Where is angkor located. Angkor Wat: a temple complex in Cambodia. Architectural and geographical terms

There is a small kingdom of Cambodia, its interesting places never cease to amaze. Everything that may be of interest to tourists is located in the southeast of Asia. The foundation was the first century AD, the state of Funan was built. At the beginning of the seventh century, it began to be called Cambodia or "Kampuchea" - the country of the Khmers, who made up the majority of the inhabitants. They practiced mainly Hinduism and Buddhism. The state of Cambodia came to independence only in 1953, having gone through a difficult path of political restructuring.

Today, Cambodia remains a kingdom and preserves the cultural traditions of its ancestors. The culture of this state is in great demand among tourists. Cambodia is becoming a favorite destination for tourists due to its beautiful nature and architecture. Cambodia Angkor Wat is one of the interesting sights of the town.

angkor wat temple

The ancient capital of Cambodia, Angkor Wat, can be reached in several ways, for example, by car or minibus. There are several excursions designed for 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 a steamboat. If you decide to spend or, you can become a member of the excursion, they are regularly held in Angkor Wat.

Let us draw your attention to the fact that all the temples located on a huge site are called the Angkor complex, in addition, there is also the temple of 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

Search for cheap flights

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 having it in advance;
• get from the border (Poipet town) to Siem Reap.

Tours from Bangkok to Angkor Wat exist both individual and group.

Where to stay in Angkor

So, we have already found out where Angkor is located. The closest location to the complex is the city - Siem Reap. There you can stay at any hotel you like, because you still have to get to it by transport. The city has a large number of hotels, any vacationer, if necessary, can choose for himself suitable hotel. It is possible to rent a bike (but, again, it will be difficult to get to the right place) or go by bus.

A bit of history

Angkor Wat, whose history is quite interesting, was founded around the 10th-12th centuries. At that time, Angkor was one of the most major cities planets. Temples from that time became known even far from the Khmer empire.

In 1431, the troops of Siam almost completely defeated and plundered the city, after which all the inhabitants 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 hiding under the arches. rainforest. Until, at the end of the 19th century, the French naturalist Ann Muo presented a sufficient number of works that were created and written in honor of Angkor.

It became known that even Rudyard Kipling released his "The Jungle Book" about Mowgli only after he had the good fortune to become a visitor to the beautiful Angkor. In 1992 temple complex taken under the supervision of trustees from UNESCO.

Temples of Angkor

The temples that are part of the usual Angkor ticket are referred to by the guides as nearby temples, and those located a little further from Siem Reap are called distant ones. The nearby temples are part of several itineraries designed as a guided tour through the town square: the small circle and the big circle of Angkor. The temples of Batni Sri and Batni Samri are also included in the complex, but are located at a short distance from the excursion path.

Visits to the small and large circles of Angkor are designed for several separate days, as they take 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 desired temple. The red line indicates that you are traveling in a small circle, green Line talking about a big circle . Excursions to Angkor Wat you can choose according to the route you are interested in.

The Angkor temple complex is National Treasure of Cambodia, the pride of the country and its main attraction.

Outstanding architectural monuments were built during the heyday of the Khmer civilization more than 9 centuries ago. The center of the complex is the temple angkor wat which is shown on national flag and the coat of arms of Cambodia.

Useful information and how to get to Anggor Wat

Angkor Wat is located 5 km, which, in principle, is not so far even for a walk. However, all the numerous temples of the complex are scattered over a vast territory, so it will be reasonable to move between them only by transport. There are several options, How to get to Angkor Wat:

• Rent a bike and move between temples on it. Suitable for hardy people, since the distances are quite large, and the heat in Cambodia is unbearable. The cost of renting for the whole day is 4-6 $
• Take a tuk-tuk- the most popular option for tourists. It is very easy to do this, in Siem Reap with an offer of a trip to Angkor, literally every second Cambodian will approach you. The cost of a tuk-tuk for the whole day is 10-20 $ depending on the route and your ability to negotiate :)
• Take a taxi. To be honest, we did not find out the prices (the option with a car was not considered at all), so I can only assume that the price will be at least $ 30 per day.

But before deciding the issue of transport, decide on route through the temple complex. For the convenience of tourists, two multi-kilometer routes are offered:

• Small circle: it includes the most popular temples: Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom, Ta Prohm.
• Big circle: this included temples located at a remote distance from Angkor Wat.

The routes are shown more clearly on the map:

As a rule, a small circle is chosen by those who came to the temple complex for one day and want to have time to see its main attractions in a short time. If you plan to devote more days to Angkor, then you will have enough time for the route in a large circle. We shone the Cambodian complex for only one day, so we chose a small circle. Renting a tuk tuk cost us at $12 for the whole day.

The cost of visiting the Angkor temple complex:

• $20 - one day ticket;
• $40 - ticket for 3 days, valid for a week;
• $60 - ticket for 7 days, valid for a month.

Working hours: from 5.00 to 18.00 daily.

Well, now I will dwell in more detail on those temples that we managed to visit. Photos, of course do not convey the scale and grandeur of the complex, but if you are reading this, then most likely you have plans to visit Angkor in Cambodia. Therefore, you can see it with your own eyes.

