HISTORY ANGKOR

Angkor' literally means ‘Capital City' or ‘Holy City'. ‘Khmer' refers to the dominant ethnic group in modern and ancient Cambodia. In its modern usage, ‘Angkor' has come to refer to the capital city of the Khmer Empire that existed in the area of Cambodia between the 9th and 12th centuries CE, as well as to the empire itself. The temple ruins in the area of Siem Reap are the remnants of the Angkorian capitals, and represent the pinnacle of the ancient Khmer architecture, art and civilization. At its height, the Age of Angkor was a time when the capital area contained more than a million people, when Khmer kings constructed vast waterworks and grand temples, and when Angkor's military, economic and cultural dominance held sway over the area of modern Cambodia, and much of Thailand, Vietnam and Laos. First Century A.D.: Indianisation Southeast Asia has been inhabited since the Neolithic era, but the seeds of Angkorian civilization were sown in the 1st century CE. At the turn of the millennium, Southeast Asia was becoming a hub in a vast commercial trading network that stretched from the Mediterranean to China. Indian and Chinese traders began arriving in the region in greater numbers, exposing the indigenous people to their cultures, though it was Indian culture that took hold, perhaps through the efforts of Brahman priests. Indian culture, religion (Hinduism and Buddhism), law, political theory, science and writing spread through the region over a period of several centuries, gradually being adopted by existing states and giving rise to new Indianised princedoms. Funan and Zhendla: Pre-Angkor and before Though the newly Indianised princely states sometimes encompassed large areas, they were often no larger than a single fortified city. They warred among themselves, coalescing over time into a shifting set of larger states. According to 3rd century Chinese chronicles, one of China's principal trading partners and a dominant power in the region was the Indianised state of Funan centered in today's southern Vietnam and Cambodia. There is evidence that the Funanese spoke Mon-Khmer, strongly indicating a connection to later Angkorian and Cambodian civilization. Funan was predominate over its smaller neighboring states, including the state of Zhendla in northern Cambodia. Over the later half of the 6th century, Funan began to decline, losing its western territories. Zhendla, already in the ascendant, conquered the Khmer sections of western Funan, while the Mon people won the extreme western section of Funan in present day Thailand. Later, Zhendla seems to have gone on to conquer the remainder of Funan, signaling the beginning of the ‘pre-Angkorian' period. Zhendla flourished but for a short time. The third and last king of a unified Zhendla, Isanavarman I, constructed the pre-Angkorian temples of Sambor Prei Kuk near modern Kampong Thom city. (If you come to Siem Reap from Phnom Penh by road, you will pass through Kampong Thom. With a few spare hours, it is possible to make a side trip to these pre-Angkorian ruins). Under Isanavarman I's successor, Zhendla disintegrated into smaller warring states. It was briefly reunited under Jayavarman I in the mid-7th century, only to fall apart again after his death. On traditional accounts, Zhendla finally broke into two rival states or alliances, ‘Land Zhendla' in northern Cambodia/southern Laos, and ‘Water Zhendla' centered further south in Kampong Thom. 802CE: The Beginning Jayavarman II was the first king of the Angkorian era, though his origins are recorded in history that borders on legend. He is reputed to have been a Khmer prince, returned to Cambodia around 790CE after a lengthy, perhaps forced stay in the royal court in Java. Regardless of his origin, he was a warrior who, upon returning to Cambodia, subdued enough of the competing Khmer states to declare a sovereign and unified ‘Kambuja' under a single ruler. He made this declaration in 802CE in a ceremony on Kulen Mountain (Phnom Kulen) north of Siem Reap, where he held a ‘god-king' rite that legitimized his ‘universal kingship' through the establishment of a royal linga-worshiping cult. The linga-cult would remain central to Angkorian kingship, religion, art and architecture for centuries. Roluos: The ‘First' Capital After 802CE, Jayavarman II continued to pacify rebellious areas and enlarge his kingdom. Before 802CE, he had briefly based himself