Khmer Angkor. Angkor is a huge temple complex in Cambodia. Sunrises and sunsets in Angkor

To visit the archaeological complex of Angkor, I flew to Cambodia, to Siem Reap, where Angkor Wat and other ancient temples are located. From the capital of Malaysia, where I spent three days after 4 months of independent travel in India, I took a morning flight, and despite the sleepless night spent at the airport, I set foot on Cambodian soil in a great mood. Well, finally I will see the ancient temple sights in this completely unfamiliar country. The weather was wonderful.

Arrival in Siem Reap

The city of Siem Reap, also known as Siem Reap, Siem Reap, Simrep and there are other options, depending on the translation and pronunciation - this is a small, but one of the most visited cities in Asia. The airport in Siem Reap is small and calm. You receive a visa upon arrival, it is advisable to have a small photograph with you, but this was in 2012, maybe things have changed since then. I changed 30 dollars so that I would have something to pay for transport to the city, and enough for the first expenses. It turned out that there are no regular buses from the airport and the only cheapest option left is a motorbike taxi, i.e. motorcycle with driver.

Advice— It was better not to change dollars, especially at the airport, where the exchange rate is much lower. In Cambodia, everyone gladly accepts dollars; it is even more profitable to pay in American currency.
By the time I was rummaging through my backpack, there were no more people left. Then the worker at the transport desk asks me: “What are you going to take, a taxi?” “He arranged a taxi for a Chinese man standing next to him and probably thought that I would want to go there too.”
- “No, I’m looking for something cheaper. “I’ll go on a motorcycle,” I answered, raising my head, while continuing to squat and rummage through my backpack. He was surprised, because all the motorcyclists, as well as the passengers who could hire them, had already left. Then this Chinese man invited me to go with him.

- “Do I need to split the price between two people?”
“No, don’t worry,” he answered smiling. “Oh, great, then I’ll go,” I was happy.

We got into a very decent car and drove into the city. We met along the way. I had difficulty understanding his accent. He asked me which hotel to take me to. Haha - I already forgot that I once stayed in hotels, and now I travel independently and cheaply, so I don’t book anything, I just find food and find it on the spot. She told us to stay in a tourist place near an inexpensive guesthouse, no more than $10 per room.
The Chinese man was a little stunned, because he booked for $60, but I explained that I was traveling on my own and had already been to India and traveled through it myself from north to south. He was surprised :)
We arrived in the city. He said that he would just check into the hotel and go see the temples. Literally 5 minutes later he returned to the car, the driver turned the corner and showed me the guesthouse. They said they would wait for me in the car. I bargained for a room for $8, took a quick shower, changed into my yellow skirt and ran back out.

We immediately went to look main attractions of Cambodia.

Angkor temple complex

located in Siem Reap city in Cambodia. The archaeological complex of Angkor, a UNESCO heritage site, includes several temples with ruins from the Khmer Empire from the 9th to the 15th centuries. The complex of buildings reflects the sky on earth and includes many temples, the main ones being Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom, Ta Prohm (1186), Banteay Kidei (which is considered the earliest of the temples), Neak Pean, Ta -Som, Sra-Srang, Pra-Khan (1191), Bayon Temple, completed 1219.

A ticket to visit the complex of ancient temples cost 20 dollars for one day or 40 dollars for 2-3 days. A 7-day ticket costs $60. They take a photo so that no one else can use this ticket and clearly monitor this.

Opening hours: Visiting is open from 5:00 am to 6:00 pm. Angkor Wat closes at 6:00, Banteay Srei closes at 5:00 pm, Kbalspean at 3:00 pm. Always carry your ticket with you; it will be checked at every entrance. To visit Phnom Kulen, Koh Ker or Beng Melea, you need to buy a separate ticket costing $20, $10 and $5 respectively, this one is not needed there.

Angkor Map

This map shows that the Angkor Wat temple, which everyone knows, is just part of a large complex of Angkor attractions, where each ancient temple is interesting in its own way.

Looking ahead, I’ll say right away that if you have a car, you can see the main three temples in one day, so I was incredibly lucky to meet this kind Chinese man. In general, there are a lot of temples and they are scattered over a vast territory, some are located 30 km from the city and even further.

Angkor Wat Temple

Located approximately 5 km from Siem Reap city. Angkor Wat- This Hindu temple dedicated to the god Vishnu is the most important and most visited in Cambodia. Built during the reign of King Suryavarman II (1113 - 1150). After the capital of the state moved to , in 1432, Buddhist monks supported the care of the temple. Abandoned in the 15th century, it was “discovered” again for Europeans in 1861 by the French traveler Henri Muot, who discovered it on January 22, although the Frenchman was not the only one who visited there, but managed to convey his impressions to society.

The temple occupies approximately 2 km2, includes a moat 190 meters wide, a courtyard surrounded by stone walls, where three concentric buildings - terraces - are located, as if on a platform, each with a gallery around the perimeter, through the entrances of which you can get inside the temple. The main entrance to the territory is located on the west side. The temple has five towers, all five of which can be seen from certain angles. And usually only three towers appear to the eye. The highest is the central one, 213 meters high from the ground. In order not to bore you with long stories and architectural details, which, if you are really interested, you can read on the official website in English, let’s look at the photo of Angkor Wat and see what it’s like. In the morning everything was hazy.

We arrived at a place where we still had to walk and walk to the temple. I really liked the long snake-like sculptures, which seemed mysterious and unusual. And the temple itself is surrounded by a 190m wide moat filled with water.

