about the temples of Angkor:

Temple-mountain is a ceremonial structure on the territory of modern Cambodia in the form of a stepped pyramid, personifying Mount Meru and fully embodying the cosmogony of Hinduism. It was dedicated to the god Shiva, was the center of religious life among the ancient Khmers and the repository of the royal linga. This form of Angkor temples was characteristic of the beginning of the heyday of the Khmer civilization (from the 9th to the 10th centuries). The ditch around it represents the world ocean in which the earth is located, the walls of the temple are mountain ranges, and the second ditch is considered the sea. Examples of temple-mountains are Bakong, Phnom Bakheng, and the Ta Keo temple, also part of the Angkor temple complex, was never completed.

Ground level temple- a Khmer type of temple dedicated to ancestors, the characteristic feature of which is massive platforms at the base, as well as rich sculptural decoration of stairs, facades and passages and masterfully executed carvings on stone pediments. The design of the Banteay Srei temple was a real masterpiece of such carvings. This form of temple construction was also characteristic of the first half of the Khmer Empire. The first ground level temple is considered to be Preah Koh, followed by Prasat Kravan and Loh Lei.

During the construction of Angkor Wat in the 12th century, Khmer engineering attempted to embody both of these forms of temple in one structure, and the result was temple-mountain at ground level. This time is considered the golden age of Khmer architecture. There were other attempts to build a similar engineering and architectural masterpiece, as a result of which Beng Melia and Banteay Samre appeared in the Angkor temple complex.

Temples-monasteries- These are huge ceremonial structures occupying a vast area as part of the Angkor temple complex in Cambodia. They were mainly built under King Jayavarman VII (a proponent of Mahayana Buddhism) and were surrounded by numerous buildings richly decorated with bas-reliefs and sculptures. The most famous temple-monasteries are Ta Prohm and Preah Khan.

Angkor Wat in Cambodia

Angkor Wat- This is the main temple of the huge Angkor complex. It was built in the 12th century and became the pearl of the Khmer architectural style - a balance was finally found between cosmology, between politics, architecture and the capabilities of people. And now Angkor Wat still amazes people with its sophistication and it is its five lotus towers that adorn the coat of arms of Cambodia.

Angkor Wat is located next to Siem Reap, and all the routes offered to tourists by tuk-tuk drivers pass through it. So, when you come to Siem Reap, you will definitely see it!

Angkor Wat on the map

Basic information about Angkor Wat in Cambodia:

Routes around Angkor

A visit to Angkor should be carefully prepared, because there are many temples, and all are interesting in their own way. First of all, you need to make a route, deciding which of the temples of the huge temple complex will be included in it and which will not. Fortunately, travelers and tukers in Siem Reap have long ago solved this problem.

What is the large and small circle of Angkor

- This is an examination of the main attractions of the temple complex, built during the power of the Khmer Empire. During an organized excursion, tourists who come to the city of Siem Reap, which is located near Angkor Wat, are accommodated in hotels, and during the day they visit ancient temples. A self-guided tour to Angkor is more popular among travelers. There is nothing difficult about how to organize it. To do this, you need to hire a vehicle with a driver in Siem Reap, who will take you from one inspection site to another, or you can rent a bicycle or motorbike in the city and drive yourself.

It is possible to come to Angkor from neighboring countries. A very popular excursion among tourists from Pattaya to Cambodia, during which an organized group with a Russian-speaking guide is brought by bus to Siem Reap for 1-2 days to show the main attraction - Angkor Wat. There are also excursions from Ho Chi Minh City and Sihanoukville.

The most interesting thing that awaits you during the excursion to Angkor:

• Go watch the sunrise at Angkor Wat
• Admire the many faces of the Bayon Temple, whose faces sometimes smile or feel sad in different lighting conditions
• Visit the ruins of Ta Prohm from the movie Lara Croft: Tomb Raider with Angelina Jolie
• Soar over Angkor in a hot air balloon
• You can ride an elephant to Mount Bakeng and watch the sunset there
• Buy souvenirs, knitwear and black pepper at the market
• Go to an evening Apsara dance show

Hotels in Siem Reap

Upon arrival, first of all, you need to stay in a pre-booked hotel or find it with the help of a tukker, who will certainly offer his help in exchange for a promise to take you to the sights of Angkor. There are a lot of hotels in Siem Reap - for every taste and budget: cheap guesthouses for $10 and expensive villas for $100 or more.

