Angkor: History and Guide to Khmer Temples. Excursion to the temple complex of Angkor Wat: feel like the king of Cambodia! Where is Anchor

Angkor Wat is a giant temple complex dedicated to the god Vishnu in Cambodia. It is the largest religious building ever built and one of the most important archaeological sites in the world. Built during the reign of King Suryavarman II (1113-1150).

Angkor Wat is located 5.5 km north of the modern city of Siem Reap, the capital of the Cambodian province of the same name, and is part of a temple complex built in the area of ​​the ancient capital of the Khmer state, the city of Angkor. Angkor covers an area of ​​200 km²; recent research suggests that it may have covered an area of ​​about 3,000 km² and a population of up to half a million inhabitants, making it one of the largest human settlements of the pre-industrial era.

It was discovered only in the 19th century by the French traveler Henri Muo. Many bizarre buildings with sprouted trees and shrubs appeared to his astonished gaze. Currently, this complex attracts many tourists from all over the world.

13th century Khmer Buddhist temple at Angkor Wat, Cambodia.

Trees sprouted through the buildings.

Angkor Wat from a bird's eye view. The surrounding moat is clearly visible.

Pre Rup, one of the many ruined temples of Angkor Wat. It was built in 961 by order of the Khmer king Rajendravarman, who was also buried here.

Statue in Bayon temple.

The terrace of Angkor Thom is made up of elephant statues.

Bizarre combinations of trees and buildings, corridors and labyrinths of Bayon.

Apsaras, detail of the lower pediment. Bayon style, end 12 - early. 13th century, sandstone.

Terrace of the Leper King at Angkor Thom.

Banteay Srei (left): This is a 10th century Khmer architecture temple dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva. Banteay Samre (Right): Located about 500m east of East Baray, is one of the temples of Angkor.

Banteay Srey Temple is a 10th century Cambodian temple dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva.

Built in the late 12th century or early 13th century: Bayon Temple, Angkor Thom.

Through the roots and trunks of trees, the image of the Buddha appears.

Buddhist monks in front of the pool, which is located in front of the central temple of Angkor Wat.

Two small temples, Thommanon and Chao, are located to the east of Angkor Thom.

Bas-relief on the wall in the Terrace of the Leper King, part of the Royal Square of Angkor Thom - Angkor Wat.

Ta Prohm Temple, Angkor, Cambodia.

Bas-reliefs and corridors of the Buddhist temple of Angkor Ta Prohm. It dates back to the 12th century and was built by King Jayavarman VII, who is considered one of the greatest rulers of the ancient Khmer empire.

Tight interlacing of tree roots and stones of Ta Prohm temple.

The heads of mythical characters are located above the moat leading to the southern gate of Angkor Thom.

It is an artificial island with the Buddhist temple of Preah Khan Baray.

Phimeanakas was "built in the late 10th century, during the reign of Rajendravarman (941-968), and then rebuilt by Suryavarman II as a three-tiered pyramid, like a Hindu temple.

Phnom Bakheng is located between Angkor Wat and Bayon.

Prasat Preah Palilay.

Prasat Sister Prat is a series of 12 towers in Angkor Thom.

View of the ruins of the Temple of Preah Khan at Angkor in Cambodia. Preah Khan was built by the Khmer king Jayavarman VII in the late 12th century, dedicated to his father, Dharanindravarman II.

Tree roots and Ta Prohm temple.

A boy plays in the pool in front of the central temple of Angkor Wat.

Sunset over Angkor Wat.

On the left is Ta Prohm, on the right is Angkor Wat.

One of the most famous places in the complex is the empty doorway to Ta Prohm.

Dressed up statue in the Bayon temple. Here the monks talk to the spirits.

Looking through the many doors of the Angkor Wat temple complex.

The pond Srah Srang was dug in the middle of the 10th century and the staircase is flanked by statues of lions.

The 12th century temple is dedicated to the Buddha.

Temple of Ta Prohm.

Angkor (Cambodia) - description, history, location. Exact address, phone number, website. Reviews of tourists, photos and videos.

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History paragraph

The complex of religious buildings of Angkor dates back to the 10-12th centuries, in those years it was one of the largest cities in the world, its temples were known far beyond the Khmer empire. In 1431, Siamese troops practically destroyed the city, forcing the inhabitants to leave it. Since then, Angkor and more than 100 remaining palaces and temples have lurked under the shadow of a lush rainforest. Until the end of the 19th century, the French naturalist Ann Muo published a number of works on Angkor. It is said that even Rudyard Kipling wrote his Jungle Book about Mowgli after visiting this place. In 1992, the temple complex was taken under the protection of UNESCO.

Temples of Angkor

Phnom Bakheng

Phnom Bakheng - one of the first temples built in Angkor (9-10 centuries) - a five-tiered structure with a bunch of turrets. Other ancient temples have been preserved in Angkor: Pre-Khan, Preak-Neak-Pean, Ta-Som (12th century), Banteay Kdei (second half of the 12th century).

angkor thom

Angkor Thom (“big city”) - the citadel of the city, the central part of the temple complex - is surrounded by a moat 100 m wide and a wall about 8 m high. .) was restored by King Jayavarmana VII. There are 5 gates in the wall of Angkor Thom, above which rise towers about 23 m high, decorated with faces of a bodhisattva. Inside the walls - a three-tier pyramid Bayon, surrounded by 54 towers, the ruins of the temple of Bafuon, the Royal Palace, the temples of Baphuop and Pimeanakas ("Heavenly Palace"), the terrace of the Elephants and the terrace of the Leper King, as well as the Gate of Victory and stone bridges, decorated with images of the gods.

The height of the Elephant Terrace is 350m - it was from there that the Khmer kings watched the ceremonies on the main square of Angkor Thom, which lies in front of the palace.

ancient angkor

bayon temple

Another majestic monument is the Bayon Temple (not to be confused with the Bayon Pyramid) with giant stone statues of Buddha's faces. This three-level building with a base of 140 by 160 m is located southeast of the citadel of Angkor Thom. The temple is decorated with 52 square towers located at different levels and having different heights. On each side of these towers, the faces of the Buddha are depicted in such a way that no matter where a visitor from the north looks at this structure, he will always meet the gaze of the Enlightened One.

It is the outlines of Angkor Wat that are depicted on the national flag of Cambodia.

Angkor Wat ("temple city", 1112-1152) - the temple and mausoleum of King Suryavarman II. The complex consists of a central tower (height 65 m) and surrounding towers, symbolizing the five peaks of the sacred Mount Meru. The central structure of the temple is a multi-level structure with many stairs and passages.

The temple is surrounded by a moat 190 m wide and over 5.5 km long, it symbolizes the oceans of the world. This is the largest religious building in the world, its area is about 81 hectares.

Ta Prohm - temples swallowed up by the jungle

No less interesting is the monastery of Pre-Kan with the temples of Nik-Pin and Ta-Som (12th century). It is worth paying attention to the temple of Banteay Kde, as well as the unique Ta-Prom temple complex, almost untouched by restorers. Other "must-sees": the complex of cult pools of Pre Neak Pean (end of the 12th century), the East Baray pool (7 km long and 1.8 km wide) with an island in the middle, the Bakong Temple (the first example of an architectural style temple-mountain in Khmer art), the pink sandstone temple of Bantrei Srei with fantastic bas-reliefs.

angkor- not really a city, but rather temple city, the dimensions of which are amazing: it stretched for 24 km from west to east and 8 kilometers from North to South! It is located in the Mekong Valley about 240 km northwest of Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia. For many centuries the city kept its mysteries.

