Temple complex in Cambodia. Angkor, Cambodia: description, photos and reviews. Where to live in Angkor
Angkor (Cambodia) is the center of the ancient Khmer Empire, a complex of temples that have survived to this day. This cultural heritage is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List and is rightfully considered the most popular attraction in the country. How to get to Angkor, work schedule and cost of visiting the temples - everything you need for have a nice trip information in this article.
Angkor Wat
Don't be confused! Angkor is an ancient city, on whose territory there are over 20 temples, among which the largest is Angkor Wat.
Excursion into history
The construction of the Angkor complex was started by the founder of the local dynasty - the prince who declared the independence of Kambujadesh (today's Cambodia), Jayavarman II. Since then, almost every king erected one or more sacred buildings during his reign, often marking certain events. Construction of the complex was completed in 1218, after the death of Jayavarman VII, on whose orders the temples of Preah-Kan (in honor of the victory over the Chams), Ta-Prokhm (in memory of the mother of the majestic ruler), and others were erected.
Interesting fact! The largest temple in history, Angkor Wat, took more than 30 years to build. It occupies the same territory as the Vatican State.
The majestic Khmer Empire fell in the mid-15th century as a result of centuries-long struggle with the Chams and Thais. In 1431, Siamese troops occupied Angkor, and all its inhabitants left their homes, deciding that it was better to live in peace, albeit far from their homeland. In the end, the devastated city, along with all the temples, was swallowed up by the jungle.
Angkor was rediscovered in 1861 by the French scientist Henri Muo, but due to difficult times in the history of Cambodia, accompanied by bloody wars, no one was involved in its restoration. Only after 130 years will UNESCO introduce temple complex on the World Heritage List, and in China an organization will be created that brings together specialists who to this day are engaged in the restoration of this majestic landmark of Cambodia.
Amazing details! All Angkor temples were built without the use of cement or other binding materials.
Where is Angkor
You can get to the temple complex by tuk-tuk (about $2), bicycle ($0.5/hour) or taxi (from $5), after first getting to the city of Siem Reap, located in the west of Cambodia. To do this you can use:
Siem Reap Airport Compare accommodation prices using this form
Angkor opening hours and cost of visiting
The ticket office of the temple complex opens at 5 a.m. and is open until 5:30 p.m., at the same time tourists are allowed here. According to official rules, all travelers must leave the territory of Angkor before 18:00, but if you do not get caught by the police, you can stay there a little longer and enjoy the beauty of the temples as the sun sets.
The price of entry to Angkor varies depending on the number of days. There are three options in total:
- One-day visit for $20;
- Three-day cultural education for $40;
- Seven-day tour of the temples for $60.
You can use the three-day pass within a week from the date of purchase, and the 7-day pass will be valid for a month. There should be your photo on the front side of such a ticket; it is taken at the box office directly upon purchase.
Note! You can buy a ticket on the same day only until 17:00; the remaining half an hour, passes for the next day are sold.
Structure of Angkor (Cambodia)
In the territory ancient city There are more than 30 temples that cover an area of 500,000 square meters. Visiting them all in one day is absolutely unrealistic; most often, travel agencies and travelers who have visited this attraction of Cambodia advise spending three to five days walking around the temple complex.
The most popular route around Angkor lasts three days and is divided into visits to the temples of the small circle, the large circle, as well as distant temples, which are reached by the most persistent and curious.
Advice! If you are going to visit the temple complex with a group, rent bikes or bicycles. This will help you save time and effort (since the length of the same route through the temples of the small circle is 20 km), and not lose your rental property if you get distracted to take photos of Angkor Wat and other places.
Small circle
This includes those temples that every traveler must see - the most majestic, beautiful and valuable. The route distance is 20 km, designed for one day. The direction of travel is shown in the titles of the following sections: first Angkor Wat, then Angkor Thom, etc.
Angkor Wat
This temple occupies a huge territory and can rightfully be considered an entire complex. It is surrounded by a moat, which fills with water during the rainy season, and there are many trees, green grass, flowers and wild animals around.
In the center of Angkor Wat there is a temple-mountain, built in such a way that its five identical towers can be seen from any side. The second key attraction of the complex is the library - a one-story building surrounded by palm trees and tourists.
No less interesting are the galleries of Angkor Wat, which you can look at from above, climbing the stone stairs in the backyard. In total, 8 galleries with bas-reliefs densely covering the walls were built on the territory of the temple. The most famous among them is the Gallery of Hell and Heaven.
Advice! If you want to take uncrowded photos of Angkor Wat, wait for full sunrise and look into the temple's backyard. At this time, all the tourists who met the dawn go to rest, and the newly arrived travelers disperse to the main parts of the complex.
Angkor Thom
This is another attraction on the list of must-sees in Cambodia, the last capital of the Khmer Empire and a majestic city of the 13th and 14th centuries with a population of over a million people. Its name explains its popularity in modern world– “Great Angkor” is truly impressive with its scale, unusual architecture, harmony and splendor.
The structure of Angkor Thom is very logical - the city is a square with stone walls, inside which there are various buildings. The most significant of them:
In addition, Angkor Thom has the Terrace of the Leper King, the Terrace of the Elephants, several prasats, the Gate of Victory and an unusual bridge with figures of gods and demons. The recommended time for visiting this attraction is 3-4 hours.