The structure and appearance of the temple was supposed to symbolize the mythical sacred Mount Meru, repeating its outlines, respectively, the temple towers are its top, the walls are rocks, and the moat is the ocean surrounding the center of the Universe!

First we walked through the inner galleries, where on the walls there are many beautiful drawings engraved on stone - epics from the Ramayana and images similar to lace

Having reached the center, we saw a queue to go upstairs. We had to wait, people had already gathered, although it was still about 10 in the morning. True, the line moved quickly - they started in batches.

For 2 people in front of us, the passage was closed after the start of the next group. Then the worker tells me that my blouse is not suitable for the temple, that it needs to have sleeves, at least with short ones. I looked around at the tourists standing behind me; they were already offering scarves and scarves from the queue, but the worker said that all this was no good, that I needed a sweater or jacket. I started to get a little worried, to put it mildly, because I was about to go in soon. Here a guy about 15 years old, also Chinese, who was standing with his mother, followed us, took off, as they say, his last shirt, or rather some kind of jacket, and gave it to me. He just said that he would wait on the way out. I was amazed by the tourist solidarity of part of the queue and even more so by the friendly gesture of the next Chinese person. That’s why in the photo I’m wearing this sweater, which doesn’t fit into the style of my clothes, but which really helped me out at the right moment. There is something to remember again.
The climb takes about 700 steps and offers good views. Even balloons were visible in the distance.

We saw this inside, apparently a trace of the care of Buddhist monks about the temple during periods of its oblivion.

And now there's a steep descent ahead

It happens that at the most inopportune moment my camera is completely discharged, but fortunately, my companion helped me out and let me photograph his brand new, just released Samsung Note. So I have the rest of the photos of the Angkor temple and others thanks to my friend and his then new phone.

Bayon Temple

Another very interesting temple is Bayon, which is also part of the Angkor complex. This temple is no longer Hindu, like the previous one, but Buddhist. Built in the 12th century by King Jayavarman VII, who made Buddhism the state religion in Cambodia. The three-level temple is surrounded by three rows of walls and has many huge stone images. The temple was built without the use of cement mortar to join the stones. I really liked it.

The temple also served as a tomb for emperors and noble people.

Ta Prohm Temple

Towards evening we went to the most unusual and fabulous temple of Ta Prohm, which is also part of the Angkor archaeological complex. I really liked it. In this temple, the trees and stone walls of the temple are so intertwined that it is no longer clear who is supporting whom. If you remove a tree, the walls will collapse; if you remove stones, the tree will die. This is such a symbiosis.

I was most amazed by these giant tree roots, so much so that I forgot to take enough photos. They say they filmed a movie here starring Angelina Jolie, I think it's called Lara Croft.

So we managed to see three temples in one day, having a car - a taxi.

Traditional national dish of Cambodia

During the break between visits, I was invited to a nice restaurant for lunch, where they served national coconut soup Amok amok- the soup is prepared based on coconut milk, with the addition of curry, meat or seafood and some vegetables - very tasty. I was thrilled with pleasure. I think Amok soup is the most popular dish among tourists. I recommend trying it. I ate it with seafood. The tables have white tablecloths and cutlery, as expected, and of course good service. The restaurant is located near the temples.

I'm so lucky!

This was not the end of a series of unexpected surprises, probably prepared for me by God, who sent me this Chinese. After lunch, we traveled around the city - my new friend decided to change plane tickets, thought that he managed to see the main attractions in one day, and they took me to a jewelry store along the way so that it wouldn’t be boring... on the way back they picked me up.

In the evening we met again to walk around the city and try the local cuisine - it turned out to be very tasty, at least after 4 months of Indian terrible and spicy food, I liked it. And they went home. He gave me two tickets for breakfast at his hotel, which was located next to my guesthouse.
So the next morning I had breakfast at the Hotel. Like a real white man. I never tired of thanking God for this gift, sitting at a table covered with a white tablecloth and drinking coffee from normal dishes. Outside the window there was a small pool, the water was gurgling and the birds were singing - it was some kind of Paradise after 4 months of traveling through dirty India. (you have already read my adventures in India - you understand me)

Returning after breakfast, I met my Chinese friend in the lobby. He had his things and was about to leave. I thanked him for giving me breakfast. He asked to wait until he checked out of the hotel. I moved to the other end of the foyer so as not to disturb.

- “Do you have your passport with you?” - he shouted, turning around. -"Certainly!" — I answered in surprise. “Come on,” he asked and... He transferred the number to me, because he had paid for 2 days, and he changed the ticket and flew earlier. This is a gift from fate! I couldn’t contain my joy and I was glowing with happiness and an unexpected surprise. We said goodbye and I ran to get my things. So I spent another night and two days in this kind and surprising city towards me. Enjoying the delights of hotel life and, oh happiness! The pool was a real salvation in the terrible heat.

Happy and content, I went for a walk around the city. It’s better to do this in the morning, otherwise then the terrible heat begins.

I liked this small park with beautiful gates, sculptures and a tower inside.

I really like this sculpture of a snake with several heads, which is pulled by many sitting people - also sculptures. The head of such a snake monument is beautifully decorated, like a crown. Such sculptures can often be found in Siem Reap near temples. I took photos of such snakes at Angkor Wat, Bayon and Ta Prohm, but they turned out poorly.

In general, I walked around the city all day, went to the supermarket - then everything there was produced in neighboring countries.

I bought a night bus ticket for $19 to go to the capital of Cambodia, and from there to Vietnam, which you can read about in the next article about.