In the immediate vicinity of Angkor Wat is the Angkor Thom complex (trans. Great Capital), which includes temples: Bayon, Elephant Terrace, Prasat Suor Prat, Terrace of the Leper King, Khabang, the royal palace. The complex was the capital of the Khmer Empire in the XII-XV centuries. It was built in 1177, during the reign of Jayavarman VII, on the site of the former capital, Yashodharapura, destroyed as a result of the war with Champa.

This plan clearly shows the location of the temples. Angkor Wat - below, Angkor Thom complex - above with Bayon in the center. The whole complex occupies 9 km², surrounded by a wall with entrances on four sides and a moat filled with water.

From the point of view of Khmer mythology, the complex is a macrocosm of the universe with the Bayon temple in the center. Now most of the Angkor Thom complex is occupied by forest, as can be seen on the map above, but in the 13th century it was a huge city, people lived here.

angkor wat(transl. Temple City) a giant temple complex dedicated to the god Vishnu is the pearl of the complex, it is the best preserved and is a wonderful example of Khmer architecture and art! It covers an area of ​​2 km², being the largest religious building on Earth. Built during the reign of King Suryavarman II (1112-1152).
Angkor Wat is much better preserved than many other Khmer structures, which is explained by the fact that even after the desolation of these places, Buddhist monks lived in Angkor Wat. At the end of the 13th century, the Khmer Empire collapsed and the temple was abandoned. For 600 years until 1858, the temple remained lost in the jungles of northern Cambodia.

The Khmers and Europeans themselves knew about the existence of the abandoned city. Portuguese travelers visited it in the 16th century. However, the Frenchman Henri Muo really opened the ancient city to the West. On January 22, 1861, the French naturalist Henri Muo, getting lost in the jungle north of Lake Tonle Sap, stumbled upon the picturesque ruins of Ankor, which he had been looking for for a long time. In his search, he was guided by the notes of European travelers who had been to Ankor long before him. But it was Muo's work, published after his death, that made Cambodia very popular with Europeans. Hundreds if not thousands of tourists flocked to Anchor. What appeared to the eyes of Muo has nothing to do with what we see. Everything here was covered with lush vegetation. You have to constantly fight with it. If Ankor is not cleared for three years, all this beauty will be swallowed up by the jungle again.

There was a city (many say it's more like a network of interconnected cities). It took 400 years to build. There were temples, hospitals (no less than a hundred hospitals!), libraries, bridges, roads, a unique irrigation system that allowed 4 rice harvests per year. There was a huge empire. And, of course, there were wars. With tyams and tayami. What all these peoples did not share - no one can say for sure. But the Siamese troops completely captured the city. And a great civilization perished. The builders left, the inhabitants left, the ministers of temples and even the conquerors left. Why? There are various opinions: traditional post-war epidemics, or maybe the inhabitants considered the city dishonored, who knows? Mystical explanations were also given: they say, a certain project was already simply completed.

bayon It was originally built as a Buddhist temple. It is from its walls that the famous stone faces of Angkor look at tourists. Scientists are still arguing who is depicted on the Bayon towers. Some believe that these are the faces of the Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara, others that King Jayavarman immortalized his face in them!

Bayon towers
The temple has three levels and is surrounded by three walls. The main part of the decor of the temple is the image of everyday life of the Khmers. There is also a blank wall 4.5 meters high, which depicts scenes of Jayavarman VII's victory over the Chams in the battle on Tonle Sap Lake.

Anchor Wat can be called a "funeral" temple. Suryavarman started its construction so that after death his ashes would be placed there. So the purpose of Ankor Wat is the same as that of Egyptian pyramids. A stone-paved path leads to the temple. Ankor Wat is shaped like a three-tiered pyramid. Its walls are covered with intricate carvings. The most common figure here is the figure of the apsara - the goddess, the heavenly dancer. There are thousands of them here, none of them is similar to the other. They have different facial expressions, different figures, decorations. One belt is not similar, for example, to another. The bracelets on the shoulders are different. If you look closely at the hats, they also differ from each other.

Terraces have different heights. Thus, an amazing effect is achieved - as the temple approaches, it increases in size. The temple grows right before the eyes of the viewer. The effect is amazing. You go, and all this whopper hangs over you. To get to the upper terrace, you need to overcome a rather steep staircase. The steps here are as narrow and high as those of the Mayan pyramids.

The country has preserved an ancient legend about the favorite of the gods, Prince Pra Ket Mealea, taken by the great Indra to his heavenly palace, located in the center of the universe. However, the prince did not get along with the heavenly dancers, and they begged Indra to send the young man back to earth. To console the young man, Indra ordered the architect of the gods Dust Pusnuk to build a palace on the earth of unprecedented beauty in the image and likeness of the heavenly abode of the gods

At the central tower you feel like some kind of pygmy. Here you understand that the legend of the divine origin of Ankor Wat did not arise by chance. According to this legend, Ankor Wat was erected by the son of the god Indra, the Khmer king Preh Katomialia. Once he visited the heavenly chambers of his father. The son really liked Indra's barn - he decided to build the same one, but only a palace. So Ankor Wat is an exact copy of Indra's cowshed.

Bas-reliefs in the galleries of Angkor

banteay srey was built earlier than Angkor, in the second half of the 10th century during the reign of King Rajendravarman. The temple is dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva. It was built of red sandstone and richly decorated with carvings and sculptures, many of which have survived to this day.

banteay srey often referred to as the precious pearl in the Angkor necklace.

The temple was originally called Tribhuvanamahesvara in honor of Lord Shiva, which literally translates as the lord of three dimensions. Modern name banteay srey translated as the citadel of women or the citadel of beauty.

The temple was rediscovered in 1914, after 15 years restoration was carried out. banteay srey was robbed several times, the most famous case occurred in 1923, when the Frenchman André Malrou stole 4 figures. He was later arrested and the pieces returned!

The figures of the guards have been replaced with copies.

Architectural banteay srey consists of 3 towers surrounded by 3 rows of walls and a moat. 2 buildings opposite the central temple served as libraries. The temple is oriented to the east and has 2 entrances.

The carving is unique and mostly religious in nature.

The view from space on Angkor from above gives an amazing picture of the starry sky map, but of the starry sky that existed 10,500 years ago BC! And this is in no way explainable. Georges Code - French archaeologist - named some of the temple ensembles
the mystical center of a vanished empire...

07/18/11. UN court orders Thailand and Cambodia to withdraw troops from ancient Khmer temple

Two countries - Thailand and Cambodia - argued for decades over who should own the temple of the Khmer civilization. Earlier this year, border clashes resulted in the deaths of 18 people and the displacement of dozens of peasants. For the first time, the situation on the border between Thailand and Cambodia became more complicated in 2008, when UNESCO included the 11th-century Hindu temple of Preah Vihear of the Angkor Empire, which the UN organization attributed to Cambodia, to the Human Heritage Register. Thailand disagreed with this position.

Angkor temple complex - the main attraction of Cambodia. The complex is so huge that it can rightfully be included in the list of the most majestic and grandiose structures. South-East Asia. Thousands of people visit the temples of Angkor every year. Angkor Wat is a place worth visiting Cambodia at least once in your life. I don’t even know what impressed us more: or the Angkor temple complex.

Temple complex Angkor Wat

In order to avoid confusion, it is necessary to immediately clarify that the Angkor complex is called all temples, located on a vast territory, in addition, there are temple Angkor Wat, built by the ruler Suryavarman II, which can be called the pearl of Angkor or the main temple.

I will not describe the history of the creation of Angkor, talk about the beauty of the temples and unusual bas-reliefs, I will only share practical information that will come in handy when planning a visit to the Angkor complex.