Angkor Temple Complex Small Circle Route

angkor wat

Giant Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu is the most recognizable landmark of Cambodia. It consists of five towers, symbolizing the peaks of the sacred Mount Meru. The height of the central tower reaches 65 meters. Along the perimeter, the temple is surrounded by a huge moat with water, more than 5.5 km long. Angkor Wat means "temple city" in Khmer.

A large number of tourists gather near Angkor Wat at dawn: in the rays of the rising sun, it looks really impressive. Despite its centuries of history, the temple stood abandoned for several centuries after the decline of the Khmer civilization. Fortunately, during the bloody regime of Paul Pott, the Angkor temple complex was preserved.

Ta-Prom

Probably the biggest impression on me was the temple of Ta-Prom. This place is a clear symbol, as nature is merciless even with the cult creations of man:

The Buddhist monastery of Ta-Prom was built in 1186 by the Khmer king Jayavarman VII. In those distant times, the temple was a whole city, over 12 thousand people lived on its territory. Ta-Prom was considered one of the richest monasteries, 3,140 villages with a population of almost 80 thousand people were subordinate to him. Only history remains of its former glory.

After the decline of the Khmer civilization, the monastery was abandoned and only discovered in the 19th century. The walls, surrounded by the jungle, were swallowed up by nature. The powerful roots of star anise are firmly rooted in ancient buildings Angkor, creating a unique aura of the place. That is why they decided to shoot the famous film “Lara Croft. Tomb Raider”, which only added to the popularity of the Cambodian attraction.

angkor thom

Angkor Thom is translated as "big city" and this name is quite justified. During the heyday of the Khmer civilization, it was the capital of the kingdom. All the houses on its territory were built of wood, so, unfortunately, they did not survive to our time. The city had the shape of a square, divided into 4 equal parts by axial roads. Its territory was surrounded by a bulk wall and a moat with water.

In the center of the city was the main pearl of the place, which has survived to this day - the Bayon Temple. Thanks to him, Angkor Thom is so popular among tourists. Its highlights are towers with many stone faces, silently looking from a height around. The sight is impressive, I'll tell you :) The temple was built in the Buddhist style, but historians also capture the features of Hinduism.

We also visited temples and Banteay Kdey, but there was nothing particularly outstanding in them (especially in comparison with the above architectural creations), therefore, with your permission, I will not dwell on them.

1. Get ready for crowds of people throughout the complex. I have only seen such a concentration of tourists

2. If you're okay with waking up early, be sure to visit Angkor Wat at dawn. Judging by the pictures, this is a very picturesque sight. I categorically do not accept getting up in the morning hours, so we successfully missed the sunrise :)

3. I was not allowed inside Angkor Wat because of my open shoulders. Do not repeat my mistakes, otherwise you will miss this fantastic view from above:

4. Be sure to bring water and hat. Most time you'll be under open sky so it will be hot.

5. If you plan to visit Angkor in one day, then choose a small circle. Impressions will be enough with your head, and in time it will take almost a whole day.

6. Don't forget to wear comfortable shoes! In the same Ta-Keo I mentioned, there was simply suicidal climb up a very steep stone staircase. It was very scary to go down and up, and if you add slippery shoes ...

And this is the top view. The descent is very steep. Well, not in the sense of cool, but in the sense of very sharp))

7. There is a small chance to reduce meetings with crowds of tourists if you go to see the sights of a small or large circle not clockwise, but counterclock-wise. We didn't do that, but I guess it makes sense.

8. Beware of monkeys, of which there are a lot ( jungle everywhere). And you know, they like to "shoot" glasses and other shiny things. Although, as for me, these are just the cutest creatures:

9. According to my estimates, the minimum time to visit a small circle is about 5 hours along with the road. It took us a little more than 8 hours, but we examined everything thoroughly and took a lot of pictures. Most of the time is best left for Angkor Wat and Ta Prohm.

10. By the end of the day, this old thing was already flickering in my eyes, so it’s a mystery to me what is the pleasure of walking around Angkor for 2-3 days. One day was enough.

However, the Angkor temple complex - this is one of the few places that I can recommend to everyone. These ancient structures really make a great impression. You know, sometimes you want to call some sights hyped or pop. So, these definitions cannot be attributed to Angkor Wat. This is a national treasure of Cambodia, part of its rich history.

There are its temples, of which there are a great many on the territory of the country. Today we will tell you about the most interesting and majestic ones that amaze the imagination with unthinkable bas-reliefs and original masonry.

The complex of temples in Cambodia occupies vast territories, and it should be noted that many of them are still under research.

Country Features

Cambodia attracts tourists with its originality - this is not Thailand, a little embellished and convenient for tourists. Travelers are usually impressed by the wild lands, free smiling people and extraordinary temples of Cambodia. These are amazing ensembles that even Hollywood has not left without attention, which has repeatedly chosen them as decorations for its films.

Experienced tourists note features that are directly related to sightseeing in this country, which you need to know about for those who are just planning a trip:

1. All temples are magnificent different time days: some at dawn, others during the day, others at dusk.
2. Inspection of the ancient complexes takes a lot of time, so the event should be given at least three days to see the most interesting places. At this time, you can rent a room in one of the hotels located nearby the town of Siem Reap.
3. To view the Angkor complex, it makes sense to think about renting a car, since many of the buildings are at a decent distance from each other.