Our reader Igor M. continues the story about his trip to Cambodia. Today we will talk about the main attraction of this country, the great and mysterious temple complex of Angkor Wat.

Continuation. Read the beginning of the story about the trip to Cambodia here:

So, Angkor. Angkor is the capital region of the Khmer Empire. It was there that the most grandiose and famous monuments were preserved - Angkor Wat, Bayon and Angkor Thom. Angkor Wat is the pride of Cambodia, a huge temple complex or temple city. He is depicted on all their coats of arms, flags and emblems. This complex is considered the largest religious building in the world.

Angkor was built from the 11th to the 13th centuries (each ruler built something and tried to surpass the others). It was built of stone, although in those days only religious buildings were built from it. Poor Khmer peasants lived in huts, rulers lived in wooden palaces (naturally, such buildings have not survived), but stone structures still stand to this day.

In the morning I woke up in a four-star hotel, we were fed and taken on an excursion to this very Angkor. A ticket is required to visit Angkor. To do this, each tourist is photographed and after a couple of seconds an individual ticket with a photo is returned - it is on a ribbon and worn around the neck. But now all the formalities have been completed and we arrive at Angkor Wat!

The Angkor Wat temple complex was undergoing extensive restoration during our visit. It can be seen that some parts are covered with a green blanket.

Angkor Wat temple complex: a great city lost in the jungle

The spectacle is very interesting. The Angkor Wat temple complex is very well preserved. The fact is that the temple is surrounded by a square moat-reservoir, only a narrow strip of land is the passage to the territory of the complex. That is why the jungle could not swallow Angkor Wat, although this grandiose structure was forgotten for hundreds of years! It has not been used since the 15th century; all this time there were some legends that there was a temple city in the jungle, but they were not particularly believed. And only in 1861, the French naturalist Henri Muot heard from a Catholic missionary that there was a lost city deep in the jungle. He became very interested (according to the missionary, the structure was huge) and went into the jungle to search. As a result, Muo rediscovered Angkor after four centuries of oblivion. Many of Muo's contemporaries could not believe that somewhere such a grandiose structure as Angkor Wat could be lost and forgotten.

It should be noted that, regardless of the religion professed (Hinduism or Buddhism), all the ancient rulers of Cambodia wanted to be revered as living gods and to instill the cult of Devaraja - the god-king. And in order to strengthen this cult, all efforts were devoted to the construction of temples, monuments and other structures designed to glorify these kings. This is what explains such a huge number of temple complexes.

The photo shows one of the towers of the Angkor Wat temple.

Angkor Wat is the most famous of these complexes. It was started to be built by King Suryavarman II, who was a Hindu and considered himself the incarnation of the god Vishnu (although the next ruler, like the rest of the generations of Cambodians, was already a Buddhist). The population of Angkor at that time was millions - perhaps at that time it was the largest city in our Galaxy. Almost all residents participated in the construction of the temple complex. This is largely why Angkor Wat turned out to be truly grandiose. Moreover, it was not at all intended for a meeting of believers - the building served as the abode of the gods, and the king and the top of the political and religious elite had access there. Later, based on the orientation of the entrance to the temple, scientists determined that it was originally intended for the future burial of the ruler. It turns out that Suryavarman II, during his thirty-year reign, built a temple-tomb for himself, and by the time of his death in 1150 it was 99% ready.

During his lifetime, the courtiers extolled Suryavarman II in every possible way and called him the “Sun King”. According to legends, he, like the Sun, could make lotus buds bloom and make everything around prosper. In fact, he left behind a country virtually ruined by such a grandiose construction. But at the same time he went down in history as the “Michelangelo of the East” and the creator of the great Angkor Wat.

Stairway to the Center of the Universe

Some architectural details. As I already said, the Angkor Wat temple complex is surrounded by a moat with water, and you can enter it through a narrow isthmus. The entire complex is surrounded by a rectangular wall, inside it there is a huge territory, and in the center there is a stone platform on which Angkor Wat is built.

So, we are approaching the most important thing! At first, on the sides of the road there were buildings, which (according to our guide) were called libraries. As far as I understand, these were not libraries at all in our understanding - the king and the nobility did not register there, did not go there with their subscriptions and did not receive any scrolls with manuscripts there, and strict monastic librarians did not go to debtors who did not return the manuscript in due time time. These were just some kind of ritual buildings.

Library at the entrance to the Angkor Wat temple complex.

Walking along the road along various buildings inland, we came to the main part of the complex - the temple. The stone temple of Angkor Wat is simply grandiose!

Angkor Wat, the outer wall of the building stands on a stone platform.

All the walls are decorated with engravings - scenes of battles are carved in stone.

Another wall with battle scenes.

Many battle scenes were taken from the legends of Hindu mythology. In particular, the battle between Vishnu and the heavenly devil Banna was depicted. Each engraved wall covers approximately 800 meters. Moreover, as experts note, the further, the more the masters’ technique improved and the better the drawings were. Although some of the engravings may have depicted common battles of the time, many nations fought to gain control of the fertile Mekong River territory.

Behind the battle walls is the central part of the temple:

On the right is the outer wall of the temple, and on the left is Angkor Wat itself.

In those days, everything was built without cement - stone blocks were brought from afar, and the stones were precisely adjusted. As I already said, the Angkor Wat temple complex was dedicated to the Hindu god Vishnu, so its structure reflects Hindu ideas about the structure of the world. Then it was believed that Mount Kailash was located in the center of the universe (it is located in the middle of an endless ocean) - gods and goddesses lived there. Kailash is surrounded by four smaller mountains. The Angkor Wat temple complex was built in accordance with these ideas: in the central part there is a huge tower in the middle, and around there are four smaller towers.

