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Angkor Wat

 More photos to come

This is the largest single monument at Angkor .  It was built during the first half of the 12th century, taking nearly 30 years to build.  Wat is Thai for “ Temple ” and was added to the name after the Thai defeat of the Khmer and the temple became a Theravada Buddhist monument in the 16th century.  About 500 acres are enclosed by the walls of Angkor Wat and is encircled by a 200m wide moat and the main temple is 65m high.  The site was the capital city of the Khmer empire before the capital shifted to Angkor Thom just to the north.  Angkor Wat started out as a Hindu temple, and the structure is meant to symbolize the cosmic structure of the universe according to Hindu mythology. 

 

The central tower represents Mount Meru and the five towers represent the peaks of Meru.  Unlike most monuments at Angkor , Angkor Wat is oriented with the main entrance facing the west, possibly indicating it was a burial monument in addition to being a religious temple.  Following the onset of the Thai conflicts, the interior was apparently sealed up.  French archaeologists discovered a 90 foot vertical shaft within the temple that hid a horde of gold objects at the bottom, a real Indiana Jones moment. 

 

Within the compound, the main monument is set on three tiers and the photos have been organized according to the tiers, in addition to a few shots of the causeway, bridge over the moat, and the entry

 

Arial Shots – Before starting, it may help to get an aerial view of Angkor Wat to get a sense of the layout.  Unfortunately I did not get a chance for aerial photography, but I found a couple of images from the web that will help you, notice they are copy righted, so they are just to help you get the big picture.

 

Outer Perimeter and Causeway – A series of shots showing the perimeter wall, entry tower, and interior paddock.

 

Backdoor – Four shots of the trail leading from the back (east) door of the monument from the first tier.
Entry Tower and Causeway – Images showing the bridge, moat, enclosure wall, and entrance tower from the west side of the moat.  Also in a sub-directory are two pictures showing the entrance tower from the inside of the walls, taken from the north eastern side.  The walkway, from the entrance Gopura and the main temple is 350m long and 9m wide.
Paddock – A shots of the paddock from the south east and north east corners of the first tier of Angkor Wat, including the two small libraries set just on the other side of the small ponds set about halfway between the entry Gopura and the main temple.  It was in this area that some sets were built for the filming of Tomb Raider.  I guess filming ended two weeks before I arrived.
Walkway From The Terrace of Honor – Images showing the walkway with the entrance tower in the background and the Terrace of Honor, with the flanking Naga balustrades, and the lions at the stairs leading up to the first tier.
First Tier – The main feature of the first tier are 200m long galleries, forming the outer perimeter of Angkor Wat.  These galleries are the home to the Bas-releifs showing various mythological and historical scenes. 

Views of the First Tier – Images from various view points of the first tier.  Included is a shot of the principal Gopura, or entrance, to the main temple, taken from the south side.  Other shots show the interior courtyard (Grassed over) of the first tier from one of the towers.
Details of the First Tier – Some photographs showing details of a carved column at the front of the building.  Also included are some shots of figures carved at the bottom of columns found through out the first tier; many of these carvings have been removed over the years.
South Side Library – A few pictures of the library at the south west corner of Angkor Wat, within the first tier walls. 
Bas-Reliefs – Mostly from the north and east side galleries, two shots give a sense of the size of these galleries.  Unfortunately I did not have either a flash system or tripod with me.  These shots were taken with long exposures by hand, using the natural light.
Second Tier – Several pictures taken from the southern and western courtyards of the second tier, showing some Asparas, pieces probably from railings waiting to be restored, and the stairs leading down to the first tier.  Also are images around the main staircase, on the western side of the second tier, leading up to the third.  There are finally some photographs showing the outside of the 2nd tier. Third Tier – Various images of the third tier, including the stairs leading up to it.  A sub-directory has three images of the stairway leading up to the southeast tower.  The stairs are set at a 70+ degree angle; they were designed to force visitors to walk up on their hands showing reverence.  The treads seemed to be about 6-8 inches deep and the stairs were more than 2 feet high.