Before the trip, I scrupulously studied the reports of people who visited Angkor, wrote out useful information, thought about the best route, and then tested this route in action. Today I will share this information with you. From this article you will learn:

Where is Angkor Wat and how to get there

The Angkor temple complex is located in Cambodia, near the city of Siem Reap. All useful information about this city can be found in the article:

You can get to Siem Reap by plane, bus and even by water. If you are relaxing in or on, you can buy an organized tour to Angkor at one of the travel agencies. But still it is better to visit the temples of Angkor on your own. About how we got to Angkor from Pattaya:

If you are relaxing in Sihanoukvel, then you can get to Siem Reap by bus. If your vacation takes place in Vietnam, for example, in, then it is best to get to Siem Reap by plane from. You can, of course, use the bus, but moving from Ho Chi Minh City to Siem Reap will take quite a long time: 8 hours to and the same amount to Siem Reap.

Where to live in Angkor

Of course, you can’t live in the Angkor temple complex itself 🙂 All tourists stay in the city of Siem Reap, which is closest to Angkor. The question often arises which hotel to choose to be closer to the temples? In fact, the location of the hotel relative to the Angkor complex is not important, in any case, you can’t walk to the temples. To visit Angkor, you will have to hire transport or rent bicycles (but without good physical fitness, I would not advise you to do this).

There are many hotels in the city of Siem Reap for every taste and budget. I can recommend a good inexpensive hotel with a pool, where we spent almost a whole week Bou Savy Guesthouse, I talked about it in detail in the photo and video.

When is the best time to visit Angkor Wat

1. Angkor Wat is better not to visit during major holidays , especially during the Khmer holidays, when the entrance to the complex for local residents is free.

2. It is not very pleasant to look around the Angkor temple complex and during the hot or rainy season. The hottest month in Cambodia is April, from mid-May the rainy season begins, which lasts until November.

3. The best time to visit Angkor is autumn-winter. And when you arrive in Siem Reap in November, you will still find bright tropical vegetation around and see temples hidden in the green jungle. We, in February, found the Angkor complex no longer so green and nature resembled our autumn 🙂

In mid-February, it was cloudy in the morning, and the sun appeared closer to dinner. On the one hand, in cloudy weather it is not so hot and comfortable to see the temples, but on the other hand, without the sun, all the photos turned out to be gray and not bright.

Near and far temples of Angkor. Small and large circle of Angkor

The temples that are included in the standard Angkor ticket are called nearby temples, but the temples that are at a decent distance from Siem Reap are called distant temples.

Nearby temples of Angkor

Nearby temples are usually visited along two routes: small circle and great circle of angkor. There are several more temples that are on the offshoot of these two circles - these are the temples of Bantaey Srei and Banteay Samre.

What is the small and large circle of Angkor?

Small and large circles of Angkor these are two routes for visiting temples, each for one day. The length of the small circle is approximately 17 km. The length of the great circle is 26 km. The layout of the temples of Angkor, on which the small circle is indicated by a red line, and the large circle by a green line.

What temples are included in the small circle of Angkor?

• Angkor Wat
• Phnom Bakheng
• Baksei Chamkrong
• Angkor Thom: Bayon, Baphuon, Phimeanakas and east to Victory Gate, Elephant Terrace and Terrace of the Leper King
• Chau Say Tevoda (Chau Say Tevoda)
• Thommanon
• Ta Keo (Ta Keo)
• Ta Prom (Ta Prohm)
• Banteay Kdei
• Prasat Kravan
• Several small temples

What temples are included in the great circle of Angkor?

big circle it also starts from the Angkor Wat temple and up to the Bayon temple it will coincide with the small one, and then it goes north to the northern gate of Angkor Thom and to the temples:

• Preah Khan
• Neak Pean
• Ta Som
• East Mebon
• Pre Rup (Pre Rup)

The distant temples of Angkor

The farthest temple from Siem Reap is the temple-pyramid of Koh Ker (Kor Ker). It is located about 120 km from the city, almost near the border with Thailand. Another distant temple - Beng Melea (Beng Melea) is located about 65 km from Siem Reap on the road to Koh Ker.

Also in Angkor you can visit:

• Temples of the Roluos Group
• Phnom Kulen National Park: sacred mountain with waterfall, 1000 lingam river and Buddhist temple
• Tonle Sap lake with floating village

Sunrises and sunsets at Angkor

Sunrise at Angkor everyone meets near the lake in the temple of Angkor Wat. There are a lot of people going to, the earlier you come, the more chances you have to take the best places.

They say that sunrises in Angkor are a gorgeous sight. We did not catch beautiful sunrises, during the days of our visit to Angkor, in February, there were clouds in the sky in the morning, the sun appeared from behind the clouds only at lunchtime. On the one hand, it's good - it's not so hot to climb temples, but on the other hand, it's a pity that we didn't see all the beauty of Angkor Wat in the rays of the rising sun.

The second place to meet the sun is the former royal bath Spas Srang. We tried to catch the dawn there too, but on that day we were not at all lucky with the sun 🙁

Sunset at Angkor basically everyone meets at Phnom Bakheng. We, having heard about the wild crowds of people there at sunset and about the difficult ascent and descent, decided not to go.

You can also try to watch the sunset from the temples of Pre Rup or Ta Keo, or look for other pyramid temples that you can climb and be higher than the jungle around you 🙂

I think that the sunset will be clearly visible from the balloon ( important: for a hot air balloon ride at sunrise or sunset, you must book in advance!).

We tried to watch the sunset near the Angkor Wat temple. That's what came out of it

Dawn in February was around 6 am and sunset around 6 pm. Due to cloudy weather, we did not see beautiful sunrises and sunsets in Angkor. Maybe you'll have more luck.

Cost of visiting Angkor

To accommodate the nearby temples of Angkor, you can buy tickets for 1, 3 and 7 days.

The cost of tickets to nearby temples of Angkor

• Ticket price for 1 day - $ 37
• Ticket price for 3 days - $ 62 (valid on any 3 days during the week)
• The cost of a ticket to Angkor for 7 days is $ 72 (valid for any 7 days within a month)

Three and seven day tickets with photo. Photographed immediately upon purchase of a ticket. Ticket offices for one-day tickets and multi-day tickets are different. There is a queue in the morning (especially for one-day tickets), but it moves quickly.

Separately, at other ticket offices, visits to the following places are paid

• The cost of visiting the Koh Ker Temple - $ 10
• The cost of visiting the temple of Beng Melia - $ 5
• Banteay Srei and Banteay Samre with Angkor general tickets
• Phnom Kulen - $20
• Boat on Lake Tondesap $20 per person
• Hot air balloon ride over Angkor - $20

Temple complex opening hours

All temples of Ankor (except Ankor Wat itself) can be visited from 7:30 to 17:30. Ticket offices open at 5:00. In Ankor Wat, to meet the dawn, they begin to let in at 5:30.

The territory of the temples is no longer allowed after 17:00 (except Phnom Bakeng, where they meet the sunset). I read in the reviews that even after 18:00 they are not expelled from the temples. I don’t know, maybe this is the case in small, inconspicuous temples, but they began to kick us out of the Angkor Wat temple almost immediately after 17:30. And by 18:00 they were already kicking out very aggressively. I don’t understand why they are not allowed to stay in the temples until after sunset?

You can climb to the main temple of Angkor Wat (to the top) from 7:40 to 17:00.

The cost of renting a car in Angkor

Between the temples of Angkor they move by taxi, tuk-tuk, bicycle or bike. Yes, ride a bike to the area of ​​​​the nearby temples of Angkor now allowed!

In principle, a small circle with good physical fitness, you can go around on a bicycle. But keep in mind that it is very hot in Angkor from 9 am, so you need to leave before dawn, at 5 am. Bicycles can be rented at any hotel. Cost from $2 per day.

The main transport in Angkor is here and there that fits up to 4 people. On tuk-tuks, you can see almost all the temples of the complex, except for the distant temple of Koh Ker and the Phnom Kulen National Park (there the tuk-tuk simply will not drive up the mountain). It is also better to go to Beng Melia by car, but some people also go by tuk-tuk.