The temple occupies several floors (the staircase to the top floor is visible on the left), and only the king and members of his family could enter the top floor. As it turned out, I could too :) These levels also correspond to people’s then ideas about the structure of the world and symbolize the lower world, the world of people and the heavenly world.

Apsara sky dancers on the walls of Angkor Wat. Cute, right?

And on this wall are depicted apsaras - mythical celestial dancers. By the way, in the Angkor Wat temple there were real dancers portraying apsaras who entertained the king. And on the left we see windows - there was no glass then, so the windows were stone - such mini-columns cut out, sunlight passed through the cutouts.

Based on the ancient images of apsara dancers on the temple walls, 36 different hairstyles were counted. So there were fashionistas in those ancient times, and what kind of ones!

Tourists climb the central tower, that is, to the very center of the world. Previously, no one would have let mere mortals in there :)

This is the view of the entrance to Angkor Wat from one of the towers.

Unraveling the mystery of the ancient dance

After climbing to the main tower (that is, to the very center of the universe), we were given a lot of time to walk around and examine everything ourselves. I went and suddenly saw... apsaras. They stood and were bored. Eh, apsaras, should we be sad?

Apsaras stand and are bored.

Well, what kind of things are these - being bored. We must dance! Come on, let's all do it together!

It's a completely different matter! True, all of their fingers are folded in some bizarre way and symbolize something, but my fingers do not bend like that in principle and can only symbolize complete ignorance in ancient dances. But I decided for myself that the main thing in Khmer dance is participation :) Therefore, nothing spoiled my good mood.

As I already wrote in a previous article, for an ordinary European these dances look quite strange - the movements are very smooth, the pose hardly changes, and only the hands do such pirouettes as if they were exposed to forty-degree frost. Everyone on the bus started discussing this important topic and together they found a simple explanation for this - they are dancing sober! Apparently, in those days alcohol was not brought to the ancient Khmers :) Not like in our discos!

So all they had to do, poor fellows, was chew betel nut. And even now they chew it in those parts - it is believed that a tenth of humanity regularly uses it. Palm seeds and slaked lime are wrapped in betel leaf (a local pepper plant) and chewed, resulting in a certain feeling of euphoria. And at the same time, addiction, similar to tobacco or drugs. True, this makes the saliva red and the teeth black, and the blackness is difficult to clean off, so those who like to chew betel nuts walk around with black teeth. Now, having adopted the European fashion for white teeth, people in cities do not use it. But in the poor provinces, many still chew - they sit, eat, spit out red saliva through their black teeth and they don’t need anything else (like “our” alcoholics).

Exit from the temple complex.

When you look at Angkor Wat, at its openwork towers and walls, on which mythical animals and dancing celestials are depicted, you begin to understand why local residents are convinced that this temple was erected by the gods as a sign of friendship between a god and a human prince.

One day, the god Indra, who lived on Mount Meru, invited Prince Preah Ket Mealea to visit (the young man’s name translates as Divine radiance, which was given to him because he was surprisingly good-looking and at the same time had many talents). To say that the prince liked the heavenly palaces is to say nothing. And the palace, on the walls of which mythical animals were depicted, with lotus-shaped towers and golden tops, simply captivated him.

Preah Ket Mealea and Indra became friends, and the young man lived in the house of God for a long time. And he would hardly have left him if the tevodas, the heavenly dancers, had not spoken out against his presence: the prince, who arrived from the human world, despite all his perfections, carried with him all his temptations, which greatly disturbed their peace and beckoned them with him. To maintain peace in his home, God asked his friend to return home, promising him to build a copy of his palace on earth.

Temple of the Gods

The Angkor Wat temple is located in the Kingdom of Cambodia, in the south of the Indochina Peninsula (on the geographical map of the world this temple can be found at the following coordinates: 13° 24′ 45″ N, 103° 52′ 0″ E). It is located among the jungle, 240 km from Phnom Pey, the capital of the country, five and a half kilometers north of the city of Siampriap (you can get here by bus from Phnom Penh in just five hours).

Angkor Wat (translated as “Temple City”) was built at the beginning of the 12th century. in the capital of the Khmer state of Angkor, by order of the ruler Suryavarman II and was originally dedicated to the supreme god of Hinduism Vishnu. This temple is one of the largest religious buildings in the world, since its area occupies about 2 km², while the length is 1.5 thousand and the width is 1.3 thousand meters.

Despite the fact that the size of the temple complex of the ancient Kingdom of Cambodia cannot but amaze, in reality there is nothing surprising here: the territory of the city of Angkor exceeded 400 km², and recent research suggests that about half a million people could well have lived here.

Therefore, it was one of the largest cities of its time, in which architecture and art were very well developed: more than two hundred monuments have been discovered on its territory today - pavilions, temples, palaces, pyramids and tombs, among which is the huge temple complex of Angkor Wat. This sanctuary, as conceived by the builders, was supposed to symbolize Meru, the sacred mountain of the Khmers: the towers are the top of the mountain, the walls of the temple are rocks, and the moat is the ocean that surrounds the Universe.