Advice! Head to Bayonne before sunrise to avoid the tourist crowds and get the most spectacular photos.
Ta Prohm
Another one of the most beautiful buildings in Cambodia is Ta Prohm, which became popular after the filming of the film “Lara Croft: Tomb Raider” and today bears the proud name of the Angelina Jolie Temple. For seven centuries, this building played the role of a monastery and university, where local residents received education and conducted scientific research.
Ta Prohm is several times smaller than Angkor Wat or Angkor Thom; there are no separate significant attractions on its territory, they are all part of the temple itself. Thus, the Ta Prohma galleries are one of the most interesting in the entire complex, since they are built into one another and resemble a small labyrinth.
Another feature of the temple is its proximity to the jungle - the roots of the trees wrap around the stone walls and amaze with their size. To this day, Ta Prom cannot be cleared of vegetation, because it is thanks to it that the building has been preserved to this day.
The Mystery of the Millennium. Among the picturesque bas-reliefs of the temple there is an image of a dinosaur. Above the question, what is this doing on the walls of Ta Prohma? ancient creature This is not the first year that both scientists and tourists have been fighting.
Small temples of a small circle
Included in this category are Pre Kan (built by the last king of Cambodia in honor of his father), Ta Kaew (the highest mountain temple, the construction of which was not completed because the building was struck by lightning, which was considered a bad omen) and Phnom Bakheng (rock temple , which offers a panoramic view of the entire Angkor). The total duration of the visit to all three buildings is 4-5 hours.
Big circle
Banteay Kdei The route includes more than ten small temples, the total duration is 25 km. The most popular buildings that are worth visiting first:
- Banteay Kday. It was built as a Buddhist temple and consists of many galleries decorated with bas-reliefs.
- Pre Rup. Temple-mountain, created in honor of the god Shiva.
- Banteay Samre. It is distinguished by the elegance of its architecture and unusual walls with carvings. It was erected in honor of the ancient Indian god Vishnu.
- Ta Som. A place for spectacular photographs showing the unity of nature and ancient buildings.
Distant temples
This category includes several temple complexes located at a considerable distance from the center of Angkor. You can only get there by taxi or rented car (you shouldn’t take a bike or bike, otherwise you’ll get stuck in the dust of Cambodia’s dirt roads). The cost of such a trip is $50-60, so try to find travel companions or become one yourself.
Beng Melia
Located 67 km from Siem Reap, this temple is definitely worth visiting. At the entrance you will be greeted by unusual guards in the form of seven-headed snakes, and once inside you will understand the beauty of stone chaos. The peculiarity of Beng Melia is that its walls have not been touched by the hands of restorers, so you have an excellent opportunity to see it as it was found at the end of the 19th century.
Important! The cost of visiting the temple is $5, not included in the general Angkor ticket.
Banteay Srei
It is called the “Fortress of Beauty”, the citadel of women and the pearl of Angkor. This is a unique building, unlike all other buildings in the complex due to:
- Your size. Banteay Srei is truly miniature, which is very impressive, especially after visiting Angkor Wat;
- Materials. The temple is built of pink sandstone (the rest are yellow), which gives it a special charm and beauty, especially early in the morning;
- Handmade carvings and bas-reliefs that cover the walls of Banteay Srei.
On the temple grounds there is a library, a central sanctuary, and many statues. Recommended visiting time is 2-3 hours. Distance from Siem Reap – 37 km.
This place is sacred to all residents of Cambodia, because it was here that the country’s independence was proclaimed 1200 years ago. There is the famous statue of the reclining Buddha, a sacred temple where pilgrims go every year, a river of a thousand lingas and the most picturesque waterfall in Cambodia.
The cost of visiting Phnom Kulen is $20 (paid separately from general ticket in Angkor), located 55 km from Siem Reap. You can only get there by taxi or rented car.
Find out PRICES or book any accommodation using this form
Map of the city of Siem Reap, which shows landmarks, including Angkor Wat and some important infrastructure.
Only about a century and a half ago, the great discovery of Angkor, lost in the jungles of Cambodia, took place. Today this is one of the most interesting places on our planet.
History of the temple
The first mentions of huge stone structures date back to 1601. Then Marcelo Ribandeiro from Spain accidentally stumbled upon the strange temple of Angkor Wat in the jungle of Cambodia. The Khmers living on this land could not build stone structures; the mystery of the origin of the temple arose, for which the missionary had to turn to local residents. But they also could not satisfy Ribandeiro’s interest. This once again reinforced the idea that there was a completely different civilization here long before the Khmers, the legacy of which was Angkor. No one lived in this temple city except animals; the locals believed that, according to one of the legends, the city should have been restored by foreigners.
This huge discovery was quickly forgotten. For Europe, the Angkor Wat temple was of no interest. A new wave of mentions of this monument began in 1868 after the publication of a book by a traveler from France, Henri Muot.
For a long time, Muo wandered through the jungle, suffering from hunger and disease, until one day he managed to come across a clearing. Three towers loomed against the sky; at first it even seemed to him that these were beginning hallucinations. But as he approached the buildings, he realized that he had made a great discovery.