at a pre-Angkorian settlement near the modern town of Roluos (13km southeast of Siem Reap). For some reason, perhaps due to military considerations, he moved from the Roluos area to the Kulen Mountains. Sometime after establishing his kingship in 802CE, he moved the capital back to the Roluos area, which he named Hariharalaya in honor of the combined god of Shiva and Vishnu. He reigned from Hariharalaya until his death in 850CE. Thirty years after Jayavarman II's death, King Indravarman III constructed the temple of Preah Ko, the first major member of the ‘Roluos Group', in honor of Jayavarman II. He then constructed Bakong, which was the first grand project to follow the temple-mountain architectural formula. When visiting these temples, note the deep, rich, detailed artistic style in the carvings that were characteristic of the period. Indravarman III also built the first large baray (water reservoir), thereby establishing two more defining marks of the Angkorian kingship - in addition to the linga-cult, the construction of temple monuments and grand water projects became part of kingly tradition. The Capital Moves to Angkor Indravarman III's son, Yasovarman I, carried on the tradition of his father, building the East Baray as well as the last major temple of the Roluos Group (Lolei), and the first major temple in the Angkor area (Phnom Bakheng). Upon completing Phnom Bakheng in 893CE, he moved his capital to the newly named Yasodharapura in the Angkor area. The move may have been sparked by Yasovarman I's violent confrontation with his brother for the throne, which left the Royal Palace at Roluos in ashes. With one exception, the capital would reside in the Angkor area for the next 500 years. Koh Ker: A Brief Interruption The exception took place in 928CE when, for reasons that remain unclear, there was a disruption in the royal succession. King Jayavarman IV moved the capital 100km from Angkor north to Koh Ker, where it remained for 20 years. When the capital returned to Angkor, it centered not at Phnom Bakheng as it had before, but further east at the new state-temple of Pre Rup (961CE). Apogee: The Khmer Empire at Angkor An era of territorial, political and commercial expansion followed the return to Angkor. Royal courts flourished and constructed several major monuments including Ta Keo, Banteay Srey, Baphuon, and West Baray. Kings of the period exercised their military muscle, including King Rajendravarman who led successful campaigns against the eastern enemy of Champa in the mid 10th century. Just after the turn of the millennium, there was a 9-year period of political upheaval that ended when King Suryavarman I seized firm control in 1010CE. In the following decades, he led the Khmer to many important military victories including conquering the Mon Empire to the west (capturing much of the area of modern Thailand), thereby bringing the entire western portion of old Funan under Khmer control. A century later, King Suryavarman II led several successful campaigns against the Khmer's traditional eastern enemy, Champa, in central and southern Vietnam. Under Suryavarman II in the early 12th century, the empire was at its political/territorial apex. Appropriate to the greatness of the times, Suryavarman II produced Angkor's most spectacular architectural creation, Angkor Wat, as well as other monuments such as Thommanon, Banteay Samre and Beng Melea. Angkor Wat was constructed as Suryavarman II's state-temple and perhaps as his funerary temple. Extensive battle scenes from his campaigns against Champa are recorded in the superb bas-reliefs on the south wall of Angkor Wat. By the late 12th century, rebellious states in the provinces, unsuccessful campaigns against the Vietnamese Tonkin, and internal conflicts all began to weaken the empire. In 1165, during a turbulent period when Khmer and Cham princes plotted and fought both together and against one another, a usurper named Tribhuvanadityavarman seized power at Angkor. In 1177 the usurper was killed in one of the worst defeats suffered by the Khmers at the hands of the Cham. Champa, apparently in collusion with some Khmer factions, launched a sneak naval attack on Angkor. A Cham fleet sailed up the Tonle Sap River onto the great Tonle Sap Lake just south of the capital city. Naval and land battles ensued in which the city was assaulted, burned and occupied by the Cham. The south wall of Bayon displays