• Important: all the details about the city of Siem Reap and what hotels there are,

You can compare prices for Siem Reap hotels and choose the most suitable one right here:

How to watch Angkor - all options

Apart from an organized bus ride to Angkor or hiring a tuk-tuk with driver to Siem Reap, there are several other options. Since 2016, it has become possible to explore the temple complex on a rented motorbike or electric bike. This is the most important innovation and it mainly concerns independent travelers.

• The first thing that catches your eye when walking around Siem Reap is the rows of new motorbikes. Now they are rented out to anyone! So the opportunity arose independently explore the temples of Angkor on a motorbike. Previously, the tuk-tuk guild was against tourists moving around the temple complex on their own (unless no one touched cyclists, they were simply waved at!). But now tukers have lost part of their audience. You can rent a motorbike on any street - prices range from 12 to 20 dollars. We borrowed a motorbike from an enterprising Chinese owner of a souvenir shop, which is convenient for two to ride. Initially it was sold for $15 (at other offices it was $20), but we negotiated it for $13. Moreover, the bike was good, Japanese, new and powerful. And the number on this bike was from the capital. A motorbike is, of course, real freedom for independent travelers who have either already been to Siem Reap and roughly understand the territory of the archaeological park, or for the independent and courageous, who only need a map or navigator for adventure.
• Bicycles also available for rent - price from a dollar to two per day, depending on the location. We rented at our hotel and paid $1.5 for one day, and if we had ridden for two days or more, the price would have dropped to a dollar a day. In addition, guided bike rides around the temples of Angkor have become fashionable. After all, in Europe it’s common to ride bicycles, so why deny yourself this on vacation? And the whole company, 5-10 people each, hires a guide, sits on their bicycles and rides together between the temples. I can’t even imagine how much the guide is paid for his torment.
• There is also a new option - electric bikes. But, they say, they are still low-power, slow and have weak batteries. That is, they will be suitable for a ride around the city of Siem Reap. But it’s better not to ride them to temples, otherwise who knows who else will carry whom... The price of electric bikes is $10. On the roads we even sometimes saw green signs where you can charge your electric bike for free. How this works in reality has not been tested. We rode an electric bike around Bagan during , and decided that if you follow some rules, an electric bike is very useful when exploring the countless pagodas of Bagan. About our e-bike rental experience in Bagan.
• Tuk-tukers there are still a lot and they are happy to offer their services and take you around the temples of Angkor. Read about how important it is to choose a good tukker. By the way, as we found out, tuk-tuk is a name for tourists. But the Cambodians themselves call their carts with a motorcycle - remork.
• Angkor Wat in a hot air balloon. There is also the opportunity to view the main temple of Angkor from a bird's eye view. You can go up in a hot air balloon for $20.

Cute bikes for rent

Motorbikes can now also be rented

Prices for tuk-tuk in Siem Rim

These are the prices you can use as a guideline for excursions to Angkor Wat in 2016-2017

Tickets to Angkor

The cost of tickets to visit the temples of Angkor has not changed for many years.

• 1 day – $37
• 3 days – $62 (ticket valid for 10 days)
• 7 days – $72 (valid for a month)

Tickets are personal, or rather “face” tickets. They contain your instant photo, which is taken by the cashier during the sale, and cannot be transferred to other people.

The availability of tickets is now checked at every temple, and they look not only at their expiration date, but also often compare your appearance with the photo on the ticket. The guards at the entrance every day put a mark that you have already visited the park today, so that you cannot cheat and use a three-day ticket for more days.