This happened on January 22, 1861. The discovery turned out to be very important. This is how a stage in Cambodian history appeared - the era of the Angkor civilization. And the towers of Angkor are enshrined in the flag and coat of arms of Cambodia.
Legendary Palace
In ancient times, the Cambodian state of Chenla was ruled by Jayavarman II. This man is credited with creating the Angkor Empire. And his successor Suryavarman II (1113-1150) built the Angkor Wat temple.
The temple was built for the god Vishnu. But in fact it was the sanctuary and tomb of King Suryavarman II. In the Angkor empire, there was worship of the king, who was considered the incarnation of a great deity. And the Angkor temple itself was considered his heavenly home on earth.
There is a whole legend about the construction of the temple. So one of the rulers had a son, Preah Ket Mealea. God Indra liked this young man and invited him to his heaven. Preah Ket Meala loved this place, but he especially liked magnificent palace with five towers. But all good things come to an end sooner or later; the tevoda (divine dancers) became worried about the appearance of a divine spirit in the sky, disturbing its harmony. They told Indra about this, and he had to return the prince to earth. And the deity decided to build his beloved palace on earth. The place for construction was indicated by the bull Nandin, and Preah Pushnuka was chosen as the leader of the construction. The best craftsmen from all lands were gathered, and Angkor Wat was built.
Description of the temple
The temple is located in the center of a vast complex that unites about 200 other temples. The temple is surrounded by a moat that fills during the monsoon season. In the reflection of the water, the temple looks like the sacred Mount Meru surrounded by the world's oceans. This is what the great builders intended.
Angkor Wat is surrounded by a wall, and the visitor enters through the main portal. Before his eyes I see three terraces towering above each other. The first is at a height of 3.5 meters, the second - 7, the third - 13. In the plan, the terraces represent decreasing squares. On the upper terrace there are five towers - four in the corners and one in the center, rising 65 meters. Due to the orientation of the temple, only three towers are visible when approaching from either side.
Calculations show that the number of stones at Angkor Wat corresponds to the number of stones used in the construction of the Egyptian Pyramid of Khafre. But since the stones in Angkor have deep artistic processing, one can only be amazed at the labor expended by the ancient inhabitants of this land.
Image feeds
The carvings of the temple are of great interest to visitors and researchers of the temple. The carved images here stretch for kilometers, something like this cannot be seen anywhere else in the world. Indian mythology is combined with real historical characters; one can compare this miracle with famous paintings of the Renaissance.
In 1973, the war began. The shelter of the Popotovites was located in the temple. Many images were destroyed, there are bullet marks, but the temple was still able to survive. The restoration work carried out was able to revive the great wonder of the world, Angkor Wat, and again give the beauty of ancient architecture to thousands of tourists.
Video about Angkor Wat
These are its temples, of which there are a great many throughout the country. Today we will tell you about the most interesting and majestic ones, which amaze the imagination with incredible bas-reliefs and original masonry.
The complex of temples in Cambodia occupies vast areas, and it should be noted that many of them are still under research.
Features of the country
Cambodia attracts tourists with its uniqueness - it is not Thailand, a little embellished and convenient for tourists. Travelers are usually impressed by the wild lands, free, smiling people and extraordinary temples of Cambodia. These are amazing ensembles that even Hollywood did not ignore, repeatedly choosing them as decorations for its films.
Experienced tourists note features that are directly related to sightseeing in this country, which those who are just planning a trip need to know about:
- All the temples are magnificent in different time days: some at dawn, others during the day, others at dusk.
- Inspection of ancient complexes takes a lot of time, so the event should be given at least three days to see the most interesting places. During this time, you can rent a room in one of the hotels in the nearby town of Siem Reap.
- To explore the Angkor complex, it makes sense to consider renting a car, since many of the structures are located at a fair distance from each other.
Angkor: ancient temples of Cambodia
This is the region of the country that became the cradle of the largest empire in South Asia - the Khmer Empire. Its greatness and prosperity date back to the 9th-15th centuries. At that time, Angkor was one of the largest cities in the world, and its temples were already known far beyond the borders of the empire.
In 1431, Siamese troops destroyed the city, and its inhabitants were forced to leave it. Since then, Angkor, along with more than a hundred temples and palaces, have remained essentially abandoned among the dense tropical forests. And only at the end of the 19th century, naturalist Anne Muo from France published several works that were dedicated to Angkor.
Even Rudyard Kipling wrote his famous work about Mowgli - The Jungle Book - after visiting Angkor. Since 1992, the temple complex has been under the protection of UNESCO. This ancient Cambodian province is home to priceless architectural monuments of the Khmer Empire.
Angkor - ancient city
The temples of Angkor bear witness to the existence of the largest pre-industrial urban center on our planet, which was larger in size than present-day New York. Today it is a huge museum under open air with an area of 200 km². Here you get the impression that stone temples with decorated walls seem to grow out of impenetrable jungles.
Scientists are still trying to unravel the mysteries of their construction, but Angkor carefully guards its secrets. As in the heyday of the empire, Angkor today attracts travelers and explorers from all over the world like a magnet. And if in the old days merchants came here, today’s guests of this land are tourists.