bas-reliefs of a naval battle, but it is unclear whether it is a depiction of the battle of 1177 or some later battle. Jayavarman VII: The Monument Builder The Cham controlled Angkor for four years until the legendary Jayavarman VII mounted a series of counter attacks over a period of years. He drove the Cham from Cambodia in 1181. After the Cham defeat, Jayavarman VII was declared king. He broke with almost 400 years of tradition and made Mahayana Buddhism the state religion, and immediately began Angkor's most prolific period of monument building. Jayavarman VII's building campaign was unprecedented and took place at a frenetic pace. Hundreds of monuments were constructed in less than a 40-year period. Jayavarman VII's works included Bayon with its famous giant faces, his capital city of Angkor Thom, the temples of Ta Prohm, Banteay Kdei and Preah Khan, and hundreds of others. The monuments of this period, though myriad and grand, are often architecturally confused and artistically inferior to earlier periods, seemingly due in part to the haste with which they were rendered. After a couple of days at the temples, you should begin to recognize the distinctive Bayon-style of Jayavarman VII's monuments. Note the giant stone faces, the cruder carving techniques, simpler lintel carvings with little or no flourish, the Buddhist themes to the carvings and the accompanying vandalism of the Buddhas that occurred in a later period. At the same time as his building campaign, Jayavarman VII also led an aggressive military struggle against Champa. In 1190 he captured the Cham king and brought him to Angkor. In 1203 he annexed all of Champa, thereby expanding the Khmer Empire to the eastern shores of southern Vietnam. Through other military adventures he extended the borders of the empire in all directions. Jayavarman VII's prodigious building campaign also represents the finale of the Khmer empire as no further grand monuments were constructed after his death in 1220. Construction on some monuments, notably Bayon, stopped short of completion, probably coinciding with Jayavarman VII's death. His successor, Indravarman II continued construction on some Jayavarman VII monuments with limited success. The End of an Era Though the monument building had come to a halt, the capital remained active for years. Chinese emissary Zhou Daguan visited Angkor in the late 13th century and describes a vibrant city in his classic, ‘Customs of Cambodia'. Hinduism made a come back under Jayavarman VIII in the late 13th century during which most of Angkor's Buddhist monuments were systematically defaced. Look for the chipped out Buddha images on almost all of Jayavarman VII's Buddhist monuments. Literally thousands of Buddha images have been removed in what must have been a huge investment of destructive effort. Interestingly, some Buddha images were crudely altered into Hindu lingas and Bodhisattvas. There are some good examples of altered images at Ta Prohm and Preah Khan. Jayavarman VIII also constructed the final Brahmanic monument at Angkor - the small tower East Prasat Top in Angkor Thom. After Jayavarman VIII's death, Buddhism returned to Cambodia but in a different form. Instead of Mahayana Buddhism, Theravada Buddhism took hold and remains the dominant religion in Cambodia to this day. After the 13th century, Angkor suffered repeated invasions by the Thai from the west, pressuring the Khmer and contributing to the capital being moved from Angkor. After a seven-month siege on Angkor in 1431, King Ponhea Yat moved the capital from Angkor to Phnom Penh in 1432. This move may also have marked a shift from an agrarian-based economy to a trade based economy, in which a river junction location like Phnom Penh rather than the inland area of Angkor would be more advantageous. After the move to Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia moved a couple of more times, first to Lovek and then Oudong, before finally settling permanently into Phnom Penh in 1866. After the capital moved from Angkor, the temples remained active, though their function changed over the years. Angkor Wat was visited several times by western explorers and missionaries between the 16th and 19th century, but it is Henri Mouhot who is popularly credited with the ‘discovery' of Angkor Wat in 1860. His book, ‘Travels in Siam, Cambodia, Laos and Annam' is credited with bringing Angkor its first tourist boom. .