Tuk-tuk can be rented both at your hotel and on the street. Don't worry, there are so many tuk-tuks in Siem Reap that you won't be left without transport for sure 🙂

Tuk-tuk price in Angkor

• Small circle of Angkor - 10-12 dollars
• Big circle of Angkor - 15-18 dollars
• Sunrise/Sunrise Extra (Early Departure) – $5
• Additionally for temples Bantaey Srei and Banteay Samre - 5-10 dollars
• Beng Melia - we were told the cost was $ 35, I read on Vinsky that people went there by tuk-tuk for $ 20

For a small circle of Angkor + dawn (departure at 5 am from the hotel and return back to the hotel at 16:00) we paid $15.

For a big circle + Banteay Samre + early departure (we left at 5:30, at 14:30 we were in the center of Siem Reap) we paid $ 20.

For a ride to the balloon, then to the temple of Angkor Wat and then take us to the street of bars (from 15:30 to 19:00), we paid 7 dollars.

The cost of a car with a driver in Angkor

• Small circle of Angkor - 25 - 30 dollars
• Big circle of Angkor - 25 - 35 dollars
• Beng Melia and Co Ker - $80 - $100
• Beng Melia - $35-40
• Phnom Kulen - $40
• Phnom Kulen + Banteay Srei + Banteay Samre – $50

Prices are approximate, every year the cost of tuk-tuks and cars with a driver is growing. But you can bargain, it is often more convenient to take a driver "wholesale" for 3-4 days at once, discuss the route and bargain for the cost.

Another option for moving between temples is to take an organized tour at any of the tour agencies in the city. But even if you came to Siem Rome alone, it is still more profitable to hire a tuk-tuk and explore the temples at your own pace.

For example, a tour of Angkor with a visit to four temples: Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom, Ta Prohm, Bayon will cost $ 11 per person for half a day and $ 13 for the whole day, an entrance ticket is paid additionally.

But it is more profitable to go with a tour to the distant temples of Koh Ker and Beng Melia if you are traveling alone. The tour will cost $45. The price includes entrance tickets to these two temples. An independent trip there will cost at least $10 + $5 + $80 = $95.

Important: when negotiating with tuk-tuk and car drivers clearly state the plan of action: what time do you leave the hotel, what temples do you visit, do you stop by the cafe for lunch, do you return to the hotel after dawn for breakfast, etc. etc. Khmers are mostly lazy people, so if you don’t clearly indicate which temples you want to see, they will take you to 2-3 temples and say that that’s it, it’s time to go home.

But sometimes tuk-tukers come across smart and can tell you in what order it is better to inspect the temples, what you should definitely visit, and what, with limited time, you can skip. It's good when a tuk-tuker drives up to one entrance to the temple, and waits for you from the opposite entrance. This is especially true for long temples, so that after the inspection, in the heat, you would not come back.

Remember what your tuk-tuk looks like, sometimes it's not very easy to find your driver and vehicle in the crowd. The right tuk-tuker will look for you and meet you at the exit of their temple, but he will only receive payment for his work after returning you to the hotel 🙂

Guides in Angkor

Do you need a guide in Angkor? If finances allow, then I would advise you to take a guide to Angkor. We examined the complex ourselves, but before that I read a lot on the Internet about temples and we had an audio guide for some temples. But all the same, I think that we have missed a lot and many questions have not been clarified for us.

I think that a guide in Angkor is needed (especially if you come on a long-awaited vacation, and not because we are traveling on a budget in Asia). But need a good guide. There will be no bad sense. But I won’t tell you how to choose a good guide 🙁 Previously, on Vinsky, people shared the coordinates of guides, but the guides became impudent and raised prices, so this shop was closed. The guide Virak was once praised. I don’t know if he works in Angkor now, or maybe he has already enriched himself so much on Russian tourists that he lives somewhere in clover 🙂

I would take a guide to the main temples for one day. And then I would have walked by myself.

Approximate prices for a guide in Angkor

• English speaking guides - $25 - $35 per day
• Russian-speaking guides - 40-60 dollars per day

You can order a guide or transport in advance, contact us and discuss all your questions.

The temple complex of Angkor is huge, do not think that you will be able to see all the temples in a few days. Yes, this is not necessary, by the end of the second day all the temples I saw merged into one big stone in my head 🙂

Look at photos of temples before your trip and decide for yourself which ones you definitely want to see. The most popular temples are:

They are always crowded and you have to try hard to walk around these temples without crowds of tourists!

In addition to the main temples, I also really liked:

In small temples, crowds of people appear in influxes: they brought a group of organized tourists - noise, hubbub, the inability to take normal photos, and after 10-15 minutes the crowd subsided and you wander alone again. This is the beauty of an individual visit to the Angkor temple complex.

Decide what you want: explore as many temples as possible or just enjoy the walk and the atmosphere of ancient Angkor.

If you came to Angkor for 3 days and do not want to bother with planning a route, then the easiest way is to follow the standard route.

Itinerary in Angkor for 3 days

1 day. Small circle (+ sunrise or sunset)

Day 2 Large circle + optional Banteay Srei and Banteay Samre

Day 3 The distant temples of Koh Ker and Beng Melia

There are different opinions on how it is better to move in a small and large circle: clockwise or counterclockwise, in order to less intersect with crowds of tourists. We drove clockwise.

Itinerary in Angkor for 2 days

If you have come for only 2 days, then on the first day it is quite possible to see the main temples from small and large circles (it is better, of course, to travel by car: it will be faster and you will have a rest while moving under the air conditioner), and on the second day - distant temples.

If you want to visit Phnom Kulen, then it can be combined with the temples of Banteay Srei and Banteay Samre. When visiting Phnom Kulen, keep in mind that on the way to the mountain reverse movement. Until 13:00, all transport goes up, and after 13:00 - back down. Those. you can’t come to Phnom Kulen after lunch!

When is the best time to visit temples?

I think that to see the temples of Angkor you have to leave the hotel as soon as possible. As much as I love to sleep and get up at 5-6 in the morning, this is a huge stress for me, but I advise you to move yourself and leave to explore Angkor as early as possible.

Why? Firstly, in order to have time to see at least one of the main temples, before groups of organized tourists are brought to it, and secondly, after 10 in the morning such heat begins that it becomes very difficult to inspect the temples.

How to plan your day in Angkor?

You can plan your day in Angkor in different ways 🙂

Option 1. Having left early in the morning at dawn and having examined several temples, return to the hotel by 9 o'clock, have breakfast, sleep, swim in the pool, and then after lunch go further for inspection.

Option 2. Leave the hotel after an early breakfast at 7-8 am, return to the hotel at 12-13 pm for lunch and rest, and continue exploring the temples at 15:00 pm.

Option 3. Everything is the same as in option 2, but have lunch somewhere on the territory of the temple complex and get some rest (maybe even sleep in the car or in a tuk-tuk), and not return to the hotel.

Option 4. Leave early in the morning from the hotel, take with you a dry ration for breakfast and a thermos of coffee. Visit several temples, and then at 9 o'clock have breakfast somewhere on the ruins overlooking Angkor. Explore the temples before lunch, and after lunch, return to the hotel to rest. This is exactly what we did 🙂

Important: if you plan to return to the hotel for breakfast, for a day trip or to the city for lunch, please coordinate this option with the driver in advance. Most likely, you will have to pay some additional money.

As I mentioned above, the most popular temples are Angkor Wat, Bayon and Ta Prohm. Angkor Wat, it seems to me, is generally not realistic to see without a crowd of people, but you can arrive at Bayon and Ta Prohm early in the morning and have time to walk along them almost completely alone.