Angkor: the ancient temples of Cambodia

This is a region of the country that has become the cradle for the largest empire in South Asia - the Khmer. Its greatness and prosperity dates back to the 9th-15th centuries. At that time, Angkor was one of the largest cities in the world, and its temples were already known far beyond the empire.

In 1431, the Siamese troops destroyed the city, and its inhabitants were forced to leave it. Since then, Angkor, along with more than a hundred temples and palaces, have remained, in fact, abandoned among the dense rainforests. And only at the end of the 19th century, the naturalist Ann Muo from France published several works that were devoted to Angkor.

Even Rudyard Kipling wrote his famous work about Mowgli - The Jungle Book - after visiting Angkor. Since 1992, the temple complex has been under the protection of UNESCO. This ancient Cambodian province was home to priceless architectural monuments of the Khmer Empire.

Angkor - ancient city

The temples of Angkor bear witness to the existence of the largest pre-industrial urban center on our planet, which was larger than today's New York City. Today it is a huge open-air museum with an area of ​​​​200 km². Here one gets the impression that stone temples with decorated walls seem to grow out of the impenetrable jungle.

Scientists today are trying to unravel the mysteries of their construction, but Angkor carefully keeps its secrets. As in the heyday of the empire, Angkor today attracts travelers and explorers from all over the world like a magnet. And if in the old days merchants came here, today's guests of this land are tourists.

Without exaggeration, we can say that the temples of Cambodia, and Angkor in particular, are the most impressive place in Southeast Asia. The kings of the Khmer Empire spared no expense to build a temple richer and more imposing than its predecessors.

angkor wat

The magnificent temple is the undisputed gem of Angkor. Its spiers have become a symbol and hallmark of Cambodia. The temple consists of five towers of shrines, three galleries that increase in height towards the center and are surrounded by a moat filled with water, 190 meters wide. The structure's profile imitates an unopened lotus bud.

The first gallery is the outer wall above the moat. It has square columns on the outside. The ceiling between them from the outer facade is decorated with rosettes in the form of a lotus, and figures of dancers are depicted on the inside. The bas-reliefs on the walls of all three galleries depict scenes from various myths and many historical events.

A long alley connects the first gallery with the second. You can climb to it by the stairs, which are decorated with sculptures of lions on the sides. In this gallery, the inner walls are decorated with images of apsaras, celestial maidens.

The third gallery consists of five towers, which crown the highest terrace. There are very steep stairs here, which symbolize the difficulty of climbing into the realm of the gods. Numerous snakes can be seen on the walls of the gallery. Their bodies end in the mouths of lions.

The stones of Angkor Wat, smooth as polished marble, are laid without any adhesive mortar. The main building material for this structure was sandstone, which was delivered to the construction site from Mount Kulen, which is 40 km away.

Almost all surfaces, including the columns and lintels of the roof, are carved from stone. Between 1986 and 1992, the Indian Archaeological Society carried out restoration work in Angkor. The temple is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

bayon

This temple was built in honor of Jayavarman VII. It has three levels. The main part of the decor of the temple is paintings depicting the daily life of the Khmers. The Bayon Temple in Cambodia also has one blank wall, 4.5 meters high. On it you can see scenes of a battle in which Jayavarman VII won a victory over the Chams.

In 1925 Bayon was recognized as a Buddhist sanctuary. In 1933, in the temple, more precisely, in the well of its foundation, they found in which the outward resemblance to Jayavarman VII was clearly visible. During the Brahmin restoration, which was carried out immediately after the death of the ruler, it was defiled. Later it was restored and installed on the terrace.

Bapuon

The temples of Cambodia are completely different and they also amaze the guests of the country. After enjoying the extraordinary atmosphere of Bayon, go to the neighboring temple of Bapuon. For a long time, this territory was only a construction site, where restorers worked for several decades. They jokingly called their work putting together the most difficult puzzle in the world. Only two years ago, tourists got the opportunity to visit this ancient It is dedicated to Shiva.

It should be noted that all the ancient temples of Cambodia are very majestic. Historians say that in ancient times Bapuon was one of the most beautiful in Angkor. But in the early fifties of the last century, it was almost on the verge of destruction. French archaeologists, together with a team of restorers, decided that there was only one way to save it - to completely disassemble, strengthen the foundation, and only then reassemble the building.

In the early 60s, Bapuon was dismantled. During the dismantling, the blocks of the temple were transferred to the jungle, and each block had its own number. In the mid-70s, the Khmer Rouge came to power in the country, and restoration work was stopped. Later it turned out that the documents for the dismantling of the temple were destroyed, and there was no information left on how to collect 300 thousand stone blocks. The architects had to use photographs and memories of local residents.

Ta-Prom

Cambodia will probably never cease to amaze tourists. Jungle temples can be seen almost all over the country. But one of them - Ta Prohm - just fits Kipling's description perfectly. This huge temple-monastery, completely absorbed by the jungle.

Experts believe that it is the most poetic in Angkor, it has an amazing atmosphere created by huge trees that wrap around the walls. They have grown through the stones and hang over the towers. Over the centuries, the roots have become so fused with the walls that the trees cannot be removed without damaging the buildings.