ANGKOR WAT

Description: There are few places anywhere on earth to match the splendour of Angkor Wat. The temple is one of the largest monuments to religion ever built and is truly one the wonders of the world. Believed to have been constructed as a temple and mausoleum for King Suryavarman II at the peak of the Khmer empire in the first half of the 12th century, Angkor Wat is probably the best-preserved of the Angkorean temples. As with other Angkorean temples and walled cities such as Angkor Thom, the central theme of Khmer architecture revolved around the idea of the temple-mountain. By the time building on Angkor Wat was begun early in the 12th century, this had been elaborated to a central tower surrounded by four smaller towers. The central monument represents the mythical Mount Meru, the holy mountain at the centre of the universe, which was home to the Hindu god Vishnu. The five towers symbolise Mount Meru's five peaks. It is difficult to express in words the enormous scale of Angkor Wat, but it can be explained in part by a look at the dimensions of the complex. The temple is surrounded by a moat which makes the one around the Tower of London, built at roughly the same time, look like nothing more than a garden trench. At 190 metres wide and forming a rectangle measuring 1.5 km by 1.3 km, it is hard to imagine any attacking force overwhelming the defences. But the moat was more than just a defensive bulwark, in line with the temple's Hindu origins it represented the oceans of the world. A rectangular wall measuring 1025 metres by 800 metres borders the inner edge of the moat. There is a gate in each side of the wall, but unusually for the mainly Hindu-influenced Angkorian temples, the main entrance faces west. This entrance is a richly decorated portico, 235 m wide with three gates. However, the temple's greatest sculptural treasure is its 2 km-long bas-reliefs around the walls of the outer gallery and the hundred figures of devatas and apsaras. This intricately carved gallery tells stories of the god Vishnu and of Suryavarman II's successes on the battlefield. The whole complex covers 81 hectares.

BANTEAY SREY

Description: Located at Banteay Srey village, Banteay Srey commune, Banteay Srey District in 32-kilometer distance from the provincial town of Siem Reap by Charles De Gaulle Road, then turning left by Road A66.

GROUP OF ANGKOR THOM

Description: Located at 10-kilometer from the provincial town of Siem Reap by the connecting road from Angkor Touch temple. Group of Angkor Thom temple consists of Bayon, Ba P uon, Vi Mean Akas, Pro Lean Chol Dam Rey, Ba Li Lay, Suor Proat having 12 peaks, Khlang Khang Cheung Khlang Khang Tbong, group of Phreah Pi Thu temple having three temples, Viheah 17 Lveng, and terrace of Sdach Kum Lung with five statues of Phrea Thom each has five-meter heigh consisting of Pheah En Tep, Preah Ang Ngut, Preah Tep Pro Liem and Preah Sang Tuk.

GROUP OF ANGKOR TOUCH

Description: Located at Siem Reap District, North of the provincial town of Siem Reap in seven-kilometer distance from the provincial town by Ko May Road or Charles De Gaulle Road. Group of small-circle temples consists of Angkor Touch (Angkor Wat) which has 65-meter height, 200-hectar land area and surface of the temple 1,500 Meters X 1,300 Meter, was built at the beginning of 12th century during the reign of the king Sorayak Varman II (1,113-1,152) dedicated to Preah Vi Snouk who then was named Preah Bo Me Vi Snouk Lok right after he died, Bak Kheng temple which has 45-meter height and 109 peaks located on the top of 65-meter height mountain of Bak Kheng where tourists usually climb up to get fresh air and take picture of sun set in the afternoon, Prum Kril temple; Bay Kho Ek temple or temple; Bak Sey Cham Krong temple and many other small temples.

TA PROHM

Description: This temple was a monastery built by Jayavarman VII as a residence for his mother. Ta Prohm has been controversially left to the destructive power of the jungle by French archeologists to show how nature can destroy man's work. It has been largely overgrown by the jungle and as you climb through the dilapidated stone structures you see many giant trees growing out of the top of the temple itself. It's the sort of place where you'd expect to see Indiana Jones step out from behind a fallen pillar. As such, it is one of the most regularly visited temples, with visitors often arriving during the warmer hours of the middle of the day to take advantage of the protective canopy the forest spreads above the temple. Ta Prohm looks as many of the monuments did when European explorers first laid eyes on them.

