The Temples of Angkor

Temples of Angkor © Judith Duk

The famous Temples of Angkor are Cambodia's biggest tourist attraction. Situated close to the town of Siem Reap, the former capital and heart of the ancient Khmer Empire was built between the 9th and 13th centuries, and in an area of over 232 square miles (600 sq km) more than 100 temples have been uncovered. Today they stand as a monument to what was the greatest ancient civilisation in South East Asia. The kings of the period built stone temples as a way of asserting their divinity and cities were created around them. Today it is the temples that remain, a mere sacred skeleton of what must have been one of the biggest cities of its time.

The best-known site is Angkor Wat, the spectacular Hindu temple surrounded by a moat and the biggest monument ever built to religion. Covering an area of 81 hectares (200 acres) the splendour and enormous dimension of the complex make it one of the wonders of the world. The walls of the outer gallery are a sculptural treasury, one mile (2km) of intricately carved bas-reliefs. Another of the well-known sites is the walled Royal City of Angkor Thom, which contains many monuments, notably the Bayon, a temple mountain situated in the middle of the city. Its special feature is the many gigantic stone faces gazing in different directions, surrounding whoever stands in the temple. Ta Phrom is the only temple that has been left to the clutches of the encroaching jungle and it looks as it might have done when the European explorers first laid eyes on it more than a century ago. It has particular charm, with trees and roots intertwined with the carvings and chambers of the buildings. The exquisitely decorated pink sandstone temple of Banteay Srey has the best example of Khmer classical art remaining. To visit the temple region visitors must buy a one-day pass (US$20), three-day pass (US$40) or seven-day pass (US$60).