Angkor and Khmer History
Trip Start
Apr 14, 2008
1
12
85
Trip End
Nov 11, 2008
Siem Reap,
Cambodia
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
"full of deep sympathy for the good of the world, so as to bestow on men the ambrosia of remedies to win them immortality. By virtue of these good works would that I might rescue all those who are struggling in the ocean of existence."
Day 40. Cockroach Curry
24/05/2008
I left at 6am on a train from Bangkok. As I reached the border I decided to approach some backpackers to see if I could share a tuk-tuk with them. I could not have been luckier with the first group I stumbled into. Three fantastic Brits! They were all heading to Siam Reap for a similar amount of time. Not only did we share a tuk-tuk but we sorted out the crazy visa/border situation together and a taxi the other side. Once in Cambodia the main road to Siam Reap was a mess. Potholes, dust and mud galore. For those planning to take the road in 2010, its condition should be better as new foundations and bridges were being laid. Where as in Thailand you could stop by the road and buy some fruit, here it was a measure of cockroach curry. Somehow we made it without the taxi breaking a suspension.
Arriving in Siam Reap I shared a room with Sarah so we both saved money, everyones a winner. The four of us enjoyed a lovely dinner and a good natter.
Day 41. Earl Gray Muffins
25/05/2008
Mr Man was our tuk-tuk driver for our first days excursions. Our trip consisted of Banteay Kdel; Srah Srang; Ta Prohm (Tomb Raider filmed here); Angkor Thom; Angkor Wat. By the time we got to Angkor Wat (hopefully in time for sunset) it bucketed it down with rain. We took shelter in a restored church and we ate Muffins we purchased from the French Bakery earlier on in the day. Once the rain had stopped and we had reached the entry of the complex it had closed for the day.
Returning to the guesthouse we purchase gin, lime, ice and a little tonic to enjoy a game of poker with. I won again, the 2nd time in a week, 100% success rate. OK so we again had a few learners, but a wins a win. I fell asleep on the edge of my bed, a little bit to much to drink.
Day 42. The story of the daggy 17 year old shorts
26/05/2008
Well I was fine, but I think Jamie and Sarah woke up cradling their heads. We took a slightly different route this time with Mr Man; Banteay Srei; Landmine Museum; East Mebon; Ta Som; Preah Kahn; Angkor Wat. This time we caught the sunset without rain!
After two days round ruins Angkor Wat did not seem so impressive, although it was certainly the best kept of the lot thanks to those monks. What I loved about them all is imagining their gradure during the height of the Khmer Empire. What was less remarkable was the quality of the brick layers who appeared to stack slabs vertically without overlapping. No surprise they are now ruins! Each site had kids trying to sell you cr@p, but there was a physical line that thankfully they were not allowed to cross. Plus I'd rater see them sell stuff than begging. Ruth purchased a bamboo wicker fish for the top of their Xmas tree. Every year they get something different for the tree from their travels. I like that!
The night bought more good company, food and drink. Oh and a little poker.
Day 43. Move to dead fish
27/05/2008
Sadly Ruth, Jamie and Sarah had to leave back to Bangkok early in the morning. And with that I had to move guesthouses for one night as reception were being in flexible on price.
Grabing a tuk-tuk, the driver and I headed to the Rolous group south east of Siam Reap, 10 kilometers away. There were more secluded and unfortunately I encountered beggars. However the large pyramid structure of the temple was worth it.
That night I went to bed early to get a good nights sleep for the morning flight to Hong Kong.
The Wiki Abstracts for each site in order visited
Banteay Kdei - Built in the late 12th to early 13th centuriesCE during the reign of Jayavarman VII, it is a Buddhist temple in the Bayon style, similar in plan to Ta Prohm and Preah Khan, but less complex and smaller. Its structures are contained within two successive enclosure walls, and consist of two concentric galleries from which emerge towers, preceded to the east by a cloister.
Srah Srang - is a baray at Angkor, located south of the East Baray and east of Banteay Kdei. It was constructed in the mid-10th century, and modified in the 12th or 13th century. The landing stage at the west end of the baray, opposite the entrance to Banteay Kdei, is a popular site for viewing the sunrise.
Ta Prohm - is the modern name of a temple at Angkor, built in the Bayon style largely in the late 12th and early 13th centuries and originally called Rajavihara (in Khmer: រាជវិហារ). Located approximately one kilometre east of Angkor Thom and on the southern edge of the East Baray near Tonle Bati, it was founded by the Khmer King Jayavarman VII as a Mahayana Buddhist monastery and university. Unlike most Angkorian temples, Ta Prohm has been left in much the same condition in which it was found: the photogenic and atmospheric combination of trees growing out of the ruins and the jungle surroundings have made it one of Angkor's most popular temples with visitors.
Ta Keo - is an incomplete temple in the Khleang style built as the state temple of Jayavarman V. It was dedicated in 1000 but for reasons unknown work was later abandoned, with little decoration applied. It was dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva.
Angkor Thom complex - was the last and most enduring capital city of the Khmer empire. It was established in the late twelfth century by king Jayavarman VII. It covers an area of 9 kmē, within which are located several monuments from earlier eras as well as those established by Jayavarman and his successors. At the centre of the city is Jayavarman's state temple, the Bayon, with the other major sites clustered around the Victory Square immediately to the north.