Without exaggeration, we can say that the temples of Cambodia, and Angkor in particular, are the most impressive place in South-East Asia. The kings of the Khmer Empire spared no expense to build a temple richer and more impressive than those of their predecessors.
Angkor Wat
The magnificent temple is the undisputed pearl of Angkor. Its spiers became a symbol and business card Cambodia. The temple consists of five shrine towers, three galleries that increase in height towards the center and are surrounded by a moat filled with water, 190 meters wide. The profile of the structure imitates an unopened lotus bud.
The first gallery is the outer wall above the moat. It has square columns on the outside. The ceiling between them on the outer façade is decorated with lotus-shaped rosettes, and on the inner side there are figures of dancers. Bas-reliefs on the walls of all three galleries depict scenes from various myths and many historical events.
A long alley connects the first gallery with the second. You can climb up to it along the stairs, which are decorated on the sides with sculptures of lions. In this gallery, the interior walls are decorated with images of apsaras—celestial maidens.
The third gallery consists of five towers, which crown the highest terrace. There are very steep stairs here, which symbolize the difficulty of climbing to the kingdom of the gods. On the walls of the gallery you can see numerous snakes. Their bodies end up in the mouths of lions.
The stones of Angkor Wat, smooth as polished marble, are laid without any adhesive mortar. The main building material for this structure was sandstone, which was transported to the construction site from Mount Kulen, which is located 40 km away.
Almost all surfaces, including columns and roof lintels, are carved from stone. Between 1986 and 1992, the Indian Archaeological Society carried out restoration work at Angkor. The temple is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Bayonne
This temple was built in honor of Jayavarman VII. It has three levels. The main part of the temple's decor is paintings depicting the daily life of the Khmers. in Cambodia it also has one blank wall, 4.5 meters high. On it you can see scenes of the battle in which Jayavarman VII defeated the Chams.
In 1925, Bayon was recognized as a Buddhist sanctuary. In 1933, in the temple, more precisely, in the well of its foundation, they found a clear resemblance to Jayavarman VII. During the Brahmin restoration, which took place immediately after the death of the ruler, it was desecrated. Later it was restored and installed on the terrace.
Bapuon
The temples of Cambodia are completely different and this is why they also amaze the guests of the country. After enjoying Bayon's extraordinary atmosphere, head to the nearby Bapuon Temple. For a long time, this territory was only a construction site, where restorers worked for several decades. They jokingly called their work assembling the most complex puzzle in the world. Only two years ago tourists got the opportunity to visit this ancient one. It is dedicated to Shiva.
It should be noted that all the ancient temples of Cambodia are very majestic. Historians say that in ancient times Baphuon was one of the most beautiful in Angkor. But in the early fifties of the last century it was almost on the verge of destruction. French archaeologists, together with a team of restorers, decided that there was only one way to preserve it - to completely dismantle it, strengthen the foundation, and only after that reassemble the building.
In the early 60s, Bapuon was dismantled. During dismantling, the temple blocks were transferred to the jungle, and each block had its own number. In the mid-70s, the Khmer Rouge came to power in the country, and restoration work was stopped. Later it turned out that the documents on dismantling the temple were destroyed, and there was no information left on how to collect 300 thousand stone blocks. The architects had to use photographs and memories of local residents.
Ta-Prom
Cambodia will probably never cease to amaze tourists. Jungle temples can be seen almost throughout the country. But one of them - Ta Prohm - simply fits Kipling's description perfectly. This is a huge temple-monastery, completely absorbed by the jungle.
Experts believe that it is the most poetic in Angkor; it has an amazing atmosphere created by the huge trees that wrap around the walls. They have grown through the stones and hang over the towers. Over the centuries, the roots have become so fused with the walls that the trees cannot be removed without damaging the buildings.
Ta Prohm was built during the reign of Jayavarman as a Buddhist temple covering a vast area. However, its architecture is not similar to other temples in Cambodia. It is a chain of one-story buildings that are connected to each other by through galleries and passages. Many of them are inaccessible today because they are covered with stones.
The uniqueness of this temple lies in the fact that many ancient inscriptions are carved on the stone walls. On a stone stele, which today can be seen in the Angkor National Museum, it is carved that in its heyday the temple belonged to 3,140 villages, 79,365 people worked here, 18 high priests and 2,800 clerks served. More than 12,000 people lived permanently inside the temple.
In ancient times, on the site of the forest that surrounds the temple, there was a lively Big city, and a large amount of jewelry was kept in its treasuries. Now it is difficult to believe in this, since many buildings have turned into ruins. There are two types of trees here: the largest is the banyan tree with thick, light brown roots, and the second is the strangler fig tree. It is distinguished by many thin, completely smooth gray roots.
The seeds of the tree fall into a gap in the masonry of the structure and the roots grow down, stretching towards the ground. We have already said that the temples of Cambodia can surprise even modern scientists with their mysteries. One of them is a carved image of a dinosaur on the wall of the Ta Prohm temple, to which guides like to take tour groups. However, until now no one can explain where the ancient Khmers could see the dinosaur.