So we did this:

1 day:

• Sunrise near Angkor Wat
• When the whole crowd after dawn ran to inspect Angkor Wat, we went to Bayon
• From Bayon we walked to the temples of Bapuon and Pimeanakas, where we had breakfast
• We examined the terrace of the Elephants and the Leper King and drove further along the small circle of Angkor
• We examined the temples of the small circle (except for Ta Prohm) and returned to Angkor Wat
• Two hours walking in the heat in Angkor Wat

In principle, I liked the route, only walking after 11 days was already hard and hot, so the impressions of the Angkor Wat temple remained blurry. Perhaps, before Angkor Wat, it was necessary to return to the hotel for a rest, and by 4 o'clock in the evening move back to inspect it. But I knew that if I returned to the hotel, then I wouldn’t want to go to any temples that day. Still, it’s very hard to see temples out of habit, and even in the heat 🙂 A few photos of the first day:

2 day:

• Sunrise near Srah Srang
• Handsome Ta Prom
• And further in a big circle with a stop in Banteay Samre
• Finished the day at Prasat Kravan Hindu Temple

With such a plan, we managed to see Ta Prohm without much crowds, but it was still possible to go immediately to it, and not wait for the dawn near Spas Srang, anyway, that day the sky was in the clouds. Some photos from the second day:

3 day:

After lunch we went up in a hot air balloon and walked around the temple of Angkor Wat for two hours before sunset. Some photos of the third day:

All the most large and popular temples are in the small circle. Therefore, it is probably worth visiting the temples of the large circle on the first day, and leaving the temples of the small circle on the second day - for a snack 🙂

Despite the fact that the small circle is called small, you will have to walk in it and inspect more than a big circle. In a large circle, it takes more time to travel by transport between the temples, during which you can relax. In general, the small circle of Angkor is more difficult to visit than the big one.

Angkor Wat temple is best viewed in afternoon, before lunch the sun shines directly into the lens.

Ta Prom and Bayon try to visit as much as possible earlier in the morning or in the evening before sunset.

Take water with you. I really want to drink! Our first tuk-tuk driver supplied us with water, but the second tuk-tuk did not. Water and fruits can be bought near the temples, but the price will be too high.

Riding a tuk-tuk in the morning in winter cold you have to wear a blouse. But during the day it is very hot to walk.

Dress up comfortable shoes, especially if you plan to climb up the stairs to the top of the temples. It is better to choose closed shoes, a lot of dust and sand, feet instantly become dirty.

And yes, get ready to climb a lot of stairs. My legs just fell off the next day 🙂

Be careful on the ascents and descents of the stairs of temples. There have been fatal accidents in Angkor. Now, in most temples, the old stairs have been closed and the lifts have been equipped with new stairs with railings. But not everywhere! Be especially careful when climbing Ta Keo!

Take wet wipes with you to wipe your hands. On the descents and ascents, you have to hold on to the steps with your hands, and they are all covered in red dust.

It is most convenient to climb the temples in shorts or trousers, although I met many girls in long skirts. In short skirts it will definitely not be comfortable 🙂

Do not wear white and black clothes - you will have to sit on the stones: all the dirt is immediately visible on white, and dust on black.

You can walk around the Angkor temple complex in any clothes, but shorts and a T-shirt are not allowed into the main temple of Angkor Wat! A handkerchief on the shoulders will not save the situation, and there is nowhere to rent clothes there.

If possible, set aside five days for Siem Reap with Angkor to see everything slowly and take breaks between days in the temples. We were in Siem Reap for 6 full days, but only half of them were allocated for temples. If you are not a historian or a super lover of antiquities, then after a while all these temples will simply mix up in your head and you won’t really remember which one you were in and what you saw.

Behave yourself properly. Just like in the photo below - do not do it!

If you liked my article and helped, please share it on social networks. Maybe this information will help someone else who is going to Angkor. Have a nice holiday in Cambodia!

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Why did people leave the largest temple in the world? What is the connection of the Angkor Wat complex with the spiral of the constellation Draco? Why was a dinosaur depicted on the bas-relief of Angkor Wat? The article reflects the point of view of official history and chronology.

The temple complex of Angkor Wat is the largest Hindu temple not only in Cambodia, but also in the World, the largest religious building of mankind, created according to the traditional version by the Khmer king Suryavarman II about a thousand years ago. (1113-1150 AD)

The construction of the temple of Angkor Wat lasted 30 years, it became the largest temple in the ancient capital of the Khmer Empire - Angkor. The area of ​​Angkor Wat is 2.5 sq. km. (This is almost 3 times larger than the area of ​​the Vatican), and the size of the entire ancient Khmer capital of Angkor with a population of more than 1 million inhabitants exceeded 200 square kilometers. For comparison, for example, the second largest known city of the same ancient era was the city of Tikal - the largest city of the Maya civilization, located on the territory of modern Guatemala. Its size was about 100 sq. km., that is, 10 times smaller, and the population was only from 100 to 200 thousand people.

Tourist map of the location of the main temples of Angkor

Angkor Wat is the largest temple of the ancient capital, but far from the only one. The city of Angkor - being the capital of the Khmer Empire from the 9th to the 14th centuries, included many Hindu and Buddhist temples, many of which are quite well preserved to this day. Each of them is beautiful in its own way and characterizes different periods of the heyday of the power of the Khmer Empire. Later historians will call this period of Khmer history - Angkorian.

Main entrance to Angkor Wat from the western side

The construction of Angkor lasted about 400 years. It was started by the founder of the Angkorian dynasty, the Hindu prince Jayavarman II in 802, who declared himself the "universal ruler" and "Sun King" in Cambodia. The last temple complexes were erected in the 12th century by King Jayavarman VII. After his death in 1218, construction ceased. The reason for this, according to one version, was that the Khmer Empire simply ran out of sandstone deposits, according to another, the empire found itself in a brutal war and it was impossible to continue construction. The Angkorian period of Khmer history ended in 1431, when Thai invaders finally captured and sacked the Khmer capital and forced the population to move south to the Phnom Penh region, which became the new Khmer capital. However, historians are still looking for evidence of the true reasons for the fall of the Khmer Empire.

190 meters wide moat around Angkor Wat

In Angkor, the largest temple complexes stand out - Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom (which includes several temples at once, the largest of which is the Bayon Temple), Ta Prohm, Banteay Srei and Preah Kan. The most remarkable temple was and remains Angkor Wat, which is still the largest religious building in the world. Its height is 65 meters. The temple is surrounded by a giant moat 190 meters wide, measuring 1300 meters by 1500 meters. Built during the reign of Suryavarman II (1113-1150) in 30 years, Angkor Wat became the largest sacred building in the world. After the death of King Suryavarman II, the temple accepted him into its walls and became a tomb-mausoleum.

Angkor Wat - The story of the discovery of the lost city of Angkor

Anchor Wat became widely known in the modern world after the publication in 1861 of the diaries and reports of the French traveler and naturalist Henri Muo about his expeditions in Indochina. The following lines can be found in his diary:

“The monuments of building art that I have seen are enormous in size and, in my opinion, are an example of the highest level in comparison with any monuments that have survived from ancient times. I have never felt so happy as I do now in this magnificent tropical setting. Even if I knew that I would have to die, I would never trade this life for the pleasures and comforts of the civilized world.”

View of Angkor Wat from the northwest side (reflection in the water)

Henri Mouhot (fr. Henri Mouhot) was born in 1826 in France, and from the age of 18 he taught French and Greek at the Russian military academy in St. Petersburg. After returning to his homeland, he married the daughter of a famous English explorer and moved to Scotland. And already in 1857, Henri Muo decided to travel to Southeast Asia (Indochina) to collect zoological specimens. During his time in Asia, he traveled to Thailand, Cambodia and Laos. Perhaps he had a presentiment, a few months after the last visit to Angkor Wat, in 1861 he died of malaria, on his fourth expedition to Laos. He was buried in the same place, near the capital Luang Prabang (Luang Prabang), the location of his tomb is known even now. The diaries of Henri Muo are stored in London, in the archives of the Royal Geographical Society (Royal Geographical Society, London).

