We enter Angkor Thom via a causeway, which is lined with Devas and Asuras, carrying a Naga. At the end of the dam is the Victory Gate, built in the typical Bayon style with faces in all four directions. Laterally are guardian figures, elephants with three heads and three trunks. They represent Airavata, the Elephant […]
Ta Keo and the End of the Khmer Empire
On the road to Angkor Thom we pass the 1000 year old Ta Keo temple – Prasat Keo – Crystal Temple The Ta Keo temple was built by King Jayavarman V and King Suryavarman I, but never completed. At that time it was the most monumental building of the Khmer and should serve as a […]
Ta Prohm – the Temple in the Cambodian jungle
We leave Angkor Wat through the eastern gate and enjoy the water lilies in the surrounding moat. Afterwards we go to the Ta Prohm temple complex. Many visitors regard it as the most beautiful temple. Anyway, it is the most spectacular one. The French discoverers of Angkor had decided to leave one temple in the condition […]
Angkor Wat – the most famous temple in Cambodia
Angkor, near Siem Reap, is a huge temple district in the Cambodian jungle, that contains a number of individual temples. The largest and most famous is undoubtedly Angkor Wat. Angkor Wat was built as a Hindu temple in the golden age of the Khmer empire by king Suryavarman II, who ruled from 1113 to 1150. […]
Magic Sunrise in Angkor Wat – Siem Reap
It’s an uplifting feeling to watch the sunrise in Angkor Wat, especially when the first rays of the sun appear behind the towers of this unique temple. The insects lash waves in the small lake in front of the temple and the first birds are buzzing around. In the 12 century this original Hindu shrine […]