Why did people leave the largest temple in the world? What is the connection between the Angkor Wat complex and the spiral of the Draco constellation? Why was a dinosaur depicted on the Angkor Wat bas-relief? The article reflects the point of view of official history and chronology.
The Angkor Wat temple complex is the largest Hindu temple not only in Cambodia, but also in the World, the largest religious building of mankind, created by traditional version by the Khmer king Suryavarman II about a thousand years ago. (1113-1150 AD)
The construction of the Angkor Wat temple 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 sq. km. For comparison, for example, the second largest famous city Same ancient era was the city of Tikal - the most Big City Mayan civilization, located in what is now Guatemala. Its size was about 100 sq. km, that is, 10 times smaller, and its population was only 100 to 200 thousand people.
Tourist map 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 have survived quite well 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 would call this period of Khmer history Angkorian.
Main entrance to Angkor Wat from the west side
The construction of Angkor lasted about 400 years. It was started by the founder of the Angkorian dynasty, the Hindu prince Jayavarman II, who declared himself the “universal ruler” and “Sun King” of Cambodia in 802. The last temple complexes were built in the 12th century by King Jayavarman VII. After his death in 1218, construction stopped. 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 conditions of 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 flee 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.
Water moat 190 meters wide around Angkor Wat
In Angkor, the largest temple complexes stand out - Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom (which includes several temples, the largest of which is Bayon Temple), Ta Prohm, Banteay Srei and Preah Kan. The most notable 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. Constructed over 30 years during the reign of Suryavarman II (1113–1150), 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
Ankor 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 Muot about his expeditions in Indochina. In his diary you can find the following lines:
“The monuments of building art that I saw are enormous in size and, in my opinion, are examples of the highest level compared to any monuments preserved from ancient times. I have never felt as happy as I do now in this magnificent tropical setting. Even if I knew that I would have to die, I would never exchange this life for the pleasures and conveniences of the civilized world."
View of Angkor Wat from the northwest side (reflection in the water)
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 samples. During his stay in Asia, he traveled to Thailand, Cambodia and Laos. Perhaps he had a premonition of something, a few months after his last visit to Angkor Wat, in 1861 he died of malaria, on his fourth expedition to Laos. He was buried there, near the capital Luang Prabang (Luang Prabang), the location of his tomb is still known. The diaries of Henri Muot are kept in London, in the archives of the Royal Geographical Society, London.
The grave of the French explorer Henri Muot (1826-1861) in Laos
The grandeur of the Angkor Wat temple he first saw shocked Henri Muo; in his notes he wrote the following about Ankor Wat:
“The temple is incomprehensible to the mind and beyond all imagination. You look in embarrassment and bewilderment, admire and, overwhelmed with reverence, freeze in reverent silence... How sublime the genius of this Michelangelo of the East must have been, the genius of the creator of such a wondrous creation! He managed to connect various parts into a single whole with such skill that one can only marvel at it. He saw to 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
Etymology of the name of the temple Angkor Wat
"Angkor Wat" is not the original name of the temple, as neither the temple's foundation steles nor any inscriptions regarding the name at that time have been found. How ancient temple city its name then is unknown and, quite possibly, 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 pronounced "noko" ("kingdom, country, city"), but in common parlance, Khmers are much more comfortable pronouncing "ongko". The latter is very consonant with the concept of harvest, close to the peasants, and can, literally, be translated as “harvested grains of rice.”
Young descendants of the almighty demigod king Suryavarman II
Over the centuries, the reduced common “ongko” acquired the meaning of a proper name, which was fixed in the name of the ancient capital region of Angkor (or Ongkor), former capital Angkorian Empire, Angkor Thom, as well as the Angkor Wat temple.
Everything in this world is subject to nature - even the walls of the great Angkor
The word “Wat” comes from the Pali expression “watthu-arama” (“the place where the temple is built”), which denoted the sacred ground of a monastic 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, "voat" can mean both "temple" and "veneration, admiration." Indeed, Angkor Wat, the largest temple of the city of the gods of Angkor, is a symbol of Khmer national pride.
Sculptures of seven-headed snakes on the road to the temple
In Khmer, the name of the Angkor Wat temple is pronounced "Ongkovoat". 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 - “Angkor Temple”.
In the backyard of Angkor Wat
Why did people leave the largest temple in the world?
The reason why the Khmers, about 500 years ago, left the largest temple in the world, Angkor Wat, to the mercy of the jungle and left Angkor to develop the new capital of their kingdom, Phnom Penh, is still the subject of debate among historians and archaeologists. For more than 100 years, hundreds of archaeological specialists 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 researchers over many years is gradually revealing to us the secrets of the sacred temple of Angkor Wat, introducing 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 the sky is contrasting
Khmer temples were never intended for gatherings of believers, they were built as a habitat 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 also 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 Jayavarman II's successors followed his principles of construction. Each new ruler completed the construction of the city in such a way that its core was constantly moving: the center of the old city ended up on the outskirts of the new one. This is how this giant city gradually grew. Each time, a five-tower temple was erected in the center, 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 faded somewhat during the difficult and prolonged wars with the Chams and Tais. In 1431, Thai (Siamese) troops completely captured Angkor: the city was depopulated, as if a merciless epidemic had swept through it. Over time humid climate and lush vegetation turned the capital into ruins and the jungle completely swallowed it.