Tomb of the French explorer Henri Muo (1826-1861) in Laos

The greatness of the Angkor Wat temple he saw for the first time shocked Henri Muo, in his notes he wrote the following about Angkor Wat:

“The temple is incomprehensible to the mind and beyond all imagination. You look in embarrassment and confusion, admire and, seized with respect, freeze in reverent silence ... How sublime must have been the genius of this Michelangelo of the East, the genius of the creator of such a wondrous creation! He managed to connect the various parts into a single whole with such art that one can only be surprised at this. He followed the fulfillment of his dreams and achieved, both in general and in particular, such completeness of details worthy of the whole, which only the most gifted can do.

The majestic central tower of Angkor Wat

The etymology of the name of the temple of Angkor Wat

"Angkor Wat" is not the original name of the temple, as neither the foundation stelae of the temple nor any inscriptions regarding the name of the time have been found. What the ancient temple city was then called is unknown, and it is likely that it was called "Vrah Vishnulok" (literally "Place of Saint Vishnu"), in honor of the god to whom it was dedicated.

View of Angkor Wat from the northeast side of the building

Most likely, the name "Angkor" comes from the Sanskrit word "nagara", meaning "city". In Khmer, it is read as “noko” (“kingdom, country, city”), however, in common speech, it is much more convenient for Khmers to pronounce “ongko”. The latter is very consonant with the concept of harvest, close to the peasants, and can be literally translated as "harvested rice grains."

The young descendants of the almighty demigod king Suryavarman II

Over the centuries, the reduced common people "ongko" acquired the meaning of a proper name, which was fixed in the name of the ancient metropolitan area of ​​Angkor (or Ongkor), the former capital of the Angkor Empire, angkor thom and the temple of Angkor Wat.

Everything in this world is subject to nature - even the walls of the great Angkor

The word “Wat” comes from the Pali expression “vatthu-arama” (“the place where the temple is built”), which denoted the sacred land of the monastery monastery, but in many countries of Southeast Asia (Thailand, Laos, Cambodia) it has long had a broader meaning , referring to any Buddhist monastery, temple or pagoda. In Khmer, "woat" can mean both "temple" and "reverence, admiration." Indeed, Angkor Wat - the largest temple of the city of the gods of Angkor, is a symbol of national pride of the Khmers.

Sculptures of seven-headed snakes on the way to the temple

In Khmer, the name of Angkor Wat is pronounced "Ongkowoat". In the vast majority of sources, it is interpreted as a "temple city". Since the name "Angkor" has been used in the meaning of a proper name since the 15th-16th centuries, a more accurate translation can be assumed - "the temple of Angkor".

In the backyard of Angkor Wat

Why did people leave the largest temple in the world?

The reason why the Khmers left the largest temple in the world, Angkor Wat, at the mercy of the jungle about 500 years ago and left Angkor to explore the new capital of their kingdom, Phnom Penh, is still the subject of discussion among historians and archaeologists. For more than 100 years, hundreds of archaeologists from all over the world have been trying to lift the veil of secrecy over the ancient Khmer capital - the city of the gods Angkor. The fact is that the past has left us a negligible amount of written evidence related to the history of the construction of temples in Angkor. The painstaking work of many years of researchers is gradually revealing to us the secrets of the sacred temple of Angkor Wat, making new adjustments to various historical theories related to its origin and purpose.

A rare shot of the temple wall when there are no tourists and a contrasting sky

Khmer temples were never intended for gatherings of believers, they were built as a dwelling place for the gods. Access to the central buildings of the complexes was open only to priests and monarchs. The largest temple in the city of the gods, Angkor Wat had an additional function: it was originally planned as a burial place for kings.

Top view of Angkor Wat (Height 200 meters)

It is noteworthy that the successors of Jayavarman II followed his building principles. Each new ruler completed the city in such a way that its core was constantly moving: the center of the old city was on the outskirts of the new one. So this giant city gradually grew. In the center, each time a five-tower temple was erected, symbolizing Mount Meru, the center of the world. As a result, Angkor turned into a whole city of temples. The splendor of the Khmer Empire was somewhat dimmed during the hard and long wars with the Tyams and Tays. In 1431, Thai (Siamese) troops completely captured Angkor: the city was depopulated, as if a ruthless epidemic had swept through it. Over time, the humid climate and lush vegetation turned the capital into ruins and the jungle completely swallowed it up.

The entire territory of Angkor was swallowed up by the jungle, only the area around the temples was cleared

Hard times (external and internal wars) in the history of Cambodia (Kampuchea) did not allow foreigners to visit the brilliant masterpiece of Asian architecture. For a long time, the temples of Angkor were difficult to access for a wide range of researchers, archaeologists and historians. The situation changed in December 1992, when the temples of Angkor, including Angkor Wat, which deservedly added to the list of one of the largest temples in the world, were included in the UNESCO list of world cultural heritage sites, and a year later the International Coordinating committee, which set as its goal to revive the former splendor of Angkor. Sources of financing for the project were found and active restoration work began. Huge trees are cut down that destroy walls, entrances, ceilings, walls, paths are restored. Scientists from different countries take an active part in restoring the history of Angkor. There will be enough work for everyone for many decades.

Internal passages in different temples of Angkor are very similar

The mysterious connection of Angkor with the spiral of the constellation Draco

In 1996, the British archaeologist and historian John Grigsby, exploring Angkor, came to the conclusion that the Angkor temple complex is an earthly projection of a certain section of the Milky Way, and the main structures of Angkor model the wavy spiral of the northern constellation Draco. To begin research in the direction of searching for correlations between heaven and earth in relation to Angkor, he was prompted by a mysterious inscription from the time of Jayavarman VII, the Khmer king during whose time Angkor Thom and Bayon were built in the 12th century. On a stele excavated on the territory of the Bayon temple, it was inscribed - "the country of Kambu is similar to the sky."

Constellation Draco and Ursa Minor in our time

A certain connection with the stars was also indicated by the inscription made by the builders of the large pyramidal temple of Phnom Bakeng, built during the time of King Yasovarman I (889-900 AD). The inscription says that the purpose of the temple is to symbolize "with its stones the celestial movements of the stars." The question arose whether there existed in Cambodia a correlation of heaven and earth similar to the Egyptian (connection of the pyramids of Giza with the constellation Orion)?

The exact layout of the main temples of Angkor

The fact is that the projection of the constellation of the dragon by the main temples of Angkor on Earth turned out to be not entirely accurate. The distances between the temples are proportional to the distances between the stars, but the mutual arrangement of the temples, that is, the angles between the segments connecting the temples, does not exactly repeat the picture in the sky. In addition, it should be noted that Angkor is not a projection of the Draco constellation on the earth's surface, but a projection of an entire section of the sky around the Dragon, including several stars from the Northern Crown, Ursa Minor and Ursa Major, Deneb from Cygnus. All sacred places on Earth reproduce this or that part of the sky along the Milky Way.

The constellation of the dragon 10500 BC

In the same 1996, another British amateur researcher, John Grigsby, joined the scientific and historical work on Angkor. Having set out to establish the exact date when the sky pattern corresponded to a given location of temples in Angkor, they did a lot of research work using computer technology. The results of their research stirred up the world archaeological community. Computer research has shown that the main temples of Angkor are indeed terrestrial reflections of the stars of the constellation Draco and that it was in this position that the stars were on the day of the spring equinox in 10500 BC. e.

