Angkor Wat
The History of Angkor Wat
The Angkorian period in Cambodia begun after 800 A.D. when the King Jayavarman II announced the independence of Cambodia and established a capital at the northern end of Tonle Sap. Over the next 300 years, the Khmer empire grew in power and stature and produced some of the world’s most impressive architectural masterpieces and structures. Most are concentrated in the Angkor region approximately 15 miles wide and 5 miles north to south. There are over 72 major temples and structures in this area. It is believed that the Angkor settlement around the temple complex was about 1,150 square miles and held a very large population.
The main temple in the complex is called Angkor Wat and was built between 1113 and 1150 by King Suryavarman II. After consolidating his power through military campaigns, diplomacy, and good domestic administration, Suryavarman started the construction of Angkor Wat near the town of Siem Reap. With walls nearly one-half mile long on each side, Angkor Wat portrays the Hindu cosmology. The central towers represent Mount Meru, home of the gods; the outer walls, the mountains enclosing the world; and the moat, the oceans beyond.
After the death of Suryavarman, the kingdom fell into a period of internal strife as various factions tried to gain control. After defeating the neighboring Cham Empire in 1181, Jayavarman assumed the throne. He continued the construction of the Angkor complex. Jayavarman constructed the walled city of Angkor Thom, as well as its geographic and spiritual center, the temple known as the Bayon. These remain two of the most popular temples today. The bas-reliefs in the Bayon depict the king’s victory over the Cham as well as scenes from the life of Khmer villagers and courtiers. Jayavarman was also responsible for building the well-known temples of Ta Prohm and Preah Khan. During Jayavarman’s reign, the Hindu temples were altered to display images of the Buddha, and Angkor Wat briefly became a Buddhist shrine.
However, the end of the Angkorian period occurred in 1431 A.D. when Angkor was sacked and looted by Thai invaders. During the 15th century, nearly all of the Angkor area was abandoned, except for Angkor Wat, which remained a Buddhist shrine. However, even that was abandoned and the area was reclaimed by the jungle until its “discovery” in the 19th century. The Angkor area was placed on UNESCO’s list of World Heritage sites in 1992.
Angkor Visitor Information
Visitors to the temples of Angkor must buy an entrance ticket prior to entry. The ticket offices are open from 5 a.m. in the morning to 5:30 p.m. at night. A one day pass is US$ 20, a three day is US$ 40, and a week pass costs US$ 60. Get there either early or late because during the mid-day, the lines are very long.
To get into the park, visitors must show their Angkor Pass and whenever they pass one of the checkpoints or at the entrance to most of the major temples and other monuments. The park itself is open from sunrise to sunset everyday.
The Angkor complex is very large and hard to walk around. You will need to hirer a driver to take you around to the various temples, especially those outside the main complex. There are many, many drivers in the area as well as in the nearby town of Siem Reap. A personal driver for 3 days will cost around $12 USD. This covers his time and gas. Moreover, he will wait at each ruin until you are down exploring.
Angkor Conservation Efforts
The Angkor temple complex is in great disrepair. Most of the sites are being ruined or destroyed and tourism here has been a double edged sword. The site currently draws about one million tourists a year, but those numbers continue to swell each year. While this brings in money it also brings in more people that take things and wear down the stones and complexes.
Conservation work on the site resumed after the Cambodia civil war, and since 1993 has been jointly coordinated by the French and Japanese and UNESCO through the International Coordinating Committee on the Safeguarding and Development of the Historic Site of Angkor (ICC). Some temples have been carefully taken apart stone by stone and reassembled on concrete foundations to help preserve the sites.
Tagged With Angkor Wat, Asia, Cambodia, Khmer, Siem Reap, UNESCO