You can skip days and visit the temples of Angkor at a time convenient for you. During the day you can enter and leave the park as many times as you like. On your first visit, the archaeological park staff will still note that you have already been there that day.

What else you need to know about Angkor

Rules for visiting Angkor:

• Working hours. All temples open at 7.30 am and close by 5.30 pm. Before and after, tourists are not allowed into the temple grounds. The exceptions are Angkor Wat, which opens at 5 a.m. to allow travelers to watch the sunrise, while Pre Rup and Phnom Bakheng are open from 5 a.m. to 7 p.m. Here you have the opportunity to watch both sunrise and sunset. But in reality, almost everyone goes to see the sunrise at Angkor Wat, and for sunset they gather on Bakeng Hill. It is worth adding that there are guards on duty near each of the temples, so it is unlikely that you will be able to easily enter at the wrong time.
• Dress code. The temples of Angkor are not active, so you can walk around the territory in shoes that should be comfortable, because in the heat the stones become very hot. However, walking up stairs in flip-flops will be extremely uncomfortable. It is better to choose clothes that are light and comfortable, but not overly revealing.
• Be careful on stairs. Some temples, especially those like Ta Keo, with steep and high stairs, should be visited with caution. Keep your hands free when you're on ladders so you can always grab a hold. Be as vigilant as possible and watch your step!
• Mines in Cambodia. Don't forget that Cambodia went through a terrible civil war just a few decades ago, and not all of its lands are free of mines. The areas near Mount Phnom Kulen, the Kbal Spean River and the Koh Ker pyramid are still mined. Stay on the hiking trails and don't ignore the Danger! Mines! This is not a joke or a prank.
• Drink water. Always take enough drinking water with you!

Angkor Wat is a huge Hindu temple complex in Cambodia, often called the "eighth wonder of the world." This is the largest religious building in the world dedicated to the god Vishnu. The silhouette of Angkor Wat is the national symbol of Cambodia and adorns the flag and coat of arms of the state. This bright and expressive example of Khmer Empire architecture attracts many tourists to the country.

The Angkor Wat temple complex symbolizes the universe, and its five towers in the shape of lotus buds symbolically represent the heavenly abode of the gods - Mount Meru with its five peaks.

Inside the central tower, rising 65 m above ground level, is hidden the Shiva linga, a symbol of life-giving divine power. Around there are 4 lower towers with their own courtyards and galleries enclosing them. From any vantage point, only three of the five towers of Angkor Wat can be seen.

The temple complex consists of three levels with terraces and galleries, rising as you move towards the central tower. These three levels symbolize parts of the legendary Mount Meru, in the upper part of which the gods lived, in the middle part lived people, and below, under the mountain, demons lived. Angkor Wat is essentially a huge three-step pyramid surrounded by a huge moat 3.6 km long, symbolizing the world's oceans.

The Angkor Wat temple covers an area of ​​200 hectares, including a 190 m wide surrounding moat.

The walls of Angkor Wat are covered with intricate carvings, among which you can see images of deities, battle scenes and many apsaras - heavenly maidens, according to legend, delighting those who go to heaven. In Angkor Wat, you can count more than 2 thousand images of apsaras, and all of them are not repeated. The total area of ​​sculptural works of the Angkor Wat complex is about 2 thousand square kilometers.

Excursions

Many travel agencies offer themed or all-inclusive excursions to the Angkor Wat temple complex. You can also book excursion tours on the official website of the Cambodian travel agency.

If tourists arrived in the country not through the Siem Reap airport closest to the Angkor Wat complex, you can use intercity by bus by booking your ticket on the official website of the Cambodia Tourism Bureau.

Road from Siem Reap

The historical site can be reached from Siem Reap by auto rickshaw- knock-knock. This transport service can be arranged in advance with the hotel staff.

Experienced tourists note that to travel around the ancient city of Angkor, it is better to rent transport for the whole day, because the distances between the temples are quite large. The travel distance along the so-called big circle is 26 km, and along the small circle - 17 km. The car costs 2 times more than tuk-tuks, that is, 40 dollars per day, but it goes much faster and in most cases is equipped with air conditioning.