Comparison of the layout of the temples of Angkor and the stars of the constellation Draco

Now few people doubt the fact that Angkor was really built between the 9th and 13th centuries. AD, however, how could the subjects of the Cambodian kings know the picture of the sky more than 10,000 years ago, because by their time the precession had already hidden part of the projected picture beyond the horizon. It was hypothesized that all the main temples of Angkor were built on more ancient structures, as evidenced by the huge slabs of facing artificial channels made of megaliths, the presence of polygonal masonry, high skill in stone processing, stone castles, but it is not known when those were built. However, if they were already projecting the constellation Draco...

Covered with kilometers of fine carving, the huge masonry stones of the temples fit perfectly to each other, are not fastened by anything and are held only by their own weight. There are temples where it is impossible to stick a blade between the stones, moreover, they are irregularly shaped and curved, like puzzles, where none of the modern technologies is able to recreate the experienced beauty of these temples.

Magnificent bas-reliefs on the outer walls of Angkor Wat Apsara - Sky Dancers

Stegosaurus at Angkor Wat. Could Khmers see dinosaurs?

The hypothesis of the creation of Angkor in the XI century BC. does not contradict the fact that the temples, as we see them today, were built between the 9th and 12th centuries AD. e. famous Khmer monarchs, but not everything is so simple. For example, the temple of Ta-Prom is full of intricately carved statues and stone columns with bas-reliefs carved on them. Along with images of gods and goddesses of ancient Hindu mythological scenes, hundreds of bas-reliefs depict real animals (elephants, snakes, fish, monkeys). Nearly every inch of gray sandstone is covered with decorative carvings. What was the amazement of scientists who discovered in Ta-Prom on one of the columns an image Stegosaurus- a herbivorous dinosaur that existed 155-145 million years ago.

Researchers have proven that this bas-relief is not a fake. One can only guess where the Khmers saw the stegosaurus? How to explain it?

Bas-relief depicting a Stegosaurus on one of the columns of Angkor Wat

Sacred numerology of Angkor - coincidence or prophecy?

What is this mysterious date - the day of the vernal equinox 10500 BC? It was on this day that the stars of the constellation of the dragon were in the projection that the Angkor temple complex reproduces on earth, if you look at it from above. This date is associated with the process of precession of celestial bodies. The Earth is like a giant top, under the influence of the gravity of the Sun and the Moon, it makes a slow circular rotation. The Moon and the Sun, by their attraction, tend to rotate the axis of the Earth, as a result, the phenomenon of precession occurs.

The projection of the earth's axis, as it were, outlines a giant circle in the North of the celestial sphere, covering the constellations Draco and Ursa Minor. At the edge of the circle are Vega, Alpha Draconis and Polaris. This movement of the earth's axis along a circular line, a kind of swaying of the axis of rotation, is called precession.

Schematic representation of the precession of the earth's axis

Astrologers believe that the cycle of precession is 25920 years, the so-called Great Year (the period during which the celestial equator pole makes a full circle around the ecliptic pole). During this time, the earth's axis passes a full circle in the Zodiac. Moreover, one astrological era is equal to 1/12 of the cycle (25920:12=2160) and is 2160 years. One month of the Great Year, lasting 2160 Earth years, is the astrological epoch. Each space epoch (2160 earth years) represents a whole stage in the development of mankind, associated with the sign of the Zodiac through which the earth's axis passes. This period was somehow mystically known to the famous Greek philosopher Plato, who believed that this (25920 years) is the period of existence of earthly civilization. Therefore, the period of precession is also called the Great Platonic Year (Great Year of Plato). One day of the Great Year is theoretically equal to 72 of our years (25920:360=72 years - the earth's axis passes 1 ecliptic).

Movement along the stellar spiral of time - Everything returns to normal ...

Today, the North Pole of the world is, as you know, the North Star, but this was not always the case, and in the III millennium BC. The North Pole of the world was located where the star α (Alpha) - the Dragon is located. The precession of the earth's axis is known to cause a visible change in the position of the stars with a period of 25,920 years, that is, 1 degree is 72 years. In 10,500 B.C. at the lowest point of the trajectory was the constellation Orion, and at the highest - the constellation Draco. There is a kind of "Orion-Dragon pendulum". Since then, the precessional process has managed to turn the celestial pole half a circle relative to the ecliptic pole, and today Draco is near the lowest point, and Orion is the highest. MIT history professor Giorgio de Santillana and his colleague, Dr. Herta von Dehehend, based on their research, concluded that the entire Angkor is a huge model of precession. The following facts speak in its favor:

At Angkor Wat, 108 nagas are shown pulling a huge spinning top in two directions (54 by 54);

On both sides of the 5 bridges leading to the gates to the Temple of Angkor Thom, there are huge sculptures in parallel rows - 54 Devas and 54 Asuras. 108x5 = 540 statues x 48=25920;

The Bayon temple is surrounded by 54 massive stone towers, each of which has four giant faces of Lokeshvara carved, oriented to the north, south, east and west, which in total is 216 faces - (216:3=72), (216:2=108 ). 216 - 10 times less than the duration of one precessional era (2160 years); 108 is 216 divided by two;

The central sanctuary of Phnom Bakheng is surrounded by 108 turrets. The number 108, one of the most sacred in Hindu and Buddhist cosmologies, is equal to the sum of 72 and 36 (that is, 72 plus half of 72);

A regular pentagon has an angle of 108 degrees, and the sum of its 5 angles is 540 degrees;

The distance between the pyramids of Giza in Egypt, where the wise men ruled, who walked the astronomical "road of Horus", and the sacred temples of Angkor in Cambodia, with a slight rounding, is an important geodetic value - 72 degrees of longitude. From the ancient Egyptian language "Ankh-Khor" literally translates as "the god Horus lives";

In total, Angkor has 72 main stone and brick temples and monuments.

The length of the sections of the main roads in Angkor Wat reflects the duration of the four yugas (the great world eras of Hindu philosophy and cosmology) - Krita Yuga, Treta Yuga, Dvapara Yuga and Kali Yuga. Their duration is respectively 1,728,000, 1,296,000, 864,000 and 432,000 years. And in Angkor Wat, the length of the main sections of the road is 1728, 1296, 864 and 432 huts.

They look at us from the walls of temples through the millennia and ... smile)))

The cosmic meaning of the number 72 and its power over humanity

Let us dwell on the sacred number - 72 in more detail, because there are too many coincidences associated with it in our lives:

The number 72 is considered a sacred number in all religions.

The Khmer alphabet has 72 letters and the same number of sounds.

The ancient Indian language "Sanskrit" (the language of classical Indian literature, sacred texts, mantras and rituals of Hinduism, Jainism, and partly Buddhism) uses the Devanagari alphabet. Devanagari means "writing of the Gods" or "Urban language" and there are 36 phoneme letters in Devanagari of classical Sanskrit (72:2=36). Devanagari uses 72 basic ligatures (combinations of consonants represented by an independent character).

The oldest runic system, the so-called "Elder Futhark" consists of 24 runes, each rune can represent a letter, syllable, word or image. Moreover, the image is of paramount importance. But in one rune, up to three images can be hidden, depending on the context (24x3=72). Moreover, all these images will be connected in one way or another. The ancient runic alphabet became the root for almost all existing Indo-European alphabets. Those 24 runes that they know today are the third part of the real language, because if you multiply 24 by three, you get just 72 runes. Because the ancients taught that the world is three-fold. One of them is the earthly world of Getig, the second is the intermediate world of Ritag, and the third is the upper world of Menog. Here are the three forms of runes.

