“Cambodia 🇰🇭 Siam Reap ~Angkor Archeological Park Part 2 of 3”
The cause of the Angkor Empire’s demise in the early 15th century, long remains a mystery. But, researchers have now shown that intense monsoon rains that followed a prolonged drought in the region caused widespread damage to the city’s infrastructure, possibly leading to its collapse.
Bakong Temple Ruins
was build in late ninth century; 881 by king Indravarman I, and dedicated to Siva (Hindu), It followed Prah Ko art style. Bakong was the center of the town of Hariharalaya, a name derived from the god Hari-Hara; a synthesis of Siva and Vishnu. It is a temple representing the cosmic Mount Meru. This ruin takes awhile to walk through, and the Tuk Tuk driver can drop you off and pick you back up on the other side. I’m not sure which was the front and which was the back. Both entrances are great.
*Click on the links below, to see all the photos mentioned in this blog
The Royal Terrace ~Terrace of Elephants
is a striking 1,148 feet long, and just over 8 feet high, ornamental wall which, as the name suggests, is mostly decorated with carved elephants. It was built in the late-12th century as a viewing platform, from which King Jayavarman VII looked over his victorious returning army.
The terrace was once attached to the royal palace of Phimeanakas, right at the heart of the ancient Khmer capital city of Angkor Thom. While much of the original structure has long since rotted and collapsed, the Terrace itself has survived relatively intact, and the carvings along its length are still quite clear. This would me my second favorite ruins. Maybe, because I love elephants, thus, loved the carvings.
Ta Prohm Temple Ruins
was used as a location in the filming of “Tomb Raider,” back in 2001. Although the film took visual liberties with other Angkorian temples, its scenes of Ta Prohm were quite faithful to the Temple’s actual appearance, and made use of its eerie qualities.
Ta Prohm’s original name was Rajavihara, meaning “monastery of the king.”
It was built as a Mahayana Buddhist Monastery and university. The construction of the temple is dated to 1186 AD, but it is generally considered to have been added to and embellished over a period of several years.
With the exit of ancient Khmer people, this Temple slipped into a state of oblivion. It was discovered again in 1860 by Henri Mouhot, a French naturalist and explorer. In the three centuries of neglect, a species of Ficus; the Giant Strangler Fig trees, took control of the Temple. These trees are now 500 years old.
Many of the figures of Buddha in niches were destroyed in the process and some were converted to Shiva Linga (Hindu). The Temple has remained in its collapsed state, partly hidden by jungle and is also famous for the interplay between the giant tree roots and the stonework. Ta Prohm is part of the small circuit of the Angkor complex and is just a few minutes in a tuk tuk away from Angkor Wat or Angkor Thom. The main buildings of the temple are encircled by a large wall and so are not immediately visible from the road but rather discovered by a short walk on a jungle-lined path.was a monastery at one time; king Jayavarman VII’s 1st major temple project from the 12th to 13th century, which was dedicated to his mother.
It is estimated that this vast, 600-room structure and the surrounding area once had a population of over 70,000 people.
East Mebon Temple Ruins
is a large temple-mountain-like ruin, rising three levels and crowned by five towers. Jayavarman IV, a usurper to the throne, moved the capital from Angkor to Koh Ker in 928 AD. Sixteen years later Rajendravarman II returned the capital to Angkor and shortly thereafter, constructed East Mebon on an island in the middle of the, now dry, Eastern Baray.
The Temple is dedicated to Shiva in honor of the kings’ parents.
Inscriptions indicate that it was also built to help reestablish the continuity of kingship at Angkor, in light of the interruption that occurred when the seat of power had been moved to Koh Ker. There seems to be some scholarly debate as to whether East Mebon should be categorized as a Temple-Mountain.
Inscriptions record activity at the Temple, as early as 947 AD, but East Mebon was not consecrated until 952 AD.
When it was built, around 952, the East Mebon must have been quite impressive. The pyramidal structure consists of three concentric tiers, crowned by five towers. It is a typical motif of many Angkor temples, which seek to represent Mount Meru; the location of the Hindu “heaven.” It must have been highly symbolic, rowing a boat across the lake to one of the Temple’s four landings, then climbing up the tiers to pray at the shrines.
Upon arriving at the Temple, one of the first things you’ll notice are the large elephants standing at each corner of the lowest tier. The elephants are carved from a single block of stone, and are in excellent shape.
Gateways in the center of each side lead up to the second and third platforms.
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Click on the links below to view the other blogs of this three-part series; Parts 1 and 3 of Angkor Archeological Park:
Cambodia 🇰🇭 Siam Reap ~Angkor Archeological Park
Part 1 of 3
Cambodia 🇰🇭 Siam Reap ~Angkor Archeological Park
Part 3 of 3
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Hello and Welcome to our Travel Blog Website, We enjoy writing about our experiences and taking photos of our adventuring along the way. Our names are: Daryl and Pen, but Daryl calls me “Bunny.” We met, quite randomly, whilst both… Read More