ANGKOR WAT TEMPLE

Location: six kilometers north of Siem Reap 
              and south of Angkor Thom
Access  : Enter and leave Angkor
              Wat from the west
Date: Angkor Wat was built in the first half of
the 12th century (approximately 1113-1150)
King: Suryavarman II (reigned 1113-circa 1150)
Religion : Hindu (dedicated to Vishnu)
Art Style:  Angkor Wat

Angkor Wat, the largest monument of the Angkor group and one of the most intact, is an architectural masterpiece. Its perfection in composition, balance, proportions, relief's and sculpture make it one of the finest monuments in the world. This temple is an expression of Khmer art at its highest point of development. Wat is the Cambodia name for the Temple, which was probably added to Angkor when it became a Theravada Buddhist monument, most likely in the 16th century. After the capital gradually shifted to Phnom Penh, Angkor Wat was cared for by Buddhist monks. Some believe Angkor Wat was designed by Divakarapandita, the chief adviser and minister of the king, who was a brahmin with divine honors. The Khmers attribute the building of Angkor Wat to the divine architect Visvakarman. Construction probably began early in the reign of Suryavarman II and because his name appears posthumously in the bas-reliefs and inscriptions it is believed that Angkor Wat was completed after his death. The estimated time for construction of the temple is about 30 years. There has been considerable debate amongst scholars as to whether Angkor Wat was built as a temple or a tomb. It is generally accepted that the architecture and decoration identify it as a temple where a god was worshipped and that it was a mausoleum for the king after his death. Its orientation is different from other temples at Angkor as the main entrance is at the west, rather than the east. The bas-reliefs are arranged for viewing from the left to right, a practice used in Hindu religious ceremonies for tombs. This emphasis on the west conforms with the symbolism between the setting sun and death.

TA PROHM KIL TEMPLE
Ta Prohm Kil temple is located on the way from Angkor Wat to Angkor Thom, about 300 meters from the west entry gate of Angkor Wat. The chapel made of sandstone that faces east. This temple was built in the late 12th century, during the reign of King Jayavarman VII. According to an inscription found in 1928, the chapel of 102 hospitals built by King Javavarman VII has the same form.

RORNG ROMONG

PHNOM BA KHENG
Phnom Ba Kheng temple was built on a natural hill. Commonly referred to as tenoke-mountain because it is an earthly facsimile of Mount Meru, it is located on the left side of the road from Angkor Wat to Angkor Angkor Thom and attracts scores of tourists who come to watch the sunset or sunrise. The temple was cut from the rock that formed the natural hill and faced with sandstone in the late 9th  and early 10th centuries, during   the reign of king Yasovarman I (AD 889- 910), dedicating to Shiva Brahmanism. Phnom Ba Kheng is 65 meters high and the temple has 109  towers. Phnom  Ba  Kheng temple was a replica of Mount  Meru  and  the  number  of  towers  suggests  a cosmic symbolism. The seven levels-ground, five tigers, upper terrace-of the monument represent the seven heavens of Indra in Brahmanism mythology. The temple must have been a spectacular site in its entirety because originally 108 towers were evenly spaced around the tiers with yet another one, the central sanctuary, at the apex of them all. Today, however, most of these towers have collapsed. Besides the central sanctuary, these were 4 towers on the upper terrace, 12 on each of the 5 levels of the platform, and another 44 towers around the base. The brick towers on the different levels represent the 12-year cycle of the animal zodiac. It is also possible that the numerology of the 108 towers symbolize the 4 lunar phases with 27 days in each phase. The arrangement allows for only 33 of the towers to be seen from each side, a figure that corresponds with the number of Brahmanism deities.

BAKSEI CHAM KRONG
Baksei Cham Krong temple is located about 150 meters north of Phnom Ba Kheng. The temple was perhaps begun construction by king Harshavarman (AD 910 - 944) and completed by king Rajendravarman (AD 944 - 968), dedicating Shiva Brahmanism. Inscriptions on the door reveal the date of the temple and mention a golden image of Shiva and the mythical founder of the Khmer civilization. The temple is a simple plan with a single tower on top of a square, four tiered laterite platform. Three  levels  of  the  base are undecorated, but the top platform has horizontal  molding  around   it   that sets  off  the sanctuary.  A square, central brick tower stands on a sandstone base shaped like a cone. It has one door opening to the east with three false doors on the other sides, which are in remarkably good condition. Most of the lintels are in poor condition, but, on the east, Indra riding a three-headed elephant is till recognizable and is finely carved. The interior of the tower has a sunken floor and a corbelled vault.