In the ancient Avestan language (the language of the Avesta, the sacred book of Zoroastrianism) there were 72 letters for all possible pronunciations of sounds;

The most significant book of the Avesta is Yasna, which is a text read at the main Zoroastrian liturgy "Yasna", contains 72 chapters;

The number 72, both in Sanskrit and in the original Avesta, found its manifestation in the 72 threads of the sacred Kushti belt, which every Zoroastrian has, as a symbolic connection to religion, or rather, as an umbilical cord connecting a person with the Lord God.

In Judaism, the number 72 is considered sacred and is inextricably linked with the name of God, the forbidden name to which the universe is subject. These are 72 sequences of letters of the Hebrew alphabet, each of which corresponds to a specific sound, which have an amazing power to overcome the laws of nature in all forms, including human nature. According to legend, the name of God encompasses everything that exists, which means that one who knows how to pronounce it correctly will be able to ask the Creator for whatever he wants.

The unpronounceable name of God is the main subject of study of medieval Kabbalists. It was believed that this name contains all the forces of nature, it contains the very essence of the universe. The name of God is also depicted by the tetragrammaton - a triangle with letters inscribed in it. If you add up the numerical values ​​of the letters placed in the tetragrammaton, it turns out - 72.

In the legend about the Tabernacle (Temple), the ancient Jews mention 72 almond buds, with which they decorated the candlestick used in the sacred rite, it is a combination of 12 and 6 (that is, half of 12) and personifies realized harmony. The mystical root of the number 72 is also the legendary nine.

The number 72 is the number of the mother of God. She left this world at the age of 72. No wonder Vysotsky sings in one of his songs: “girl, 72nd, don’t leave the altar!”;

The human DNA molecule is a rotating cube. When the cube is rotated sequentially by 72 degrees according to a certain model, an icosahedron is obtained, which, in turn, is a pair of a dodecahedron. Thus, the double strand of the DNA helix is ​​built on the principle of two-way correspondence: the icosahedron is followed by the dodecahedron, then again the icosahedron, and so on. This sequential rotation through the cube by 72 degrees creates a DNA molecule.

The points of intersection of the diagonals in the pentagon are always points of the "golden section"

Three-level device of the temple of Angkor Wat

The Angkor Wat temple complex has three levels. It consists of a series of concentric, rectangular enclosed spaces, including three rectangular galleries, each towering over the next with open courtyards, interconnected by cruciform galleries. In fact, Angkor Wat is a huge three-tiered pyramid.

One of the views of Angkor Wat

Climbing the stairs and passing through the first two of three successively ascending galleries, one enters the third gallery, famous for its bas-reliefs, most of which are magnificent in their execution.

One of the bas-reliefs on the wall of Angkor Wat - Scene from the life of the Khmer king

Apart from the bas-reliefs in the corner pavilions, they stretch for almost 700 meters, being almost 2 meters high, being the longest bas-reliefs in the world. Thousands of figures depict scenes from the Hindu epic Bhagavad Purana, palace and military life in the days of Suryavarman II, the founder of the temple of Angkor Wat.

Ancient warriors on the bas-reliefs of Angkor Wat

Since the main entrance to Angkor Wat is surrounded by a moat with water 190 meters wide around the perimeter, forming a square-shaped island, the temple grounds can only be reached by stone bridges on the western and eastern sides of the temple. The main entrance to Angkor Wat from the west is a wide pavement built from massive sandstone blocks. Crossing the cruciform terrace, which is a later addition to the complex, we see ahead of us the entrance to the western gopura with the remains of three towers.

Directly at the main entrance to Angkor Wat

Now the entrance to the gopura is on the right, through the sanctuary under the south tower, where the eight-armed statue of Vishnu fills the entire space. This statue, which clearly has little space in this room, may have originally been located in the central sanctuary of Angkor Wat.

Large statue of the ten-armed god Vishnu - Angkor Wat Temple

After passing through the gopura, a magnificent view of the main temple towers at the end of the road opens up. At sunrise they are surrounded by the radiant silhouette of the morning sky, and at sunset they glow orange. Continuing our way inside Angkor Wat, we observe on both sides of the main road - two large, so-called "libraries" with four entrances to each side of the world. They were a kind of sanctuaries, and not warehouses of manuscripts, as the name suggests.

Breathtaking Sunrise Over Angkor Wat

Closer to the temple, on both sides of the road, there are two more reservoirs dug later, in the 16th century. Inside the temple you will be greeted by 1800 apsaras (celestial dancers).

Along with tourists, Buddhist monks are frequent visitors to Angkor Wat.

Climbing up to the second level of the temple, you can see a breathtaking sight - the peaks of the central towers rising from behind the courtyard. From the entrance, to all the central towers, as well as the two internal libraries of the second level, you can go over pedestrian bridges on short round posts.

View from the second floor of the temple

Gradually climbing the stone steps to the highest, third level of the Angkor Wat temple - the heart of the complex, huge conical towers are opened, located in the center and corners of the square, symbolizing the five heavenly peaks of the sacred Mount Meru - the center of the universe.

One of the four large corner towers of Angkor Wat

The highest level of Angkor Wat and its galleries only emphasize the perfect proportions of the famous towers of the temple and make the overall view unforgettable. The central tower, or altar, was the abode of the god Vishnu, and since Angkor Wat was originally a Vishnu temple, and only later turned into a Buddhist one, it once stood a statue of Vishnu, perhaps the one that now stands at the entrance to the western gopura. It was an ancient custom among the Khmers to make offerings to the god in the form of gold sheets or small gems, which were left in a recess below the statue of the god. Unfortunately, these offerings have been looted over the centuries.

One of the buddha statues inside the temple

Today, only some of the statues of the god Vishnu or Buddha are displayed in the southern part of the galleries. The large reclining Buddha is still worshiped by local and Asian visitors.

"Buddha sleeps" - This Buddha statue, a place of special reverence for Buddhists in Angkor Wat

The entire temple capital of Angkor and the largest temple of Angkor Wat in particular is the soul and heart of the Khmer people, the people of free Kampuchea, a symbol of the prosperity of the Khmer civilization, which had a huge impact on the cultures of all the states of Southeast Asia. The image of the temple of Angkor Wat adorns the national flag of Cambodia (Kampuchea) and is its symbol.

State flag of the Kingdom of Cambodia (Kampuchea, Cambodia)

The era of Angkor lasted seven centuries. Many believe that the founders of the city of the gods Angkor were descendants of a previous civilization and this is a direct legacy of the great and mysterious Atlantis. Until now, the battles of historians over the officially announced dates for the construction of temples in Angkor and Angkor Wat have not ceased. There are more and more facts indicating that people settled in these places long before the heyday of the Khmer culture, but in the dates, many sources contradict each other, and quite significantly.

The great story of Angkor continues to save our souls...

However, all figures quite accurately reflect the peak of the heyday and greatness of the Khmer Angkorian era, in which the highest cultural achievements were achieved. The history of this period, which left us no paper manuscripts, is being restored with the help of inscriptions in Pali, Sanskrit and Khmer found on the monuments and sculptures of Angkor Wat and other temple complexes of Angkor. Active archaeological and historical research in Angkor continues to this day, continuing to amaze the world with new discoveries of the secrets and mysteries of the great temple of Angkor Wat.

Documentary "Angkor Wat - Home worthy of the gods"

"Angkor Wat - Home worthy of the gods" - This is a popular science, documentary from National Geographic from the series "Superstructures of antiquity", dedicated to the world famous temple of Angkor Wat (Angkor-Wat) in Cambodia (Kampuchea). The authors of the film made an attempt to show the grandeur of the city of the gods Angkor and reveal the secret of the construction of the largest temple in the world, Angkor Wat. Abandoned by people under unclear circumstances more than 500 years ago, the Cambodian city of Angkor impresses with its scale - it is a giant stone map of the universe and one of the most remarkable creations of mankind.

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