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 joined the list of one of the largest temples in the world, were included in the list of world monuments cultural heritage UNESCO, and a year later the International Coordination Committee was created in Tokyo, 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 that destroy walls are cut down, entrances, ceilings, walls, and paths are restored. Scientists from different countries. There will be enough work for everyone for many decades.
The internal passages in different Angkor temples are very similar
The mysterious connection of Angkor with the spiral of the constellation Draco
In 1996, British archaeologist and historian John Grigsby, studying 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. He was prompted to begin research in the search for correlations between heaven and earth in relation to Angkor 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 land 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 an inscription made by the builders of the large pyramidal temple of Phnom Bakheng, 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 was a correlation between heaven and earth similar to the Egyptian one (the connection between the pyramids of Giza and the constellation Orion) in Cambodia?
The exact location of the main temples of Angkor
The fact is that the projection of the dragon constellation 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 relative position 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 constellation Draco onto earth's surface, and a projection of an entire section of the sky around Draco, including several stars from the Northern Corona, Minor and Ursa Major, Deneb of the Swan. All sacred places on Earth reproduce one or another part of the sky along the Milky Way.
Constellation Draco 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 the temples in Angkor, they used computer technology to conduct a large research work. The results of their research shook the global archaeological community. Computer research has shown that the main temples of Angkor are indeed earthly reflections of the stars of the Draco constellation and that this is exactly the position of the stars on the day of the vernal equinox in 10,500 BC. e.
Comparisons of the layout of the temples of Angkor and the stars of the constellation Draco
Nowadays, 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 precession had already hidden part of the projected picture behind the horizon. It has been hypothesized that all the main temples of Angkor were built on older structures, as evidenced by the huge slabs of lining artificial canals made of megaliths, the presence of polygonal masonry, high skill in stone processing, stone castles, but it is not known when they were built. However, if they were already projecting the Draco constellation then...
Covered with kilometers of fine carvings, the huge stones of the temples are perfectly fitted to each other, not fastened by anything and supported only by their own weight. There are temples where it is impossible to insert a blade between the stones; moreover, they are irregularly shaped and curved, like puzzles, where none of the modern technologies are able to recreate the former beauty of these temples.
Magnificent bas-reliefs on the outer walls of Angkor Wat Apsaras - Heavenly Dancers
Stegosaurus at Angkor Wat. Could the Khmers have seen dinosaurs?
The hypothesis of the creation of Angkor in the 11th 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 Ta Prohm Temple is full of intricately carved statues and stone columns with bas-reliefs carved on them. Along with images of gods and goddesses from mythological subjects of ancient Hinduism, hundreds of bas-reliefs depict real animals (elephants, snakes, fish, monkeys). Almost every inch of gray sandstone is covered with decorative carvings. What was the amazement of the scientists who discovered an image on one of the columns in Ta-Prom 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 this?
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 Vernal Equinox of 10500 BC? It was on this day that the stars of the dragon constellation 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 celestial bodies. The Earth is like a giant top, under the influence of the gravity of the Sun and Moon, it makes a slow circular rotation. The Moon and the Sun, by their attraction, tend to rotate the Earth's axis, resulting in the phenomenon of precession.
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 illustration precession of the earth's axis
Astrologers believe that the precession cycle is 25,920 years, the so-called Great Year (the period during which the pole of the celestial equator describes a complete circle around the pole of the ecliptic). During this time, the earth's axis travels a full circle around the Zodiac. Moreover, one astrological era is equal to 1/12 of a cycle (25920:12=2160) and is 2160 years. One month of the Great Year, lasting 2160 earthly years, is the astrological era. Each cosmic epoch (2160 earth years) represents a whole stage in the development of humanity, 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 (25,920 years) was 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 sidereal spiral of time - Everything returns to normal...
Nowadays, the North Pole of the world is, as we know, the North Star, but this was not always the case, and in the 3rd millennium BC. The North Pole of the world was where the star α (Alpha) - Draco - is located. The precession of the Earth's axis is known to cause an apparent change in the position of 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 point was the constellation Draco. There is a kind of “Orion-Dragon pendulum”. Since then, the precessional process has managed to rotate the celestial pole by half a circle relative to the ecliptic pole, and today the Dragon is located near nadir, and Orion is the highest. MIT history professor Giorgio de Santillana and his colleague Dr. Herta von Dehechend, based on their research, concluded that the entire Angkor is a huge precession pattern. The following facts speak in its favor:
Angkor Wat depicts 108 nagas pulling a huge top in two directions (54 by 54);
On both sides of the 5 bridges leading to the gates to the Angkor Thom Temple, 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 is carved with four giant faces of Lokeshvara, oriented north, south, east and west, making a total of 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 will be 540 degrees;
The distance between the pyramids of Giza in Egypt, where the sages ruled who walked the astronomical “road of Horus,” and the sacred temples of Angkor in Cambodia, is, with slight rounding, an important geodetic value - 72 degrees of longitude. From the ancient Egyptian language, “Ankh-Hor” is literally translated as “the god Horus lives”;
There are a total of 72 major stone and brick temples and monuments in Angkor.
