The complex was built between 1130 and 1150 AD by King Suryavarman II, and consists of an enormous temple pyramid covering an area measuring 4,250 by 5,000 feet, surrounded by a moat over 600 feet wide.
"Enormous" doesn't do it justice: you only have to stand by the gates to be overwhelmed by the complex's massive scale.
Angkor Wat is intended to symbolize the universe, as the Hindu Khmer understood it: the moat stands for the oceans around the earth; the concentric galleries represent the mountain ranges surrounding the divine Mount Meru, the Hindu home of the gods, which is itself embodied by the five central towers. The walls are covered with carvings depicting the god Vishnu (to whom Angkor was principally dedicated), as well as other scenes from Hindu mythology.
"At the sight of this temple, one feels one's spirit crushed, one's imagination surpassed. You look, admire and respect. One is silent. For where are the words to praise a work of art that has no equal anywhere in the world?" wrote Henri Mouhot, the first European to set foot on Angkor Wat. We hear ya, buddy.
TRIVIA: Unusually for a Hindu religious structure, the whole complex is oriented to the west, the direction traditionally associated with death.
The mystery may be solved if we believe the experts, that Angkor Wat was a funerary temple for its builder King Suryavarman II.
Banteay Srei
For many tourists, Banteay Srei is Angkor's most beautiful temple, the "jewel of Khmer art". In a beautiful departure from Angkor's other structures, Banteay Srei is faced with finely-carved pink sandstone covered with beautifully detailed carvings; some of these illustrate scenes from the Hindu epics Ramayana and the Mahabharata. The name Banteay Srei, which translates to "Temple of the Women", may be attributed to the temple's relatively small scale and the fineness of the artwork.
Visitors will cross a moat to enter the temple, and are allowed to enter as far as the first surrounding enclosure, but must go no further than the pathway that surrounds the temple itself. This measure prevents Banteay Srei from being swamped by visitors. It's a good thing, too: tourists would never have an unobstructed view of the temple otherwise, although this also means you'll never get to examine the exquisitely-detailed carvings up close.
TRIVIA: In a land where kings dictated the construction of temples, Banteay Srei is also an exception: the temple was completed in 967 by Yajnavaraha, an important court official under King Rajendravarman.
Ta Prohm
The stonework may be overrun by vegetation, but that may be Ta Prohm's saving grace. This temple is one of the most popular with Angkor's visitors, as it's one of the most evocative of the lot: its rugged good looks even got it a guest shot as a location in the first Tomb Raider movie.
Ta Prohm was built by King Jayavarman VII for his mother. In its entirety, the complex is composed of several low buildings enclosed by a wall (or what's left of it) encompassing an area 1,959 by 3,281 feet large.
After its consecration in 1186, Ta Prohm became an active Buddhist monastery and university: a Sanskrit inscription on the site counts about 12,640 people as the complex's residents, including 13 high priests, 2,740 officials, 2,232 assistants, and 615 dancers.
When conservation efforts began in the early 20th century, it was decided that the trees and vegetation would be left largely in place. Today, trees have grown into (and in some cases, replaced) the temple's stone superstructure, shading visitors as they walk through the ruins of a great center for learning.
TRIVIA: Ta Prohm was intended to be a complement to the nearby Preah Khan temple complex, which was dedicated in turn to King Jayavarman VII's father.
Banteay Kdei
Banteay Kdei lies to the southeast of Ta Prohm, a semi-ruined complex of four enclosures with the largest one measuring 297 feet by 1,640 feet.
The prolific King Jayavarman VII completed Banteay Kdei at the beginning of the 13th century. Two different art styles - Angkor and Bayon - are evident in the temple's design.
The temple itself is in a rather advanced state of decay: its soft sandstone structure has collapsed in certain places, and the outer enclosure has been reconstructed using re-used stones. And because of alterations made by later Hindu kings, Banteay Kdei lacks the symmetry of more popular temples like Angkor Wat.
TRIVIA: Don't miss the rectangular courtyard to the east known as the "Hall of the Dancing Girls", which is named after the carved dancing girls on its exterior.
Bayon
Like Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom is nothing less than a physical representation of the Universe. The city is divided into four parts by perpendicular axes meeting in the middle, with the Bayon rising where the axes meet: standing as a link between heaven and earth, a symbol of the mythical Mount Meru.
A now-dry moat stood in for the cosmic ocean.
Tourists will enjoy exploring the numerous narrow passageways in the temple, which once bore the statues of minor local deities. The temple's lower galleries are filled with well-preserved, extremely detailed bas-relief carvings, showing events from Hindu mythology, Khmer history, and vignettes from the lives of Jayavarman's ordinary subjects.
Nothing is more compelling, however, than the forest of 54 towers on the temple's upper level, each bearing four large faces facing all four geographical directions, totaling over 200 faces all in all.
TRIVIA: The faces on the towers bear a striking resemblance to King Jayavarman himself!
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