Ta-Prom was built during the reign of Jayavarman as a Buddhist temple, occupying a vast area. However, in architecture it is not like other temples in Cambodia. It is a chain of one-story buildings, which are interconnected by through galleries and passages. Many of them are inaccessible today, because they are littered with stones.

The uniqueness of this temple lies in the fact that many ancient inscriptions are carved on the stone walls. On a stone stele, which can be seen today in the National Museum of Angkor, it is carved that at the time of its heyday 3,140 villages belonged to the temple, 79,365 people worked here, 18 high priests, 2,800 clerks served. More than 12,000 people lived permanently inside the temple.

On the site of the forest that today surrounds the temple, in ancient times there was a lively big city, and a large amount of jewelry was stored in its treasuries. Now it is difficult to believe in this, since many buildings have turned into ruins. There are two types of trees here: the largest is a banyan tree with thick, light brown roots, and the second is a strangler fig tree. It is distinguished by many thin, perfectly smooth gray roots.

The seeds of the tree fall into a gap in the masonry of the structure and the roots grow down, stretching towards the ground. We have already said that the temples of Cambodia are able to surprise even modern scientists with their mysteries. One of them is an image of a dinosaur carved on the wall of the Ta Prohm temple, to which guides like to lead excursion groups. However, until now no one can explain where the ancient Khmers could see the dinosaur.

Huge angkor wat temple complex is the main symbol Cambodia and even depicted on the flag of this country. The people of Cambodia are proud that their ancestors Khmer were able to build such a wonder of the world, not inferior in splendor to other famous architectural monuments. European researchers, while studying the temple, often asked themselves the question: did the Khmers appropriate other people's merits?

In 1858, the French naturalist Henri Muo went to Indochina to collect scientific information about Cambodia, Laos, and Siam. Arriving in the Cambodian city of Siem Reap, he decided to explore its surroundings. Henri was in the depths of the jungle and after a few hours he realized that he was lost.

After several days of wandering in the jungle, Muo saw three stone towers in the rays of the setting sun, resembling beautiful lotus buds. Coming closer, Henri saw a ditch with water, and behind it a huge stone fence in skillful carvings depicting gods, people and animals. Behind him towered buildings of extraordinary size and beauty.

Lost Traveler

“The monuments of building art that I have seen are enormous in size and, in my opinion, are an example of the highest level in comparison with any monuments that have survived from ancient times,” Muo ​​wrote in the book “Journey to the Kingdoms of Siam, Cambodia, Laos and other areas of the central Indochina". - I have never felt so happy as I do now in this magnificent tropical setting. Even if I knew that I would have to die, I would never trade this life for the pleasures and comforts of the civilized world.”

Deciding that in front of him was an ancient castle or temple, the Frenchman began to shout, calling for help. It turned out that Buddhist monks lived in a majestic building. They saved Muo, who was already dying of malaria and starvation.

When Henri felt better, the monks told him that he was in the greatest temple of Cambodia, which is called Angkor Wat. The Europeans knew nothing about him. Although back in 1550 the temple was visited by the Portuguese Diogo do Couto, who published notes about his journey.

In 1586, another Portuguese, Capuchin monk Antonio da Madalena visited Angkor Wat and left written evidence of this: “This is such an unusual building that it is impossible to describe it with a pen, especially since it does not look like any other building in the world. It has towers and ornaments and every subtlety that human genius can imagine."

And in 1601, the Spanish missionary Marcelo Ribandeiro, just like Muo, got lost in the jungle, came across this majestic temple. Europeans visited Angkor Wat in the 19th century. The same Henri Muo writes that five years before him, the French missionary Charles-Emile Buyevo, who published a report on this journey, had visited there in 1857. But the descriptions of Buyevo and his predecessors did not catch the attention of the public. So it was the book of Henri Muo, published in 1868, that glorified Angkor Wat.

Center of the Universe

The Angkor Wat temple is a complex of buildings located on a rectangular plot of 200 hectares. Behind the stone wall, as archaeologists suggest, there was not only a temple, but also a royal palace and other buildings. But since these buildings were built of wood, they did not survive.

The temple itself symbolizes the sacred Mount Meru - "the center of the universe and the abode of the gods" in Hindu mythology. The most beautiful five-tower temple looks in the rainy season, when the 190-meter moat is filled with water. Then Angkor Wat looks like the center of the Universe, surrounded by the waters of the oceans. This is exactly how the creators intended it.

The three-stage temple itself with pointed towers is a triumph of symmetry. Once in it, a person immediately sees the entire structure, which rises on three terraces standing on top of each other. It seems as if the temple grows before the eyes of an approaching person. This effect was possible due to the location of the terraces. The first terrace rises 3.5 meters above the ground, the second - 7 meters, and the third - 13 meters. Moreover, each is surrounded by galleries covered with gable roofs.

From whichever side the visitor approaches Angkor Wat, he always sees only three towers. The height of the central one is 65 meters. Given that all this splendor is covered with hundreds of sculptures and reliefs with images from the ancient Indian epics - Ramayana and Mahabharata, one can only admire this creation of human hands.

The largest city

Once the temple of Angkor Wat was located in the heart of the Khmer empire - the city of Angkor. At the same time, Angkor is not a historical name. It spread later, when these places were abandoned by the Khmer rulers, and then fell into decay. The Khmers began to call this place simply "city" - in Sanskrit "nagara", later transformed into "Angkor".