Angkor Thom was established as the capital of Jayavarman VII's empire, and was the centre of his massive building programme. One inscription found in the city refers to Jayavarman as the groom and the city as his bride. (Higham, 121)
Khmer capital on the site, however. Yasodharapura, dating from three centuries earlier, was centred slightly further northwest, and Angkor Thom overlapped parts of it. The most notable earlier temples within the city are the former state temple of Baphuon, and Phimeanakas, which was incorporated into the Royal Palace. The Khmers did not draw any clear distinctions between Angkor Thom and Yashodharapura: even in the fourteenth century an inscription used the earlier name. (Higham 138) The name of Angkor Thom - great city - was in use from the 16th century.
The last temple known to have been constructed in Angkor Thom was Mangalartha, which was dedicated in 1295. Thereafter the existing structures continued to be modified from time to time, but any new creations were in perishable materials and have not survived. In the following centuries Angkor Thom remained the capital of a kingdom in decline until it was abandoned some time prior to 1609, when an early western visitor wrote of an uninhabited city, "as fantastic as the Atlantis of Plato" which some thought to have been built by the Roman emperor Trajan.
Angkor Wat - built for King Suryavarman II in the early 12th century as his state temple and capital city. As the best-preserved temple at the site, it is the only one to have remained a significant religious centre since its foundation-first Hindu, dedicated to Vishnu, then Buddhist. The temple is the epitome of the high classical style of Khmer architecture. It has become a symbol of Cambodia, appearing on its national flag, and it is the country's prime attraction for visitors.
Angkor Wat combines two basic plans of Khmer temple architecture: the temple mountain and the later galleried temple. It is designed to represent Mount Meru, home of the devas in Hindu mythology: within a moat and an outer wall 3.6 km (2.2 miles) long are three rectangular galleries, each raised above the next. At the centre of the temple stands a quincunx of towers. Unlike most Angkorian temples, Angkor Wat is oriented to the west; scholars are divided as to the significance of this. The temple is admired for the grandeur and harmony of the architecture, its extensive bas-reliefs and for the numerous devatas (guardian spirits) adorning its walls.
The modern name, Angkor Wat, in use by the 16th century,[1] means "City Temple": Angkor is a vernacular form of the word nokor which comes from the Sanskrit word nagara (capital), while wat is the Khmer word for temple. Prior to this time the temple was known as Preah Pisnulok, after the posthumous title of its founder, Suryavarman II.
Banteay Srei - is a 10th century Cambodian temple dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva. Located in the area of Angkor in Cambodia, at 13.5989 N, 103.9628 E, it lies near the hill of Phnom Dei, 25 km (15 miles) north-east of the main group of temples that once belonged to the medieval capitals of Yasodharapura and Angkor Thom.[1] Banteay Srei is built largely of red sandstone, a medium that lends itself to the elaborate decorative wall carvings which are still observable today. The buildings themselves are miniature in scale, unusually so when measured by the standards of Angkorian construction. These factors have made the temple extremely popular with tourists, and have led to its being widely praised as a "precious gem", or the "jewel of Khmer art."
East mebon - is a 10th Century temple at Angkor, Cambodia. Built during the reign of King Rajendravarman, it stands on what was an artificial island at the center of the now dry East Baray reservoir.
The East Mebon was dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva and honors the parents of the king. Its location reflects Khmer architects' concern with orientation and cardinal directions. The temple was built on a north-south axis with Rajendravarman's state temple, Pre Rup, located about 1,200 meters to the south just outside the baray. The East Mebon also lies on an east-west axis with the palace temple Phimeanakas, another creation of Rajendravarman's reign, located about 6,800 meters due west.
Built in the general style of Pre Rup, the East Mebon was dedicated in 953 AD. It has two enclosing walls and three tiers. It includes the full array of durable Khmer construction materials: sandstone, brick, laterite and stucco. At the top is a central tower on a square platform, surrounded by four smaller towers at the platform's corners. The towers are of brick; holes that formerly anchored stucco are visible.
The sculpture at the East Mebon is varied and exceptional, including two-meter-high free-standing stone elephants at corners of the first and second tiers. Religious scenes include the god Indra atop his three-headed elephant Airavata, and Shiva on his mount, the sacred bull Nandi. Carving on lintels is particularly elegant.
Elephant sculpture at the East Mebon
Elephant sculpture at the East Mebon
Visitors looking out from the upper level today are left to imagine the vast expanses of water that formerly surrounded the temple. Four landing stages at the base give reminder that the temple was once reached by boat.
Ta Som - is a small Buddhist temple dedicated to the father of King Jayavarman VII. It was built at the end of the 12th century. It is east of Neak Pean and has not been restored.
Preah Kahn - built in the 12th century for King Jayavarman VII. It is located northeast of Angkor Thom and just west of the Jayatataka baray, with which it was associated. It was the centre of a substantial organisation, with almost 100,000 officials and servants. The temple is flat in design, with a basic plan of successive rectangular galleries around a Buddhist sanctuary complicated by Hindu satellite temples and numerous later additions. Like the nearby Ta Prohm, Preah Khan has been left largely unrestored, with numerous trees and other vegetation growing among the ruins.
Rolous Group
Bakong - is the first temple mountain constructed by rulers of the Khmer empire at Angkor near modern Siem Reap in Cambodia. In the final decades of the 9th century A.D, it served as the official state temple of King Indravarman I in the ancient city of Hariharalaya located in an area that today is called Roluos.
Preah Ko - (Khmer, The Sacred Bull) was the first temple to be built in the ancient and now defunct city of Hariharalaya (in the area that today is called Roluos), some 15 kilometers south-east of the main group of temples at Angkor, Cambodia. The temple was built under the Khmer King Indravarman I in 879 to honor members of the king's family, whom it places in relation with the Hindu deity Shiva.