Tourists can rent automobile in a licensed company, choosing from the list of companies on the official website of the Cambodian travel agency.

The parking lot is located near the bridge along which the road to the temple complex goes.

Video of Angkor Wat temple

Only about a century and a half ago, the great discovery of Angkor, lost in the jungles of Cambodia, took place. Today this is one of the most interesting places on our planet.

History of the temple

The first mentions of huge stone structures date back to 1601. Then Marcelo Ribandeiro from Spain accidentally stumbled upon the strange temple of Angkor Wat in the jungle of Cambodia. The Khmers living on this land could not build stone structures; the mystery of the origin of the temple arose, for which the missionary had to turn to the local residents. But they also could not satisfy Ribandeiro’s interest. This once again reinforced the idea that there was a completely different civilization here long before the Khmers, the legacy of which was Angkor. No one lived in this temple city except animals; the locals believed that, according to one of the legends, the city should have been restored by foreigners.

This huge discovery was quickly forgotten. For Europe, the Angkor Wat temple was of no interest. A new wave of mentions of this monument began in 1868 after the publication of a book by a traveler from France, Henri Muot.

For a long time, Muo wandered through the jungle, suffering from hunger and disease, until one day he managed to come across a clearing. Three towers loomed against the sky; at first it even seemed to him that these were beginning hallucinations. But as he approached the buildings, he realized that he had made a great discovery.

This happened on January 22, 1861. The discovery turned out to be very important. This is how a stage in Cambodian history appeared - the era of the Angkor civilization. And the towers of Angkor are enshrined in the flag and coat of arms of Cambodia.

Legendary Palace

In ancient times, the Cambodian state of Chenla was ruled by Jayavarman II. This man is credited with creating the Angkor Empire. And his successor Suryavarman II (1113-1150) built the Angkor Wat temple.

The temple was built for the god Vishnu. But in fact it was the sanctuary and tomb of King Suryavarman II. In the Angkor empire, there was worship of the king, who was considered the incarnation of a great deity. And the Angkor temple itself was considered his heavenly home on earth.

There is a whole legend about the construction of the temple. So one of the rulers had a son, Preah Ket Mealea. God Indra liked this young man and invited him to his heaven. Preah Ket Meala loved the place, but especially liked the magnificent palace with five towers. But all good things come to an end sooner or later; the tevoda (divine dancers) became worried about the appearance of a divine spirit in the sky, disturbing its harmony. They told Indra about this, and he had to return the prince to earth. And the deity decided to build his beloved palace on earth. The place for construction was indicated by the bull Nandin, and Preah Pushnuka was chosen as the leader of the construction. The best craftsmen from all lands were gathered, and Angkor Wat was built.

Description of the temple

The temple is located in the center of a vast complex that unites about 200 other temples. The temple is surrounded by a moat that fills during the monsoon season. In the reflection of the water, the temple looks like the sacred Mount Meru surrounded by the world's oceans. This is what the great builders intended.

Angkor Wat is surrounded by a wall, and the visitor enters through the main portal. Before his eyes I see three terraces towering above each other. The first is at a height of 3.5 meters, the second - 7, the third - 13. In the plan, the terraces represent decreasing squares. On the upper terrace there are five towers - four in the corners and one in the center, rising 65 meters. Due to the orientation of the temple, only three towers are visible when approaching from either side.

Calculations show that the number of stones at Angkor Wat corresponds to the number of stones used in the construction of the Egyptian Pyramid of Khafre. But since the stones in Angkor have deep artistic processing, one can only be amazed at the labor expended by the ancient inhabitants of this land.

Image feeds

The carvings of the temple are of great interest to visitors and researchers of the temple. The carved images here stretch for kilometers, something like this cannot be seen anywhere else in the world. Indian mythology is combined with real historical characters; one can compare this miracle with famous paintings of the Renaissance.

Angkor Wat is one of the interesting attractions of Cambodia - it is a huge complex of temples available for tourist excursions.