Construction of the temple

The history of Angkor Wat's construction began during the time of Suryavarman II, who reigned from 1113 to 1150. He did not wait for the completion of construction work, and the complex was completed after the death of the ruler: his tomb was found in the sanctuary (the fact that the tomb was built on the territory of the shrine is not surprising, since the Khmers were convinced that their ruler was the incarnation of God, and the erected temple was considered his heavenly home on Earth).

Scientists claim that the construction of the Vishnu temple took the same amount of stones as during the construction of the Pyramid of Khafre - about 5 million tons.

Much more effort was invested, since absolutely all the stone blocks were subjected to artistic treatment (all surfaces, columns, lintels and even roofs depict one or another plot related to the life of the Khmers) - a fact that cannot but surprise and clearly shows not only the level of skill of the ancient builders, but also their hard work.

Stone blocks were brought from quarries located on the Kulen Plateau (on the map it is located forty kilometers north of Angkor Wat, so they used the Siem Reap River to get there). To secure them together, the builders did not use mortars: the blocks were fitted so tightly to each other that the seams between them in some places were impossible to find.

Temple city from the outside

Angkor Wat is at the center of a vast complex that consists of two hundred other religious buildings. Its outer wall is surrounded by a ditch, which was filled to the brim with water during the rainy season. Its width was 190 m - such dimensions of the reservoir are not accidental, since it is a symbol of the world's oceans. In the west, the builders erected a stone dam, on top of which they paved the road leading to the temple - this entrance is the central one. You can also enter the temple territory from the eastern side along an earthen embankment.

Immediately behind the ditch began the outer wall, the length of which was 1024 m, width - 802 meters, and height - about 4.5 m. It was rectangular in shape, each side of which was oriented to one of the cardinal directions and had a gate tower (gorupa), through which one could enter the territory of the temple complex.

Near the tower on the south side there was a statue of Vishnu, and the largest gorupa was installed at the central entrance, in the west, and consisted of three towers. All the towers were interconnected by patterned walls: on the west they are decorated with bas-reliefs depicting dancing figures, and on the east - men who dance on the backs of jumping animals, as well as creatures with a divine nature, devatas.

Temple city from the inside

From the central mountain to the temple you can reach the road, the length of which is 350 meters, along which there is a balustrade with sculptures of seven-headed snakes. Angkor Wat itself looks very interesting, as it consists of three square-shaped terraces located on top of each other, each of which is slightly smaller than the previous one.

The first tier is located at a height of 3.5 meters, the second - seven, the third - thirteen. Thanks to the difference in height, the ancient masters managed to achieve an interesting effect: as you get closer, the temple not only increases in size, but also seems to grow.

The terraces are connected to each other by a huge number of stairs, and each level is surrounded by a gallery. The walls located on the first tier are decorated with two-meter bas-reliefs depicting mythology and everyday scenes from the life of the Khmers.

On the walls of the second tier there are about two thousand sculptures of dancing celestials - they are all different from each other: they all have different facial expressions, different figures, decorations. According to archaeologists, the total area of sandstone sculptures and bas-reliefs depicting scenes from Indian mythology, the history of the Khers, and their gods is more than 2 thousand square meters. m.

The upper terrace is reached by an extremely steep staircase with narrow and high steps. There are five towers in the shape of a lotus (outwardly they very much resemble cones). Four towers are located at the corners, the tallest, which depicts Mount Meru, is in the center. Its height is about forty-two meters, but since it is located on the third terrace, the total height of the temple is 65 meters.

History of the Temple City

In 1431, the army of the neighboring state of Siam, attacking Angkor, completely destroyed the city, forcing the inhabitants to leave it - and the history of the existence of one of the largest settlements of the ancient world came to an end, and the jungle was reliably covered with its vegetation, leaving the local residents only legends and various tales (However, it was still not completely abandoned - Buddhist monks settled in it quite soon).

European travelers sometimes accidentally discovered it during their travels, but having failed to turn the discovery into a public interest, they retreated - and the city was forgotten again for a long time.

This continued until, in 1861, the Frenchman Henri Muo was able to reach Angkor Wat, who, instantly appreciating the find, was able to popularize it in the West - and a new milestone in the history of Angkor began: after it was freed from the jungle, he never ceased to attract the attention of not only scientists, archaeologists and researchers, but also a huge number of tourists.

In the 70s of the last century, a war began in the Kingdom of Cambodia - and archaeologists were forced to leave the country, and the temple complex ended up in the hands of the Khmer Rouge, communists who were particularly cruel: having come to power, they tried to build socialism in the country and executed several millions of people. They did not forget to get to Angkor Wat - believing that the country needed to be freed from the influence of religion, they beheaded and mutilated almost all the sculptures where the gods were depicted.

Fortunately, the unique complex managed to survive - and in the early 90s, restoration work was resumed, and the city itself and the temple complex were included in the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1992.

Angkor (Cambodia) is the center of the ancient Khmer Empire, a complex of temples that have survived to this day. This cultural heritage is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List and is rightfully considered the most popular attraction in the country. How to get to Angkor, opening hours and cost of visiting the temples - all the information you need for a successful trip is in this article.

Angkor Wat

Don't be confused! Angkor is an ancient city, on whose territory there are over 20 temples, among which the largest is Angkor Wat.

Excursion into history

The construction of the Angkor complex was started by the founder of the local dynasty - the prince who declared the independence of Kambujadesh (today's Cambodia), Jayavarman II. Since then, almost every king erected one or more sacred buildings during his reign, often marking certain events. Construction of the complex was completed in 1218, after the death of Jayavarman VII, on whose orders the temples of Preah-Kan (in honor of the victory over the Chams), Ta-Prokhm (in memory of the mother of the majestic ruler), and others were erected.