THMA BAY KAEK
Thma Bay Kaek temple is located near the south moat of Angkor Thom and north of Baksei Cham Krong temple, about 125 meters from the entrance to Angkor Thom. This temple was built in the 10th century to worship Brahmanism. No one knows who built the temple.

BEY TEMPLE
Bey Temple is located west of Thma Bay Ka Ek temple. Constructed of brick in the 10th century, dedicating to Shiva Brahmanism, it has three towers and faces east. The original name of the temple is unknown. However, because it has three   towers, it is called Bey temple.

ANGKOR THOM TEMPLE
Location: 1.7km north of Angkor Wat
Access  : from Siem Reap, enter Angkor
             Thom by the south gopura
Built: End  12th century - early 13th century
King: Jayavarman VII ( reigned 1181-1220)
Religion: Buddhist
Art Style: Bayon

Angkor Thom, is a microcosm of the universe divided into four parts by the main axes. Bayon temple stands as the symbolic link between heaven and earth. The wall enclosing the city of Angkor Thom represents the stone wall around the universe and the mountain ranges around Meru. The surrounding moat suggests the cosmic ocean. This symbolism is reinforced by the presence of god Indra on his mount, the three headed elephant. Angkor Thom is enclosed by an 8-meter-high laterite rampart that is laid out on a square grid of 3 kilometers  long on each side. A moat with a width of 100 meters surrounds the outer wall. The city is accessed along five great causeways, one in each cardinal direction-Death  Gate ( east ),  Dei  Chhnang  Gate  ( north ), Takao Gate (west), and Tonle Om Gate (south)-plus an additional Victory Gate on the east aligned with the Terraces of the Elephants and the Leper King. A tall gopura distinguished by a superstructure of four faces bisects the wall in the center of each side Four small temples, all called Chhrung temple, stand at each corner of the wall around the city of Angkor Thom. Made of sandstone and designed in a cross plan, the temple built by King Jayavarman VII to worship Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara. An inscription tells about its construction.

BAYON TEMPLE
Location: in the center of the city of Angkor Thom, 1.5km from the south gate
Access: enter from the east. Built: End 12th century - early 13th century. King: Jayavarman VII (reigned 1181-1120). Religion: Buddhist. Art Style: Bayon.

The Bayon temple is located in the center of Angkor Thom. The temple is one of the most popular sites in the Angkor complex. The architectural composition of the Bayon exudes grandness in every aspect. Over 200 large faces caved on the 54 towers give this temple its majestic character, which at that time represents the 54 provinces in Cambodia. The iconography of the four faces has been widely debated by scholars and some think they represent the Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara, in keeping with the Buddhist character of the temple, it is generally accepted that the four faces on each of the towers are images of king Jayavarman VII and signify the omnipresence of the king. The plan of the Bayon is presented on three separate levels. The first and second levels contain galleries featuring the bas-reliefs. A 16-sided central sanctuary dominates the third level, which is cruciform in plan. Despite this seemingly simple plan, the layout of the Bayon is complex due to later additions, a maze of galleries, passages and steps, connected in a way that makes the levels practically indistinguishable and creates dim lighting, narrow walkways and ceiling.

PREAH ANG KORK THLORK
Preah Ang Kork Thlork or Wat Kork Thlork is located west of Bayon temple. According Khmer legend, Kork Thlork was the first name of Cambodia. An Indian man named Preah Thaong was banished from his century. He threw a javelin to determine where he would live. His javelin landed on Kork Thlork Island. So he went to the island, where he met Neang Neak, whom he married. Neang Neak's father, a sea naga king, inspired the sea and created a country that is known today as Cambodia.

PREAH NGOK TEMPLE
Preah Ngok is north of the Bayon. It features a large sand stone statue of the Buddha sitting crossed leg with its eyes opened only slightly. From the 13th to 15th centuries, it was one of the Buddhist temples in Angkor Wat area.