At the very beginning of the 9th century, the Khmer emperor Jaya Varman II began the construction of the first places of worship in these places. For 400 years, Angkor has grown into a giant city, consisting of more than 200 temples. The main one was Angkor Wat. Historians attribute its construction to Emperor Suryavarman II, who ruled from 1113-1150.

The ruler was considered the earthly incarnation of Vishnu, and the Khmers worshiped him as a living deity. And the temple, being a symbol of the heavenly palace, served as a refuge for the spirit of the ruler and his future tomb.

Angkor Wat was built over 40 years. The temple, which is larger than the entire Vatican, was erected by tens of thousands of workers and masons. Construction was completed after the death of Suryavarman, but the tomb was ready at the time of his death.

In 2007, an international expedition explored Angkor using satellite photos and other modern technologies. As a result, it was concluded that Angkor is the most Big City pre-industrial era. The dimensions of Angkor from west to east are 24 kilometers, and from north to south - 8 kilometers.

At the peak of its development, a million people lived here - an unthinkable figure for those years. To provide such a mass of people with food, the Khmers built a complex hydraulic system that can feed both agricultural land and serve as a source of water. In addition, this system protected Angkor from flooding during the rainy season.

In 1431, Siamese troops captured Angkor and ravaged it. Having lost the status of the capital and the opportunity to develop, the city began to fade, and people left it. A hundred years later, the jungle turned Angkor into an abandoned place. However, both Angkor and Angkor Wat have never been completely deserted.

Legends and fantasies

Where did the assumptions come from that Angkor Wat is much older than its official age? There are several reasons for this. If you look at a satellite photo of Angkor, you can see that the structure of the temple complex reproduces the position of the stars of the constellation Draco at dawn on the day of the spring equinox in 10,500 BC.

The Khmers on this occasion have beautiful legend. One day, a child was born to the royal couple, who was the son of the supreme deity Indra. When the boy was 12 years old, Indra descended and took him to his place, to Mount Meru. Despite the deity's love for the prince, the heavenly maidens began to grumble that a person is subject to temptations and must be returned back.

For the sake of maintaining peace in the heavenly abode, Indra decided to send the boy to earth. In order for the prince to remember Meru, Indra wanted to give him a copy of his palace. But the modest boy said that he would be happy to live in Indra's barn too. Then the deity sent a talented architect to the prince, who built the magnificent Angkor Wat, which was a copy of the deity's cowshed.

A different hypothesis was put forward by the Spanish missionary Marcelo Ribandeiro, who saw Angkor Wat in 1601. Knowing that traditions did not allow the Khmers to build stone buildings, he approached this logically: "The world learned all the best from the Hellenes and Romans."

As he wrote in his book: “There are ruins of an ancient city in Cambodia, which, according to some, was built by the Romans or Alexander the Great. It is noteworthy that none of the natives can live in these ruins, and they serve as a refuge for wild animals. These pagans believe, by tradition, that the city must be rebuilt by a foreign people."

Lev Cullin

Story

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

Until 802, Cambodia was a disparate principality. King Jayavarman II managed to unite the country into a single empire. He declared himself "God-King" and built a huge temple on the top of Phnom Kulen hill, symbolizing the dwelling of Shiva, on the legendary Mount Meru, in the center of the universe. Thus began the architectural “race for fame”, which gave us the beauties that we can admire today.

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

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

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

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

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

In 1907, Angkor was returned to Cambodia. Travelers, adventurers, archaeologists, historians flocked here, and Angkor gradually became one of the main attractions of Southeast Asia. The restoration of the temples was a major task. Most of them, except for Angkor Wat, were heavily overgrown with jungle, sometimes so much so that it was impossible to clean the temple without damaging it. A dispute flared up to what extent the temples should be restored, whether later additions should be removed, such as Buddhist images in Hindu temples, etc. In 1920, it was decided to restore the temples using the anastylosis method. The idea of ​​the method was that the restoration took place using only those materials that were used in the original construction, as well as to preserve the original structure of the temples. Modern materials were allowed to be used only if the originals were lost.

From the 1930s to the 1960s, most of the temples were restored. The Khmer Rouge almost did not damage Angkor, but restoration work was suspended and the jungle attacked the temples from new force. After the fall of the Pol Pot regime, work continued, and in 2003 UNESCO considered it possible to remove Angkor from the list of endangered cultural heritage.

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

Gods

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

Mythical creatures

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

Architectural and geographical terms

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

Temples of Angkor

The temples of Angkor are perhaps the most impressive site in all of Southeast Asia. The ancient Khmer kings spared no expense to outdo their predecessors, and each successive temple was bigger, better, and more elegant than the last.

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

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

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

The third gallery covers five Towers, which crown the highest terrace. The very steep stairs make it difficult to ascend to the realm of the gods. The walls of this gallery are carved with motifs of snakes, the bodies of which end in the mouths of lions.

The Temple Stones, as smooth as polished marble, were laid without any adhesive mortar. The building material is sandstone, which was brought from Mount Kulen, a quarry about 40 km to the northeast. Almost all surfaces, columns and even roof lintels are carved in stone.

The Indian Archaeological Society, between 1986 and 1992, carried out restoration work at Angkor. The temple is part of the UNESCO World Heritage List.