Interesting fact! The largest temple in history, Angkor Wat, took more than 30 years to build. It occupies the same territory as the Vatican State.

The majestic Khmer Empire fell in the mid-15th century as a result of centuries-long struggle with the Chams and Thais. In 1431, Siamese troops occupied Angkor, and all its inhabitants left their homes, deciding that it was better to live in peace, albeit far from their homeland. In the end, the devastated city, along with all the temples, was swallowed up by the jungle.

Angkor was rediscovered in 1861 by the French scientist Henri Muo, but due to difficult times in the history of Cambodia, accompanied by bloody wars, no one was involved in its restoration. Only 130 years later, UNESCO will add the temple complex to the World Heritage List, and an organization will be created in China, bringing together specialists who are still involved in the restoration of this majestic landmark of Cambodia.

Amazing details! All Angkor temples were built without the use of cement or other binding materials.

Where is Angkor

You can get to the temple complex by tuk-tuk (about $2), bicycle ($0.5/hour) or taxi (from $5), after first getting to the city of Siem Reap, located in the west of Cambodia. To do this you can use:

Siem Reap Airport

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Angkor opening hours and cost of visiting

The ticket office of the temple complex opens at 5 a.m. and is open until 5:30 p.m., at the same time tourists are allowed here. According to official rules, all travelers must leave the territory of Angkor before 18:00, but if you do not get caught by the police, you can stay there a little longer and enjoy the beauty of the temples as the sun sets.

The price of entry to Angkor varies depending on the number of days. There are three options in total:

One-day visit for $20;
Three-day cultural education for $40;
Seven-day tour of the temples for $60.

You can use the three-day pass within a week from the date of purchase, and the 7-day pass will be valid for a month. There should be your photo on the front side of such a ticket; it is taken at the box office directly upon purchase.

Note! You can buy a ticket on the same day only until 17:00; the remaining half an hour, passes for the next day are sold.

Structure of Angkor (Cambodia)

On the territory of the ancient city there are more than 30 temples, which occupy an area of 500,000 square meters. Visiting them all in one day is absolutely unrealistic; most often, travel agencies and travelers who have visited this attraction of Cambodia advise spending three to five days walking around the temple complex.

The most popular route around Angkor lasts three days and is divided into visits to the temples of the small circle, the large circle, as well as distant temples, which are reached by the most persistent and curious.

Advice! If you are going to visit the temple complex with a group, rent bikes or bicycles. This will help you save time and effort (since the length of the same route through the temples of the small circle is 20 km), and not lose your rental property if you get distracted to take photos of Angkor Wat and other places.

Small circle

This includes those temples that every traveler must see - the most majestic, beautiful and valuable. The route distance is 20 km, designed for one day. The direction of travel is shown in the titles of the following sections: first Angkor Wat, then Angkor Thom, etc.

Angkor Wat

This temple occupies a huge territory and can rightfully be considered an entire complex. It is surrounded by a moat, which fills with water during the rainy season, and there are many trees, green grass, flowers and wild animals around.

In the center of Angkor Wat there is a temple-mountain, built in such a way that its five identical towers can be seen from any side. The second key attraction of the complex is the library - a one-story building surrounded by palm trees and tourists.

No less interesting are the galleries of Angkor Wat, which you can look at from above, climbing the stone stairs in the backyard. In total, 8 galleries with bas-reliefs densely covering the walls were built on the territory of the temple. The most famous among them is the Gallery of Hell and Heaven.

Advice! If you want to take uncrowded photos of Angkor Wat, wait for full sunrise and look into the temple's backyard. At this time, all the tourists who met the dawn go to rest, and the newly arrived travelers disperse to the main parts of the complex.

Angkor Thom

This is another attraction on the list of must-sees in Cambodia, the last capital of the Khmer Empire and a majestic city of the 13th and 14th centuries with a population of over a million people. Its name explains its popularity in the modern world - “Great Angkor” is truly impressive with its scale, unusual architecture, harmony and splendor.

The structure of Angkor Thom is very logical - the city is a square with stone walls, inside which there are various buildings. The most significant of them:

In addition, Angkor Thom has the Terrace of the Leper King, the Terrace of the Elephants, several prasats, the Gate of Victory and an unusual bridge with figures of gods and demons. The recommended time for visiting this attraction is 3-4 hours.

Advice! Head to Bayonne before sunrise to avoid the tourist crowds and get the most spectacular photos.

Ta Prohm

Another one of the most beautiful buildings in Cambodia is Ta Prohm, which became popular after the filming of “Lara Croft: Tomb Raider” and today bears the proud name of the Angelina Jolie Temple. For seven centuries, this building played the role of a monastery and university, where local residents received education and conducted scientific research.

Ta Prohm is several times smaller than Angkor Wat or Angkor Thom; there are no separate significant attractions on its territory, they are all part of the temple itself. Thus, the Ta Prohma galleries are one of the most interesting in the entire complex, since they are built into one another and resemble a small labyrinth.

Another feature of the temple is its proximity to the jungle - the roots of the trees wrap around the stone walls and amaze with their size. To this day, Ta Prom cannot be cleared of vegetation, because it is thanks to it that the building has been preserved to this day.

The Mystery of the Millennium. Among the picturesque bas-reliefs of the temple there is an image of a dinosaur. Both scientists and tourists have been wrestling with the question of what this ancient creature is doing on the walls of Ta Prohm for many years now.