The length of the sections of the main roads in Angkor Wat reflects the duration of the four yugas (great world eras of Hindu philosophy and cosmology) - Krita Yuga, Treta Yuga, Dwapara 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 hats.
They look at us from the walls of temples through millennia and... smile)))
The cosmic meaning of the number 72 and its power over humanity
Let us dwell in more detail on the sacred number - 72, 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 in Devanagari of classical Sanskrit there are 36 letter-phonemes (72:2=36). Devanagari uses 72 main ligatures (combinations of consonant letters represented by an independent symbol).
The most ancient runic system, the so-called “Elder Futhark” consists of 24 runes, each rune can represent a letter, syllable, word or image. Moreover, the image has priority importance. But one rune can hide up to three images, 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 alphabet for almost all currently existing Indo-European alphabets. Those 24 runes that are known today are the third part of the real language, because if you multiply 24 by three, you get exactly 72 runes. Because the ancients taught that the world is three-component. One of them is earthly world Goethig, the second is the intermediate world of Ritag, and the third is upper world Menog. Here are the three forms of runes.
In the ancient Avestan language (the language of the Avesta, the holy book of Zoroastrianism) there were 72 letters to represent all possible options pronunciation of sounds;
The most significant book of the Avesta is Yasna, which is a text read in 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 accession to religion, or rather, as an umbilical cord connecting a person with the Lord God.
In Judaism, the number 72 is considered sacred and 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 corresponding to a specific sound, which have the amazing power to overcome the laws of nature in all forms, including human nature. According to legend, the name of God contains everything that exists, which means that those who can pronounce it correctly will be able to ask the Creator for everything they want.
The unpronounceable name of God is the main subject of study by 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, you get 72.
In the legend about the Tabernacle (Temple), the ancient Jews mention 72 almond buds with which they decorated a candlestick used in a 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. It’s not for nothing that 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, forms a pair with 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 the icosahedron again, and so on. This successive 72 degree rotation through the cube creates the DNA molecule.
The intersection points of the diagonals in the pentagon are always the points of the "golden ratio"
Three-level structure of the Angkor Wat temple
The Angkor Wat temple complex has three levels. It consists of a series of concentric, rectangular enclosed spaces, including three rectangular galleries, each rising above the next with open courtyards, interconnected by cruciform galleries. In fact, Angkor Wat is a huge three-stage pyramid.
One of the views of the Angkor Wat temple
Having climbed the stairs and passed through the first two of the three successively ascending galleries, you find yourself in 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 - A scene from the life of the Khmer king
Not counting the bas-reliefs in the corner pavilions, they extend for almost 700 meters, being almost 2 meters in height, 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 Angkor Wat temple.
Ancient warriors on the bas-reliefs of Angkor Wat
Since the perimeter of the main entrance to Angkor Wat is surrounded by a moat with water 190 meters wide, forming a square-shaped island, the temple territory can only be accessed by stone bridges on the western and eastern sides of the temple. The main entrance to Angkor Wat, from the west, is a wide sidewalk built from massive sandstone blocks. Crossing the cruciform terrace, which is a later addition to the complex, we see ahead the entrance to the western gopura with the remains of three towers.
Directly the main entrance to Angkor Wat
The gopura is now entered from the right, through the sanctum beneath the southern tower, where an eight-armed statue of Vishnu fills the entire space. This statue, which clearly has little room 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
Once through the gopura, there is a magnificent view of the main temple towers at the end of the road. At sunrise they are surrounded by the glowing silhouette of the morning sky, and at sunset they glow orange. Continuing our way inside Angkor Wat, we see on both sides of the main road - two large, so-called “libraries” with four entrances on each side of the world. They were a kind of sanctuary, and not warehouses for manuscripts, as one might imagine from the name.
Mesmerizing view of the 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 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 central towers, as well as to the two internal libraries of the second level, you can walk along 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 open, located in the center and corners of the square, symbolizing the five celestial peaks sacred mountain Meru is the center of the universe.
One of the four large corner towers of Angkor Wat
Highest level Angkor Wat and its galleries only highlight the perfect proportions of the famous temple towers and make the overall appearance unforgettable. The central tower, or altar, was the abode of the god Vishnu, and since Angkor Wat was originally a Vaishnava temple, and only later converted to a Buddhist one, it once contained a statue of Vishnu, perhaps the one that now stands at the entrance to the western gopura. The Khmers had an ancient custom of making offerings to God in the form of gold sheets or small precious stones, which were left in the recess below the statue of the god. Unfortunately, over the centuries these offerings have been looted.
One of the buddha statues inside the temple
Today, only some of the statues of the god Vishnu or Buddha are presented in the southern part of the galleries. The large reclining Buddha is still an object of worship for local and Asian visitors.
"Buddha Sleeps" - This Buddha statue, a place of special veneration for Buddhists at Angkor Wat
The entire temple capital of Angkor and the largest temple of Angkor Wat in particular are the soul and heart of the Khmer people, the people of free Kampuchea, a symbol of the prosperity of the Khmer civilization, which has had a huge influence on the cultures of all states of Southeast Asia. The image of the Angkor Wat temple adorns the national flag of Cambodia (Kampuchea) and is its symbol.
