It was our first
day exploring Angkor and we started with a big day. Angkor Thom is the largest of
all the areas of the ancient Angkor sites, and in many ways, the most
interesting. King Jayavarman VII built Angkor Thom in the late 1100s and parts
of the area were developed, rather than constructed new, indicating the
historic significance of the site.
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| Angkor Thom gate, Cambodia |
Angkor Thom Gate
Even before
arriving at any constructions we enjoyed crossing the moat around the ancient
city. The bridge was lined with statues on either side, each holding Naga, the
snake god, who formed a balustrade. The statues were in varying states of repair
and disrepair, and formed a magnificent welcome. The much-photographed gate was
also impressive in its carving detail. It is only wide enough for a single
vehicle to pass through at any time, so pedestrians beware!
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| Angkor Thom gate, Cambodia |
As we passed
through the gate a huge tree-lined boulevard opened up before us, leading to
the heart of Angkor Thom. Beneath the trees monkeys sat on the grass watching
as tourists purchased lotus roots from locals. They had the intention of
politely feeding these to the monkeys, but the monkeys’ table manners are very
different to those of the tourist. We watched one monkey climb up a woman to
snatch the food before he made his escape!
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| Watch out for monkeys in Angkor Thom, Cambodia |
Angkor Thom
The ancient city
of Angkor Thom is vast. The walls surrounding the city are 12 kilometres long. It
was the last capital city of the Khmer empire. King Jayarvarman’s state temple
Bayon stands in the centre and is easily recognised because of all the benevolent
faces carved into the stone. Near the entrance entire walls, about 2 metres
high, are covered with intricate, and remarkably well-preserved, bas-relief
carvings depicting historic battles.
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| Bas-relief carvings, Angkor Thom, Cambodia |
Bayon
Buddhist temple
Bayon is a three-tiered temple with 49 sanctuary towers on the second and third
levels, each adorned with the faces of the gods. The principal Buddha statue
was discovered in recent excavations and is now housed in a pavilion outside
the temple.
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| Bayon, Angkor Thom, Cambodia |
Baphuon
Tall and imposing
Baphuon is an impressive monument built in the form of a steep-sided pyramid.
Baphuon makes clear the continuing construction in the area as it was
discovered in the 11th century but also contains a statue of a
reclining Buddha that was added during the 16th century,
highlighting the transformation of these one-time Hindu temples to Buddhist
sanctuaries.
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| Baphuon, Angkor Thom, Cambodia |
Phimeanakas
Of the royal
palace only Phimeanakas, which is believed to have been a place of worship,
remains. The steep-sided structure is surrounded by statues of lions and has
elephants on each corner. The area was surrounded by a five-metre-high stone wall,
screening other buildings that have long since vanished.
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| Phimeanakas, Angkor Thom, Cambodia |
The Elephant
Terrace remains as a royal platform above a wide, open space where processions
and festivals took place. It is so-called due to the stone carvings of
elephants that line the platform structure, only a few of which are still
recognizable as elephants today.
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| Elephant Terrace, Angkor Thom, Cambodia |
It took us an
entire day to explore Angkor Thom and appreciate the details of the complex. While
it is all in ruins today, it is easy to imagine how awe-inspiring Angkor Thom
would have been when it was a living city. I loved the faces of the gods
watching over the city and protecting it.
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| Tree-lined boulevard leading to Angkor Thom, Cambodia |
Have you ever
been to a ruined city and imagined it in its heyday?