Small temples of a small circle

Included in this category are Pre Kan (built by the last king of Cambodia in honor of his father), Ta Kaew (the highest mountain temple, the construction of which was not completed because the building was struck by lightning, which was considered a bad omen) and Phnom Bakheng (rock temple , which offers a panoramic view of the entire Angkor). The total duration of the visit to all three buildings is 4-5 hours.

Big circle

Banteay Kdei

The route includes more than ten small temples, the total duration is 25 km. The most popular buildings that are worth visiting first:

Banteay Kday. It was built as a Buddhist temple and consists of many galleries decorated with bas-reliefs.
Pre Rup. Temple-mountain, created in honor of the god Shiva.
Banteay Samre. It is distinguished by the elegance of its architecture and unusual walls with carvings. It was erected in honor of the ancient Indian god Vishnu.
Ta Som. A place for spectacular photographs showing the unity of nature and ancient buildings.

Distant temples

This category includes several temple complexes located at a considerable distance from the center of Angkor. You can only get there by taxi or rented car (you shouldn’t take a bike or bike, otherwise you’ll get stuck in the dust of Cambodia’s dirt roads). The cost of such a trip is $50-60, so try to find travel companions or become one yourself.

Beng Melia

Located 67 km from Siem Reap, this temple is definitely worth visiting. At the entrance you will be greeted by unusual guards in the form of seven-headed snakes, and once inside you will understand the beauty of stone chaos. The peculiarity of Beng Melia is that its walls have not been touched by the hands of restorers, so you have an excellent opportunity to see it as it was found at the end of the 19th century.

Important! The cost of visiting the temple is $5, not included in the general Angkor ticket.

Banteay Srei

It is called the “Fortress of Beauty”, the citadel of women and the pearl of Angkor. This is a unique building, unlike all other buildings in the complex due to:

Your size. Banteay Srei is truly miniature, which is very impressive, especially after visiting Angkor Wat;
Materials. The temple is built of pink sandstone (the rest are yellow), which gives it a special charm and beauty, especially early in the morning;
Handmade carvings and bas-reliefs that cover the walls of Banteay Srei.

On the temple grounds there is a library, a central sanctuary, and many statues. Recommended visiting time is 2-3 hours. Distance from Siem Reap – 37 km.

This place is sacred to all residents of Cambodia, because it was here that the country’s independence was proclaimed 1200 years ago. There is the famous statue of the reclining Buddha, a sacred temple where pilgrims go every year, a river of a thousand lingas and the most picturesque waterfall in Cambodia.

The cost of visiting Phnom Kulen is $20 (paid separately from the general ticket to Angkor), located 55 km from Siem Reap. You can only get there by taxi or rented car.

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Map of the city of Siem Reap, which shows landmarks, including Angkor Wat and some important infrastructure.

Angkor Wat Temple in Cambodia, is the largest temple complex on our planet, dedicated to the Hindu god Vishnu. It is located on the territory of the historical complex of Angkor, which is included in the UNESCO heritage. Such a legacy was left to us from our distant ancestors: the Khmer tribes, because this structure was built around 1113 - 1250 AD during the reign of King Suryavarman II. The construction of the temple lasted for almost 30 years, and the entire complex took almost 400 years to rebuild.

Tourists from all over the world rush to this structure, unique in its beauty and grandeur, every day to not only learn the basics of Hinduism, worship the gods, but also see with their own eyes the history of Cambodia and the Khmer peoples.

How to get there?

Before you can get to Angkor Wat, you will have to fly to Cambodia. There are no direct flights from Russian cities to Cambodia, so you can only get here with transfers.

In the city of Siem Reap, in close proximity to which the destroyed city of Angkor is located, there is an international airport that receives flights from China, Korea, Singapore, Vietnam, Thailand and some other Asian countries. The most popular flight is Siem Reap - Bangkok, but this flight will cost quite a large sum, so it is much cheaper to travel with two or three transfers through Vietnam or China, or fly to the capital of Cambodia, and then travel by public bus or taxi.

If you plan to fly to the city of Siem Reap, and then stay in a hotel in the city for several days, then book a room in advance. This way you will provide yourself with a free transfer from the airport to the hotel and back.

From the capital, Phnom Penh, you can reach it by water. Such a trip is also a good excursion that allows you to get acquainted with local life and way of life. Tickets for water transport can be purchased at hotels at the reception or at travel agencies. Approximate travel time is about 6 hours.

Siem Reap city can be reached by bus. Moreover, communication here is well organized both within the country and with neighboring countries (Thailand, Vietnam). The cheapest tickets for Cambodian flights.

If you don’t want to think about how to get to the sights of Cambodia, then many travel agencies in our country offer exotic excursions both to the main historical sites of Cambodia and separately to the ancient city of Angkor. You can take a two or three day tour and not worry about anything else, enjoying your trip to a distant and mysterious Asian country.

Temple complex

Angkor temple complex- the main attraction of Cambodia - is not limited to just the Angkor Wat temple. On the gigantic area that it occupies, 208 hectares, there are still a large number of interesting historical buildings, because the ancient city of Angkor was a fairly large settlement in which more than 100,000 people lived. True, residential buildings have not survived to this day, because they were built from wood. The time-destroyed city is located about 5 kilometers from the main temple of Angkor Wat. There are also smaller temples that were built from tuff and sandstone: Ta Phrom, Angkor Thom, Ta Prum, Bayon, Elephant Terrace and Preah Kan.