State flag Kingdom of Cambodia (Kampuchea, Cambodia)
The era of Angkor lasted seven centuries. Many believe that the founders of the city of the gods of Angkor were descendants of a previous civilization and this is a direct legacy of the great and mysterious Atlantis. The battles of historians over the officially announced dates for the construction of the temples in Angkor and Angkor Wat are still ongoing. There is more and more evidence indicating that people settled in these places long before the heyday of Khmer culture, but in the dates many sources contradict each other, and quite significantly.
Great story Angkor continues to save our souls...
However, all the 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 reconstructed 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 continue to this day, continuing to amaze the world with new discoveries of the secrets and mysteries of the great temple of Angkor Wat.
Documentary film "Angkor Wat - A House Worthy of the Gods"
“Angkor Wat - A House Worthy of the Gods” - This is a popular science, documentary from National Geographic from the series “Superstructures of Antiquity”, dedicated to the world famous Angkor-Wat temple 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 is impressive in its scale - it is a giant stone map of the universe and one of the most remarkable creations of mankind.
Angkor Wat is one of the interesting attractions of Cambodia - it is a huge complex of temples available for tourist excursions.
How to get to Angkor
You can get to the ancient capital of Cambodia, Angkor Wat, in several ways, for example, by car or minibus. There are several excursions lasting several days. The temple complex is located in Cambodia, near the city of Siem Reap. You can get to this city by any transport, bus, plane and even by boat. If you decide to spend your holidays in Pattaya or, you can take part in excursions, they are regularly held at Angkor Wat.
Let us draw your attention to the fact that the Angkor complex refers to all the temples located on a huge site; in addition, there is also Angkor Wat, it was erected by the ruler Suryavarman II. This temple is considered the main one and is called the pearl of Angkor.
From Bangkok to Angkor
Traveling from Bangkok to Siem Reap or Siem Reap (the name is pronounced in two ways) involves several steps:
- you need to get to the border (to the town of Aranyaprathet);
- You won’t be able to cross the border without a Cambodian visa, so you should worry about its availability in advance;
- get from the border (Poipet town) to Siem Reap.
Tours from Bangkok to Angkor Wat are available both individual and group.
Where to stay in Angkor
So, we have already found out where Angkor is. The closest city to the complex is Siem Reap. There you can stay at any hotel you like, because you still have to use transport to get there. There are a large number of hotels in the city; any vacationer, if necessary, can choose a suitable hotel for themselves. It is possible to rent a bicycle (but, again, it’s difficult to get to the right place it will be hard) or go by bus.
A little history
Angkor Wat, whose history is quite interesting, was founded around the 10th-12th centuries. At that time, Angkor was one of the most major cities planets. The temples from that time became famous even far from the Khmer Empire.
In 1431, Siamese troops almost completely defeated and plundered the city, after which all residents had to leave their homes and go in search of new ones. Since that time, Angkor and more than 100 palaces and temples that remained intact were hidden under the arches of tropical forests. Until, at the end of the 19th century, the French naturalist Anne Muo presented a sufficient number of works that were created and written in honor of Angkor.
It became known that even Rudyard Kipling published his “Jungle Book” about Mowgli only after he had the good fortune of becoming a visitor to the beautiful Angkor. In 1992, the temple complex was taken under the supervision of trustees from UNESCO.
Angkor Temples
The temples included in the regular Angkor ticket are referred to by guides as near temples, and those located a little further from Siem Reap are called distant ones. The nearby temples are part of several routes designed as a tour taking place in the town square: the small circle and the large circle of Angkor. The Batni Shri and Batni Samri temples are also included in the complex, but are located a short distance from the excursion route.
Visits to the small and large circles of Angkor are designed for several separate days, as they occupy a very large area. One small circle is about 17 km. The mileage of the big circle is 26 km.
There is a certain scheme where you can find the desired temple. The red line indicates that you are traveling in a small circle, the green line indicates that you are traveling in a large circle. . You can choose excursions to Angkor Wat according to the route that interests you.
Meaning of the word
Angkor, the meaning of the word comes from the Sanskrit “nagara”, which means “ holy city" The beginning of the first Angkor period is considered to be the beginning of 802 AD. BC, while the Khmer Emperor Jayavarman II declared himself the “Ecumenical Monarch” and “God King”. The end of this period occurred at the end of the 14th century.
Having decided on a tour of Angkor, you need to pay attention to how the city of Angkor is located, the map of which will help with this. The country delights visitors with sunshine most of the time of the year.
When choosing the clothes you will wear during the excursion, give preference to breathable clothing that covers most body, because you can get a sunburn by being in the sun all day.
Covering your face and head will also make your journey more enjoyable. Too much sun in Angkor can cause headaches and eye pain, so it is worth wearing a hat and, if possible, sunglasses.
If you love ruins, then in order to climb them, it is better to wear well-laced sneakers, because summer flip-flops can easily be lost. You don't have to worry about going hungry while on this excursion. You can buy food and drinks near the temples. There are no strong drinks on sale, only beer. If you wish, you can take something stronger with you, but be careful, in the heat this can lead to unpredictable consequences.