BAPHUON TEMPLE
Location: 200 meters north-west of the Bayon, and south of Phimean Akas. Access: enter and leave at the east. Tip: access to the temple mountain is restricted as much of the temple has collapsed and is currently under repair until 2004. Built: Middle 11th century  (1060)
King: Udayadityavarman II (reigned 1050-1066). Religion: Hindu (dedicated to Shiva)
Art Style: Baphuon.

The highlight of the Baphuon temple is the bas-reliefs, which differ from most others as they are vignettes carved in small stone squares set one above the other on the temple walls, similar to tiling. Unfortunately few of these are visible because of the poor state of the temple.

PHIMEAN  AKAS TEMPLE
Location: inside the enclosure walls of the Royal Palace.
Access: walk over the Terrace of Elephants and through the east gopura of the enclosure wall encircling the Royal Palace. You are on the principal access to the temple. Alternatively, follow the pathway between the two terraces, bearing left through a breech in the enclosure wall, close to the north-east gopura. The Temple's tiered platform will be visible from here to the west.
Tip: for those who want to climb to the top, use the west stairway.
Built: 10th century - early 11th century
King: Rajendravarman II (reigned 941-968)
Religion: Hindu. Art Style: Kleang
Phimean Akas Temple, where the king worshipped. The temple was originally known as Hemasrngagiri which means gold. It must originally have been crowned with a golden pinnacle, as Chinese emissary Zhou Daguan described it as the Tower of Gold. It is small compared to others, but, even so, it has appeal and is situated in idyllic surrounding.

TERRACE OF THE ELEPHANT
Built: End 12th century      
Religion : Buddhism
King: Jayavarman VII                                    
Art Style : Bayon  
Angkor Thom offers many temples and structures. The Terrace of the elephants is located in the Royal Square of Angkor Thom. The main attractions is the facade decorated with elephants and their riders depicted in profile. The elephants are using their trunks to hunt and fight while tigers claw at them. ROYAL PALACE: Royal Palace is situated at the heart of the city of Angkor Thom, the Royal Palace area is distinguished by two tarraces that parallel the road. Evidence of the Royal Palace itself is illusive because only the stone substructure remains.

TA PROHM TEMPLE
Dedicated to his mother, Ta Prohm is another of Jayarvarman VII's major projects. The temple is a must- see not only because of its complex layout of concentric galleries with corner towers and many additional buildings, but also because it was intentionally left in the same state as it was found in the 1860s.  Trees and undergrowth overrun the temple, with their roots strangling walls and reducing some buildings to rubble. But this is the charm of the place, which the unstoppable forces of nature have made difficult to maintain. The raid decline of the buildings has called for a preservation of the temple's unique appeal.

TA KEO TEMPLE
Location: east of Thomm-anon and Chau Say Tevoda on the east bank of the Siem Reap River.
Access: enter and leave by the east entrance
Built: End 10th century - Early 11th century
King: Jayavarman V (reigned 968-1001) to Suryavarman I (reigned 1002-1050)
Religion: Hindu (dedicated to Shiva)
Art Style: Kleang
SRAH SRANG: Location: across the road from the east entrance of Banteay Kdei. Access: Visit Srah Srang east of the road. Built: End 12th Century
King: Jayavarman VII (reigned 1181-1220)
Religion: Buddhist      Art Style: Bayon.

BANTEAY KDEI TEMPLE
The Citadel of the cells. ‘ The Citadel of the cells ’
Location: south-east of Ta Prohm.
Access: enter and leave from the east.
Built: middle of the 12th Century to the beginning of the 13th Century.
King: Jayavarman VII (reigned 1181-1220)
Religion: Buddhist
Art Style: at least two different art periods -  Angkor Wat and Bayon- are discernible.

PRE RUP TEMPLE
‘Turn or change the body ’
Location: north-east of Srah Srang and 500 meters south of the East Baray. Access: enter and leave the monument from the east entrance. To climb to the upper terrace use the east stairway, it is slightly less steep than the others.
Tip: because the temple is built entirely of brick and laterite, the warm tones of these materials are best seen early in the morning or when the sun is setting. Two views from the top terrace are Hills, and second looking west, where the towers of Angkor Wat can be distinguished on the far horizon.
Built: Second half of the 10th Century (961)
King: Rajendravarman II (reigned 944-968)
Religion: Hindu (dedicated to the god Shiva)
Art Style: Pre Rup.