The territory of the complex is fenced around the perimeter by a laterite wall, on the outside of which a ditch 250 meters wide is dug, which can be crossed along a special sandstone paved path 250 meters long and 12 meters wide.

Options for excursion programs

Those who are planning an excursion route around Angkor are sure to be interested in the Large and Small excursion circle. Each circuit begins with a visit to the main temple of Angkor Wat.

The Small Circle is the most common, popular, and considered classic route for visiting the Angkor temple complex, which is chosen by those who have only one day to explore this world landmark. If you look at the Angkor Wat excursion map, this route is marked in green.

If you move along the Small Circle, you will see the following temples:

Angkor Thom (a complex of more than a dozen of the largest temples in the central part);

Phnom Bakheng;

Baksey Chamkrong.

The length of the Small Circle is about 17 kilometers.

The Great Circle is an excursion program with a length of 25 kilometers (the path is marked in red), which usually takes place on the second day. In this case, you will also start moving from Angkor Wat and completely repeat the route of the Small Circle to the Bayon Temple, and then head north to inspect the following buildings:

Pre Roop;

Neak Pean;

Preah Kan;

East Mebon.

After visiting them, according to guidebooks and reviews, you will again move to the Small Circle and return to the main Angkor temple. By moving in a large circle, you'll be moving between attractions rather than walking.

On the third day, the most distant temples of Angkor usually remain, and getting to them is sometimes quite problematic, especially if you have not rented transport, because many of them are located at a distance of about 50-70 kilometers from the main complex. If you have three days, then it will be most convenient to move along the routes already established among tourists.

In the case when you have more time, you can independently develop day excursion routes, change visits to temples and generally do everything as you like.

What to pay attention to

No matter how much you want, it is impossible not to see the main attraction of the complex - Angkor Wat. This temple-mountain rises above the rest of the buildings in the very center of the complex. You can recognize it by its five knobby towers. It is believed that all five peaks are always visible from any point. This is the most visited temple in Angkor. Tourists always crowd here in search of beautiful and unusual views for photos.

The second most popular building is the local Library. In front of the library there is a small pond where you can relax during the tour.

Ta Phrom is another visited and favorite place among tourists. This is a temple-monastery, which has a rather strange layout. Currently, the territory of this building is heavily overgrown, and not just with grass, but with centuries-old trees with powerful branchy trunks. For almost a hundred years, they have been trying to clear Ta Phrom of vegetation and make it more accessible to tourists, but the jungle does not want to leave this place. Everyone who has visited Ta Phrom leaves rave reviews about this romantic and seemingly abandoned temple.

Another popular object that receives praise is the Bas-relief Galleries. In the area around Angkor Wat there are eight of them (two on each side) and a separate Hall of a Thousand Buddhas. Each gallery is distinguished from the others by impressive bas-reliefs almost from floor to ceiling, which are never repeated. In the Hall of a Thousand Buddhas, as is already clear, there are bas-reliefs, statues and images of Buddha in various versions and sizes.

The most interesting bas-reliefs, attracting the attention of thousands of tourists and constantly gathering crowds of people around them, relate to the mystical and mysterious theme of hell and heaven on earth: Churning of the Ocean of Milk, Gallery of Hell and Heaven, Battle of the Gods, etc.

What is the price?

Since a visit to the temple complex is most often planned for several days, there are several types of entrance tickets. So, you can buy a ticket for a one-day excursion for $20.

Those who want to stay longer on the territory of Angkor purchase a ticket for a three-day excursion for $40. The ticket is valid for a week, so you can enter the temple complex not for three days in a row, but divide your visit according to a convenient schedule.

You can also buy a one-week visit to the complex for $70 (the ticket is valid for a month).

Schedule

Angkor is open to visitors daily from 05:00 to 18:00. If you want to see the sunrise, you must be inside before 05.30 o'clock, and if the sunset - before 17.30 o'clock. Tickets stop selling one hour before the official closing time. If you entered the territory of the complex, then no one will kick you out and you can walk here longer. True, staying on the territory of the complex for too long may result in a reprimand from the police or even a fine for violating the order.

If you have the opportunity, visit Angkor Wat twice: once at sunrise and once at sunset. It is in the dawn and sunset rays that you will receive the greatest aesthetic satisfaction from what you see. You can, of course, come here at any time, but you won’t be able to say that you’ve seen everything that Angkor Wat has to offer.

The temple complex is very large, so when planning an excursion in this direction, set aside at least one day for it.

Since the temple complex is currently considered inactive, there are no strict rules regarding the dress code, but inappropriate clothing (short skirts/shorts, bare shoulders/knees) will still not allow you into the main temple.

There are many monkeys living on the territory of the complex, so you should be extremely careful, because the primates steal everything that is in bad shape, especially hats, food, cameras and mobile phones.
When going on an excursion, be sure to take enough drinking water with you, as the weather in Cambodia is always hot, so everything around you gets hot and you are constantly thirsty, especially during the midday hours. Also, take something to eat if you don’t want to waste time looking for a place to eat, of which there are not many here.

If time permits, then explore Angkor not in order, but, starting with smaller temples, only at the very end get to the main temple of the complex - Angkor Wat.

Don't fall for the tricks of beggars at the entrance if you don't want to lose a lot of money. By giving a dollar to one, you will activate a chain reaction and local kids will come running to you from all corners. It’s better to say “no” right away. If you start serving and then suddenly stop and someone is left deprived, this will cause aggression.

Avoid visiting Angkor during festivals. If you believe the reviews, there are too many people here these days, including local Khmers who come here absolutely free.