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

bayon

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

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

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

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Bapuon

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

In ancient times, Bapuon Temple was one of the most beautiful buildings in Angkor. However, by the early 1950s, it was on the verge of complete destruction. A restoration team led by French archaeologists decided that the only way to save the temple was to take it apart to strengthen the foundation and then reassemble the building. In the early 60s, the project was launched and Bapuon was dismantled. During the deconstruction, the blocks of the temple were transferred to the surrounding jungle, each block was numbered. In the mid-1970s, the Khmer Rouge came to power and work stopped. As it turned out later, the Khmer Rouge destroyed the documentation for dismantling the temple, and there was no information left in what order to put 300,000 stone blocks. The task was the most difficult - there were no two blocks that would be identical, each stone could only lie in its place. The architects had to rely only on numerous photographs and memories of Cambodian workers. The work was further complicated by the fact that at a later time, in the 10th-16th centuries, a 60-meter unfinished Buddha statue was carved into the wall of the second level, violating the uniform style of the temple. One way or another, today the giant puzzle has been assembled and the main work on the temple has been completed. True, there are still some finishing works left, part of the temple is still covered with scaffolding, this prevents it from being photographed.

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

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

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

Legend of the Leper King

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

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

This small Buddhist shrine in the woods north of the Terrace of the Leper King at Angkor Thom is attractive enough to warrant a bit of attention when visiting the other monuments on the west side of King's Square. Interestingly, above one gate you can find the Hindu god Indra on his three-headed elephant Airavata, and above the other - "the temptation of Mara with her army of demons" attacking the Buddha, who himself has not survived. This neighborhood is very unusual for the Khmer - it is assumed that the Buddhist images of Preah Pallilaj (Preah Pallilay) managed to escape destruction by the staunch Hindu successors of Jayavarman VII due to their proximity to Thep Pranam and the Saugatashram monastery, whose official status and proximity to the Royal Palace may have saved the precious images and given them sanctity.

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

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

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

On the first level, on a high plinth, there is a fence measuring 120x105 meters and a blank wall with axial gopuras (gate towers), the main one facing east. The two rectangular buildings are preceded by porticos parallel to the east wall.

The second level rises to a height of 5.6 meters - there is a continuous gallery measuring 79x73 meters with a false stepped brick vault, blind windows taken away by columns from the outside and open windows with columns from the outside. Gopuras are built into the walls with corner towers. The gallery, formed by older rectangular buildings, cannot be entered, testifying to its purely symbolic purpose. Inside the enclosure, two rectangular buildings line the eastern wall, with two "libraries" flanking the driveway. In order to make room for these buildings, the eastern side of the terrace was made wider than all the others. Libraries have an interesting structure: inside they have only one room, but outside, thanks to two lowered semi-cylindrical vaults, resting on the walls around the perimeter, a kind of nave and two aisles are formed. Compared to Angkor's other ornate temples, Ta Keo looks spartan, but that doesn't detract from its unique atmosphere. Steps lead to the very top of the pyramid of the temple. Each step has a height of about 40 cm, while about 10 cm wide, so that the foot can only be placed sideways, holding on to the upper steps. And so 22 meters - the climb is not for the faint of heart, but we strongly advise you to climb up. It is not known whether the Cambodians chose any energy nodes for the construction of their temples, but the feeling of an amazing atmosphere and closeness to the sky is indescribable here. At some point, it becomes unclear whether it is necessary to descend from here back to earth ...

Ta-Prom

Kipling was describing some abandoned temple in India, but this description is just perfect for the Ta-Prom temple. (Ta Prohm)- a huge temple-monastery, swallowed up by the jungle. Of all the temples of Angkor, Ta-Prom is the most poetic, with the most amazing atmosphere created by huge trees that wrap around walls that have sprouted through stones and hang over towers. Over the centuries, the roots have grown together with the walls to such an extent that it is impossible to remove the trees without the buildings collapsing. Ta Prohm was built in the 12th century by King Jayavarman VII as a Buddhist temple. The territory of Ta-Prom is very large, like the territory of Angkor Wat, but the architecture of the temple is completely different from other temples of Angkor. It consists of a chain of one-story long buildings, interconnected by through passages and galleries. In fact, this temple-monastery is a series of concentric galleries with towers and many additional buildings, surrounded by powerful walls. It is known from various sources that there were 39 prasats, 566 stone and 288 brick structures in the temple, in which there were 260 statues of gods.

Many passages are littered with stones and are inaccessible. The uniqueness of Ta-Prom lies in the fact that many ancient inscriptions are carved on the stones here - more than in any other Angkorian temple. On a stone stele, now in the Angkor National Museum, it is written that at the best of times 3140 villages belonged to the temple, 79,365 people worked in the temple, including 18 high priests, 2800 clerks and 615 dancers. More than 12,000 people constantly lived inside the temple. In place of the forest that surrounds the temple today, there was once a large, bustling city, and many treasures were kept in the treasuries of the temple. Now all this is hard to believe, because most of the buildings have turned into ruins. Stones and trees are so intertwined, forming a common ensemble, that sometimes you begin to doubt what served as the basis in this complex - a stone or a tree. There are two varieties of trees: large - banyan (Ceibapentandra) characterized by thick, pale brown roots with a knotty structure, and the smaller one is the strangler fig tree (Ficus gibbosa) with a lot of thin, smooth and gray roots. Usually the seed of the tree falls into a gap in the masonry of the building and the roots grow down to the ground. The roots work their way between the masonry and, as they grow thicker, actually become the frame of the building. When a tree dies or falls during a thunderstorm, the building collapses with it.