How to get to Angkor

You can get to the ancient capital of Cambodia, Angkor Wat, in several ways, for example, by car or minibus. There are several excursions lasting several days. The temple complex is located in Cambodia, near the city of Siem Reap. You can get to this city by any transport, bus, plane and even by boat. If you decide to spend your holidays in Pattaya or, you can take part in excursions, they are regularly held at Angkor Wat.

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Let us draw your attention to the fact that the Angkor complex refers to all the temples located on a huge site; in addition, there is also Angkor Wat, it was erected by the ruler Suryavarman II. This temple is considered the main one and is called the pearl of Angkor.

From Bangkok to Angkor

Traveling from Bangkok to Siem Reap or Siem Reap (the name is pronounced in two ways) involves several steps:

• you need to get to the border (to the town of Aranyaprathet);
• You won’t be able to cross the border without a Cambodian visa, so you should worry about its availability in advance;
• get from the border (Poipet town) to Siem Reap.

Tours from Bangkok to Angkor Wat are available both individual and group.

Where to stay in Angkor

So, we have already found out where Angkor is. The closest city to the complex is Siem Reap. There you can stay at any hotel you like, because you still have to use transport to get there. There are a large number of hotels in the city; any vacationer, if necessary, can choose a suitable hotel for themselves. It is possible to rent a bicycle (but, again, it will be difficult to get to the right place) or take a bus.

A little history

Angkor Wat, whose history is quite interesting, was founded around the 10th-12th centuries. At that time, Angkor was one of the largest cities on the planet. The temples from that time became famous even far from the Khmer Empire.

In 1431, Siamese troops almost completely defeated and plundered the city, after which all residents had to leave their homes and go in search of new ones. Since that time, Angkor and more than 100 palaces and temples that remained intact were hidden under the arches of tropical forests. Until, at the end of the 19th century, the French naturalist Anne Muo presented a sufficient number of works that were created and written in honor of Angkor.

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It became known that even Rudyard Kipling published his “Jungle Book” about Mowgli only after he had the good fortune of becoming a visitor to the beautiful Angkor. In 1992, the temple complex was taken under the supervision of trustees from UNESCO.

Angkor Temples

The temples included in the regular Angkor ticket are referred to by guides as near temples, and those located a little further from Siem Reap are called distant ones. The nearby temples are part of several routes designed as a tour taking place in the town square: the small circle and the large circle of Angkor. The Batni Shri and Batni Samri temples are also included in the complex, but are located a short distance from the excursion route.

Visits to the small and large circles of Angkor are designed for several separate days, as they occupy a very large area. One small circle is about 17 km. The mileage of the big circle is 26 km.

There is a certain scheme where you can find the desired temple. The red line indicates that you are traveling in a small circle, the green line indicates that you are traveling in a large circle. . You can choose excursions to Angkor Wat according to the route that interests you.

Meaning of the word

Angkor, the meaning of the word comes from the Sanskrit “nagara”, which means “sacred city”. The beginning of the first Angkor period is considered to be the beginning of 802 AD. BC, while the Khmer Emperor Jayavarman II declared himself the “Ecumenical Monarch” and “God King”. The end of this period occurred at the end of the 14th century.

Having decided on a tour of Angkor, you need to pay attention to how the city of Angkor is located, the map of which will help with this. The country delights visitors with sunshine most of the time of the year.

When choosing the clothes you will wear during the excursion, give preference to breezy clothes that cover most of the body, because you can get a sunburn if you are in the sun all day.

Covering your face and head will also make your journey more enjoyable. Too much sun in Angkor can cause headaches and eye pain, so it is worth wearing a hat and, if possible, sunglasses.

If you love ruins, then in order to climb them, it is better to wear well-laced sneakers, because summer flip-flops can easily be lost. You don't have to worry about going hungry while on this excursion. You can buy food and drinks near the temples. There are no strong drinks on sale, only beer. If you wish, you can take something stronger with you, but be careful, in the heat this can lead to unpredictable consequences.

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