Mysterious Cambodia is lost amid the jungles of Southeast Asia, striking with contrasts between untouched nature and bustling cities with bright colors. The country is proud of ancient temples, one of which is Angkor Wat. A huge sacred building keeps the secrets and legends of the city of the gods and the capital of the ancient Khmer Empire.
The height of the three-level complex, made up of several million tons of sandstone, reaches 65 m.On an area that exceeds the territory of the Vatican, there are whole galleries and terraces, magnificent towers, the facades of which began to be built and painted by hand under one emperor, and ended already under another ruler. The work lasted 30 years.
The history of the creation of the temple of Angkor Wat
The capital of the Khmer Empire was built over 4 centuries. Archaeologists believe that the area of the city was 200 square meters. km. Over the four centuries, many temples have appeared, some of them can be seen today. Angkor Wat was built in the era when the ancient state was ruled by Suryavapman II. The king died in 1150, and the complex, built in honor of Lord Vishnu, after the death of the emperor, took him to the tomb.
In the 15th century, Angkor was captured by the Thais, and the local residents, who, according to historians, were about a million, left the city for the south of the state and founded a new capital. In one of the legends, it is said that the emperor ordered the son of a priest to be drowned in the lake. God became angry and sent a flood to prosperous Angkor.
Scientists still do not understand why the conquerors did not settle in the rich city, if the locals left it. Another legend tells that the mythical goddess, who turned into a beauty and descended from heaven to the king, suddenly fell out of love and stopped coming to the emperor. In the days when she did not appear, Angkor suffered from misfortune.
Description of the structure
The giant temple complex impresses with its harmony and smoothness of lines. It was built on a sandy hill from top to bottom, from the center to the periphery. The outer courtyard of Angkor Wat is surrounded by a wide moat filled with water. The rectangular structure measuring 1,300 by 1,500 m consists of three tiers, representing the natural elements - earth, air, water. On the main platform there are 5 majestic towers, each symbolizing one of the peaks of the mythical Mount Meru, the highest one rises in the center. It was built as the abode of God.
The stone walls of the complex are decorated with carvings. On the first tier, there are galleries with bas-reliefs in the form of ancient Khmer characters, on the second there are figures of heavenly dancers. The sculptures are amazingly combined with the architecture of the temple, in the appearance of which one can feel the influence of two cultures - Indian and Chinese.
All buildings are located symmetrically. Despite the fact that Angkor Wat is surrounded by water bodies, the area is never flooded, even during the rainy season. A road leads to the main entrance to the complex, located in the western part, on both sides of which there are sculptures of snakes with seven heads. Each gate tower corresponds to a certain part of the world. Below the southern gopura is a Vishnu statue.
All structures of the temple complex are made of very smooth, as if polished stones, tightly fitted to each other. And although the Khmer did not use the solution, no cracks or seams are visible. From whatever side a person would not approach the temple, admire its beauty and grandeur, he will never see all 5 towers, but only three of them. Such interesting facts indicate that the complex, erected in the XII century, is an architectural masterpiece.
The columns, the roof of the temple are decorated with carvings, and the walls are decorated with a bas-relief. Each tower is shaped like a beautiful lotus bud, the height of the main one reaches 65 m. All these structures are connected by corridors, and from galleries of one level one can get to the second, and then to the third.
At the entrance to the first tier there are 3 towers. It has preserved panels with pictures from the ancient epic, the total length of which is close to a kilometer. To admire the bas-reliefs, one has to walk through a series of majestic columns. The ceiling of the tier is striking with carvings made in the form of a lotus.
The towers of the second level are connected by corridors with those located on the first level. The space's patios were once filled with rainwater and served as swimming pools. The central staircase leads to the third tier, divided into 4 squares and located at a height of 25 meters.
The complex was not built for ordinary believers, but was intended for the religious elite. Kings were buried in it. The origin of the temple is interestingly told in the legend. The Khmer prince managed to visit Indra. The beauty of his heavenly palace with graceful towers amazed the young man. And God decided to give Preah Ket the same, but on earth.
Opening up to world culture
After the residents left Angkor, Buddhist monks settled in the temple. And although a Portuguese missionary visited him in the 16th century, Henri Muo told the world about the wonder of the world. Seeing the towers among the jungle, the traveler from France was so struck by the splendor of the complex that he described the beauty of Angkor Wat in his report. In the 19th century, tourists traveled to Cambodia.
In difficult times, when the country was ruled by the Khmer Rouge, led by Pol Pot, temples became inaccessible to scientists, archaeologists and travelers. And only since 1992 the situation has changed. Money for restoration comes from different countries, but it will take more than one decade to restore the complex.
In the late nineties, an English historian expressed the opinion that the sacred temple is a projection of a part of the Milky Way on earth. The placement of structures resembles a spiral of the constellation Draco. As a result of a computer study, it was found that the temples of the ancient city really reflect the arrangement of the Dragon stars, which was observed more than 10 thousand years ago during the equinox, although it is known exactly when Angkor Wat was built - in the XII century.
Scientists hypothesized that the main complexes of the capital of the Khmer Empire were built on pre-existing structures. Modern technology is unable to recreate the grandeur of temples that are held on their own weight, are not fastened in any way and fit perfectly.
How to get to the temple complex of Angkor Wat
Where the city of Sien Reap is located can be found on the map. It is from it that the journey to the ancient capital of the Khmer Empire begins, the distance is no more than 6 km. How to get to the temple, each tourist chooses independently - by taxi or tuk-tuk. The first option will cost $ 5, the second $ 2.
You can get to Sien Reap:
- by air;
- by land;
- on water.
We advise you to look at the Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood.
Airplanes from Vietnam, Korea, Thailand arrive at the airport of the city. Buses run from Bangkok and the capital of Cambodia. A small boat leaves from Phnom Penh on Tonle Sap Lake in summer.
The cost of visiting the complex depends on what the tourist wants to see. The ticket price to Angkor starts at $ 37 per day, and the route is 20 sq. For a week of walking around the ancient city and acquaintance with almost 3 dozen temples, you need to pay $ 72.
There are always many travelers on the territory of Angkor Wat. To take a good photo, it's best to head to the backyard and try to stay there until sunset. You can wander around the majestic towers and galleries, painted with scenes of battles, on your own or as part of an excursion.
A moat with water surrounding the complex along the perimeter forms an island with an area of 200 hectares. To get on it, you need to walk along stone bridges leading to 2 opposite sides of the stepped pyramid of the temple. A sidewalk of large blocks is laid to the western entrance, near which there are 3 towers. On the right in the sanctuary is a huge statue of the god Vishnu. On both sides of the road are libraries with exits to the west, north, east and south. Artificial reservoirs are located near the temple.
Tourists who climb the second tier will see a mesmerizing picture of the main towers. Each of them can be approached by narrow stone bridges. The grandeur of the third level of the complex indicates the perfection and harmony of Khmer architecture.
Research carried out by scientists and archaeologists on the territory of the ancient capital of a thriving empire will reveal new secrets of the mysterious and majestic temple of Angkor Wat. The history of the Khmer era is being restored thanks to inscriptions on sculptures and architectural masterpieces. Many facts indicate that people lived here for a very long time, and the city of the gods was founded by the descendants of an ancient civilization.
A breathtaking sight will open to travelers who decide to fly over the temple complex by helicopter or hot air balloon. Travel companies are ready to provide this service.