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

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

Preah Can

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

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

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

Immediately behind the gopura, just like in Ta-Prom, there is a large building - the Hall of Dancers (now without a roof). The building consists of four small courtyards, each surrounded by 24 columns, and together they form a gallery. The building got its name from the bas-reliefs of the Apsaras depicted in the dance. Pay attention to the empty niches above the bas-reliefs of dancers. Here at one time there were carved statuettes of Buddhas, they were destroyed during the reign of Jayavarman VIII, the restorer of Hinduism, along with thousands of others throughout Angkor. Inside the galleries of the second enclosure, let your eyes adjust to the darkness and you can admire the finely carved garudas. In the vestibule to the west of the sanctuary there is a lingam - the symbol of Shiva, installed here, probably in the second half of the 13th century.

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

The central sanctuary, as usual, is shifted to the west. The inner walls here are dotted with small holes, which served to fasten bronze facing sheets. The engraved inscriptions of the temple claim that more than 1500 tons were used. In the center is a small stupa added around the 16th century. In the morning, at a certain angle, you can achieve the illusion that the top of the stupa is dazzlingly glowing. Initially, there was a statue made from the father of Jayavarman VII - Jayavarmeshwar, it was probably destroyed by Jayavarman VIII during the restoration of Hinduism in Angkor. As in Ta-Prom, huge trees grow here right on the walls, it is impossible to remove them without damaging the masonry. Nevertheless, Preah Can is much more cleared of the jungle than Ta Prohm.

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

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

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

East Mebon

Huge East Baray (reservoir), which surrounds East Mebon (Eastern mebon), is now dry. The reservoir was built by King Yasovarman I almost half a century earlier than the temple to regularly supply water to the new city of Yasodharapura and was 7.5 km long and 1830 meters wide. Steles engraved with Sanskrit verses were erected in each corner of the barai, proclaiming the patronage of Ganges, the goddess of the sacred river Ganges in India. Barai was filled with water from the nearby Roluos River. A rather non-standard construction method is interesting - the reservoir was not dug into the ground, instead walls were poured - this is how a huge “pool” turned out.

King Rajendravarman decided to build a temple on the island. East Mebon is not actually a "temple-mountain", despite its similarity. The visibility of the height is due to the fact that the water has left the reservoir surrounding it before, exposing a powerful five-meter base. The temple ends with a rather modest platform with five towers. In pairs, around the surroundings, there are eight small brick towers with interesting lintels with leafy ornaments and octagonal stone columns. Built by the king's architect Kavindrarimathan (only the Khmers left us the names of their architects), the main deity of the temple - Rajendreshvara was consecrated on Friday, January 28, 953 at about 11 am, as evidenced by the corresponding inscription. Since the temple stood on an island, there was no need for fences, ditches and passages along the dams; instead, four piers were built on the foundation on the cardinal points. The outer enclosure, 108x104 meters, is walled with a cutout in the middle of each side to provide enough space between the jetties and the four gopuras. The enclosure is surrounded by a series of long galleries. The next level of internal fencing is a 2.4-meter laterite terrace. Its low walls are also cut out, giving room for the northern, eastern and southern gopuras. In the open space between the inner wall of the encirclement and the central platform, eight small brick towers and five laterite buildings stand in pairs, on the cardinal points - three facing west and two facing east. The central platform, 3 meters high, is lined with sandstone and bears the east-facing brick towers of the sanctuaries. The central tower, as usual, is larger than the others and stands on a two-meter platform.

Behind the eastern gopura, made of laterite and stone, on both sides are the remains of a series of long galleries, the gallery is best preserved on the south side. All galleries were built of laterite with balustraded windows and tiled roofs. On the next terrace, two elephants are standing in the corners, looking out - they are made of monolithic stone. Eight almost identical elephants stand just outside the walls, at the corners of both fences. To get to them, one must climb the stairs leading to the gopura of the interior, turn left along the ledge to the door and follow the elephant in the southeast corner.

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

Rulos group of temples

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

Construction of Indratataka ("Pond of Indra") in Hariharalaya, around the Lolei temple, where the waters of the Rulos River flowed, allowed the constant supply of water to the rice fields and various temple complexes adjacent to the settlements, where, according to rough estimates, at least 15,000 people lived. The waters of Indratataka were channeled into canals around the temples of Preah Koh, Bakong, Preah Monti, near the last temple, the palace of Jayavarman II's successor, Indravarman I, may have been built. the beginning of the era of classical Khmer art. Before the construction of Roulos, even for the construction of religious buildings, only light (and short lived) Construction Materials.

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

Eight small square brick buildings remained at the corners of the inner enclosure, one at the northwest and southwest corners with entrances to the east, and two each at the northeast and southeast corners with an entrance oriented to the west. The ventilation holes in them led some researchers to the idea that cremations were carried out in these prasats. The other two are later, long "libraries" made of stone, oriented from east to west. Immediately after the east entrance are the remains of two other long "libraries" of laterite, oriented north-south, and traces of another, oriented east-west in the southeast corner.