KULEN MOUNTAIN

Description: Locates at Districts of Svay Len and Va Rin in 48-kilometer distance from the provincial town of Siem Reap by Short-cut or in 50-kilometer distance from the prov incial town of Siem Reap via Charles De Gaulle Road, small circle, big circle, Preah Dak, Road A66, then turning to the Malaysian Developed Road. At the mountain of Ku Len, tourists can visit such places as follows: CHUP PREAH: Is the plain spot with cool water flows and locates at the mountain’s valley. Next to it, there is a rare-big tree of Cham Pa having 0.7-meter diameter and 15-meter height. At Chup Preah, there is a big Buddhist statue and many other small statues made during 16th century. LINGA 1,000: Locates on the mountain, along the river of Siem Reap and has a lot of figures of Yoni and Linga spreading out at the bottom of the river. TERRACE OF SDACH KUM LING: Is the plain terrace having a small ruined temple made of solid brick at the middle; the study proves that the terrace covered by lava for hundreds years. PREAH ANG THOM: Is a big statue of Buddhist who had achieved nirvana; the statue built in 16th century has eight-meter length living on a big rock. Preah Ang Thom is the sacred and worshipping god for Ku Len Mountain. There are also two big trees of Cham Pa at nearby. Besides Preah Ang Thom, we have seen Chhok Ruot, footprint of Preah Bat Choan Tuk, Peung Chhok, Peung Ey So and Peung Ey Sey. WATERFALL: At Ku Len Mountain, there are two spots of waterfall. + First Waterfall: Has four-meter to five-meter heights and 20-meter to 25-meter diameters during the dry and rainy seasons respectfully. + Second Waterfall: Has 15-20-meter heights and 10-15-meter diameters during the dry and rainy seasons respectfully.

GETTING THERE AND AROUND

Siem Reap is almost small enough to get around on foot, but the nearest temples are several kilometers from town. Motorcycle taxis are the most common form of transport for short trips around town. Transportation to the temples is usually hired by the day and arranged through your hotel or travel agent. Motorcycle, Trailers Taxi and bicycle Two-person motorcycle trailers (Tuk Tuk or ro mauks) and one-person for bicycle have surpassed motorcycle taxis (motodups) as the most popular form of transport to the temples, though motodups are still omnipresent in town. In Siem Reap most motorcycle drivers speak some English. For short trips around the town, foreigners are expected to pay 2000-4000R for motodups and about twice that for a motorcycle trailer. To the temples, transportation is usually rented by the day. Rates run $5-$8/day for a motodup, and $10-$12/day for motorcycle trailers and $2-$3/day for bicycle, some guesthouses have free bicycle. Cars Cars are usually hired on a daily basis through a hotel, travel agent. $20-$25 per day - extra if you want to go to Banteay Srey, Kbal Spean or other distant temples. Vans and buses can also be rented for $30-$70/day. Mini Bus Tours Set itinerary, mini bus tours of the temples can be an economical alternative to hiring your own car and driver. Some travel agencies run minibuses capable of carrying between 10 and 25 people on set tours of the temples. The price includes guide and transportation. Book a tour through Cambodia Angkor World Tours.