EAST MEBON TEMPLE
Location: 500 meters north -east of Pre Rup temple.
Access: enter and leave the temple from the east entrance
Built: second half of the 10th century (952)
King: Rajendravarman II (reigned 944-968)
Religion: Hindu (dedicated to Shiva), an ancestor temple in memory of the parents of the king. Art Style: Pre Rup.

PREAH KHAN TEMPLE
mean: ‘Sacred Sword’
Location: Two km north-east of Angkor Thom on the Grand Circuit.
Access: The best way to visit Preah Khan is from the East. Follow the road around the complex and take a right turn along the  west levee of the Jayatataka Baray. This will lead you to the East entrance. Tip: Arrange for your transport to drop you at the East Entrance and drive back to the west entrance to collect you. This will enable you to see the temple in the correct sequence and also to visit the Visitor Center at the end of your tour.
Built: Second half of the 12th century(1191)
King: Jayavarman VII (reigned: 1181-1220)
Art Style: Bayon.

NEAK PEAN TEMPLE
mean: ‘ coiled serpents ’
Location: east of Preah Khan 300 meters from the road. Access: enter and leave from the north entrance.
Built: Second half of the 12th century.
King: Jayavarman VII (reigned: 1181-1220)
Religion: Buddhist    Art Style: Bayon.
The temple is in the center of Jayatataka or northern baray and placed on the same axis as Preah Khan and seem to have served as a place where pilgrims could go and take the waters, both physically and symbolically - the Khmer equivalent of a spa.

KROL KO TEMPLE
mean ‘ park of the oxen ’
Location: north of Neak Pean, 100 meters from the road. Access: enter and leave from the east. Build: Late 12th century - early 13th century. King: Jayavarman VII ( reigned 1181-1220 ). Riligion: Buddhist     Art Style: Bayon The main point of interest at Krol Ko is the frontons on the gound. Two outstanding examples epict a bodhisattva Avalokite -shvara standing on a lotus, flanked by devotees, and a strongly modelled scene of Krishna lifting Mount Govardhana to shelter the shepherds.

BANTEAY SREY
 the ‘ citadel of the women’
Location: 25 kilometers north-east of East Mebon.
Access: enter and leave the temple by the east entrance.
Built: Second half of the 10th century (967)
King: Rajendravarman II(reigned 944-968) and Jayavarman V (reigned 968-1001)
Religion: Hindu ( dedicated to Shiva)
Art Style: Banteay Srey.

The 10th century temple of Banteay Srey is renowned for its intricate decoration carved in pinkish sandstone that covers the walls like tapestry. This site warrants as much time as your schedule allows. The roads have been repaired and it takes about 30 minutes from Siem Reap to get to the temple. To reach Banteay Srey, follow the main road north out of Siem Reap, turn right at Angkor Wat and follow the road to Srah Srang where you turn right past Prea Rup. At the East Mebon there is a check post where you need to obtain clearance. Turn right again at the road before the East Mebon; pass through the village of Phoum Pradak, where there is a junction ( if you continue straight, after about 5 minutes, you will reach Banteay Samre). At this point, you come to a fork; take the road on the left and follow it to Banteay Srey which you will reach shortly after crossing two rivers - on your left hand side. 

KBAL SPEAN
Kbal Spean lies 50 kilometers northeast of Siem Reap provincial town or about 18 kilometers from Banteay Srey on a dirt road. It takes from one to two hours to get there from the provincial town. The original River of Thousand Lingams, Kbal Spean is an intricately carved riverbed deep in the foothills of the Cambodian jungle. Lingams are phallic representations sacred to Brahmanism as symbols of fertility, and hundreds of them are carved into the rock here, as are several carvings of god and animals above the small waterfall. The area was rediscovered in 1969, when French researcher Jean Boulbet was shown the carvings by a local hermit. A visit to Kbal Spean, a reference to the natural rock bridge, is one of the easiest ways to take a  short jungle trek in the Angkor area. It is a 30-minute walk to the carvings through steamy forest and some curious rock formations. It is best to try to visit between July and December, at other times of year the river rapidly dries up. The access to the trail is not permitted after 3:30pm. Food and drinks are available at the base of the trail.