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

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

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

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

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

On an excellently preserved stele at the base of the temple, after the traditional praise of Shiva, a brief genealogy of Indravarman I is given, and then a eulogy " right hand prince" in Sanskrit, which is said to be "long, strong and fearsome in battle, his blazing sword falls on his enemies, defeating kings in all directions. Invincible, he calmed down only when his two enemies showed their backs and, valuing their lives, offered themselves to his protection. The inscription is accompanied by a reference to the cult of Devaraja, or "god-king" on Mount Mahendra. (Phnom Kulen) and ends with a mention of the installation in 879 of three statues of Shiva and Devi. The other side, written in Khmer, dates from a later year, 893, and describes offerings to the deities of Parameshwar and Prithivindreshwar. The temple begins in the west with a laterite pavement that separates the surrounding moat. Once upon a time, two parallel galleries passed on both sides, but only the foundation has survived from them to this day. A small terrace leads to the gopura of the second environment.

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

three prasat (towers) in the background, similar to the towers of the first row, but somewhat lower and intended for female deities. They are entirely made of brick, except for the sandstone door frames. In niches in the recesses of the walls of the prasat of male ancestors, statues of young armed dvarapalas are placed. (guards) and statues of devatas (demigods) guarding the prasats of female ancestors.

The sanctuary was intended for male deities. The corner piers are richly decorated, guards stand in the blind arches. (dvarapala). Here, unlike those in Bakong, they are unique in style - made of sandstone and inserted into the brickwork. The northern prasat holds the Rudreshvara linga, the emblem of Rudravarman, the maternal grandfather of Indravarman I, and the southern prasat holds the Prithivindresvara linga, the emblem of Indravarman I's father. (devi means "goddess"). Like Bacong, only a few sculptures survive at Preah Co. Of these, only Shiva in the southeast corner tower and the headless goddess in the rear central tower were left in the temple. Both of these statues date from the period of the temple's construction.

Loley

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

The buildings of the temple are divided along the central axis, oriented from east to west. Buildings south of the axis were dedicated to Shiva, while those north of the axis were dedicated to Vishnu. Later, in the 12th century, Banteay Srei was "re-dedicated" to Shiva, as evidenced by a found tablet made by one of the priests.

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

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

After the discovery in 1936 in the eastern gopura of the stele of the foundation of the temple, it became clear that Banteay Srei was designed as a whole, this is also confirmed by the uniformity of style. Engraved in 968, the first year of the reign of Jayavarman V, the inscription gives the start date for the construction of the temple: April-May 967, along with the positions of the sun, moon, and planets. This was the last year of the reign of Rajendravarman II. After the traditional prayer to Shiva, the text of the stele contains a eulogy to the ruler Jayavarman V and his guru Yajnavarah, who founded Banteay Srei together with his younger brother, installing the Shiva linga in the central sanctuary. Other inscriptions engraved on the doorposts mention the placement of another linga in the south shrine and a statue of Vishnu in the north. The temple is greeted from the east by a laterite cruciform gopura with sandstone columns and fine decorations.

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

On the pediment of the eastern tower of the second enclosure, under a garuda holding a branch with leaves, two elephants pour water from pots on Lakshmi, the goddess of beauty and fertility, the wife of the god Vishnu. Inside the third, most recent, central enclosure, on the "library" to the right of the entrance - the famous bas-relief of the pediment depicts at least famous story from the Ramayana, as Ravana, depicted as a many-armed and many-headed rakshas, ​​is trying to shake Mount Kailash, where Shiva lives. The mountain itself is depicted as a multi-tiered pyramid against a stylized forest background. At the top sits Shiva with his wife Uma, squatting beside him in a delightful pose. Shiva presses down on the mountain with his right foot to stop the shaking. The second row depicts clearly alarmed priests and pilgrims pointing fingers at Ravana. On the right is a praying female figure. On the third row worshipers with the heads of elephants, lions, birds and horses. On both sides of the monkey in exquisite headdresses. The lower tier is occupied by animals that flee in horror from Ravana.

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

On the western side of the same "library" - Krishna kills King Kamsa. This scene is taken from the holy book Srimad Bhagavatam and takes place in a palace - its image gives us an idea of ​​what beautiful wooden palaces were in Angkor. The two large figures are shown in perspective, which is rare in Angkor bas-reliefs. Krishna is holding Kamsa by the hair and is about to kill him. In the corners, on horse-drawn chariots, apparently, Krishna and Arjuna, armed with bow and arrows, arrived at the palace. In the rest of the rooms, excited women are depicted watching what is happening.

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

Beng Melea

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

Ko Ker

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

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

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

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

Neighborhood of Angkor

Phnom Kulen

Phnom Kulen (Pnom Kulen)- a small mountain range 50 km north of Siem Reap and 25 km from Banteay Srei. His highest point- 487 m. If you are planning a trip to Phnom Kulen, keep in mind that Mountain road it is so narrow that two cars cannot pass each other, so all transport goes up until 11 am, and back after 11 am. A taxi to Phnom Kulen and back will cost $ 30-40.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Routes

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

Classic routes

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

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

small circle

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