RELIGION

The Cambodian religions on the whole are strongly influenced by early Indian and Chinese cultures. As early as at the beginning of the Christian era the Indian traders brought - along with their products - their religion to the first Khmer state in Funan. Most of them were followers of Brahmanism (a forerunner of Hinduism), which merged with the existing animistic beliefs into a kind of new religion - hinduistic and local deities existing side by side.
During the Angkor period, which started at the beginning of the 8th century, various Hindu sects were promoted by the Angkor kings, especially the cults of Shiva and Vishnu, which is still to be seen in the art and architecture of that period. Jayavarman II crowned himself as a reincarnation of Shiva and reigned on the basis of the Hindu concept of the god-kings or devaraja. Hindu cosmology had a great impact on the whole Cambodian culture. Today, almost 90% of the population are Theravada-Buddhists - the faith has had a formative influence on everyday live and still has. It was reintroduced as the national religion in 1989.
Theravada-Buddhism entered the country in the 13th century and began to spread under King Jayavarman VII in the whole country, till it became state religion in the 15th century. As a popular religion, it held great attractions to a population which for many centuries had been denied access to the more elitist and extravagant devaraja cult. Many Cambodian males at some point of their lives, spend time in a Buddhist monastery and almost every village has a Buddhist temple - or wat - around which village life centers. Buddhist rituals follow the lunar calendar and there are several significant religious holidays and festivals that are widely observed.

Cambodian Buddhism appears an easy going faith and tolerates ancestor and territorial spirit worship, which is widely practised. There are often small rustic altars to the guardian spirits in the corner of pagodas. Many Khmer communities have achars, who share in the spiritual guidance of people but do not compete with the monks. Most important ceremonies - weddings, funerals, coming of age - have both Buddhist and animist elements. Today other religions in Cambodia are Islam and Christianity - there are around 500.000 Cham-Muslims belonging to the Sunni school and approximately 60.000 Christians, most of them Roman Catholics. Almost all the Chinese in Cambodia are Taoist or Confucianist. Arts & Architecture
The height of Khmer art and architecture dates from the Angkor period. All the surviving monuments are built of stone or brick, and all are religious buildings. The culture and art of the early kingdoms of Funan and Chenla were central to the evolution of Angkorian art and architecture. Relics of the pre-Angkorian periods have been found all over South-Cambodia. Most of it is Hindu art, but a number of Mahayana-Buddhist Bodhisattvas have been found also. During Angkor period, architecture and its decoration were governed by a series of mystical and religious beliefs.
Common motifs in Khmer sculpture are apsaras (celestial nymphs), which have become a kind of symbol of the Khmer culture. The apsaras are carved with splendidly ornate jewellery, clothed in the latest Angkor fashion and represented the ultimate ideal of feminine beauty of that time. Other motifs are nagas (sacred aquatic snakes), which play an important part in Hindu mythology and are possibly more than any other motif charac-teristic of Southeast Asia. Most of these motifs have been taken from Indian art and have been modified into what is now known as traditional Khmer art.
Temples were designed to represent the cosmic Mt. Meru, the home of the gods of Indian cosmology, surrounded by oceans. Angkor literally means "city" or "capital", Wat means "temple". Angkor Wat is the largest and most famous of the architectural masterpieces of Cambodia and probably the largest religious building on earth. Conceived by Suryavarman II, Angkor Wat took an estimated 30 years to build. It is generally believed to have been a funeral temple for the king. It has been continuously occupied by monks and is well preserved.
Intricate bas reliefs surround Angkor Wat on four sides. Each tells a different story. The most celebrated of these is "The Churning of the Ocean of Milk", which is located on the east wing. Again, the central sanctuary of the temple complex represents Mt. Meru, the five towers symbolize Meru's five peaks, the enclosing wall represents the mountains at the edge of the world and the surrounding moat, the ocean beyond.
The symmetrical towers of Angkor Wat are stylized on the Cambodian flag and have become a symbol of Khmer culture.

LANGUAGE

The official Cambodian language, called Khmer, is part of the Mon-Khmer family, enriched by the Indian Pali and Sanskrit languages and influenced by Thai and French. Khmer is related to the languages spoken by hilltribe people of Laos, Vietnam and even Malaysia. It has no tones and the script is derived from the South-Indian alphabet, written from left to right and leaving no space between the words. English and French are spoken also - French mainly by some old people, whereas the younger generation learns English.