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ANGKOR WAT - THE
7th
WONDER OF THE WORLD
Angkor Wat is visually, architecturally and
artistically breathtaking. It is a massive
three-tiered pyramid crowned by five lotus-like
towers rising 65 meters from ground level. Angkor
Wat is the centerpiece of any visit to the temples
of Angkor.
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At the apex of Khmer political and military
dominance in the region, Suryavarman II constructed
Angkor Wat in the form of a massive
'temple-mountain' dedicated to the Hindu god,
Vishnu. It served as his state temple, though the
temple’s uncommon westward orientation has led some
to suggest that it was constructed as Suryavarman
II’s funerary temple. |
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Other temples of the same style and period include Thommanon, Banteay Samre,
Wat Atwea and Beng Melea, which may have served as a
prototype to Angkor Wat.
Angkor Wat is surrounded by a moat and an exterior
wall measuring 1300 meters x 1500 meters. The temple
itself is 1 km square and consists of three levels
surmounted by a central tower. The walls of the
temple are covered inside and out with bas-reliefs
and carvings. Nearly 2000 distinctively rendered
apsara carvings adorn the walls throughout the
temple and represent some of the finest examples of
apsara carvings in Angkorian era art. But it is the
exterior walls of the lower level that display the
most extraordinary bas-reliefs, depicting stories
and characters from Hindu mythology and the
historical wars of Suryavarman II. It is in the
viewing of the bas-reliefs that a tour guide can be
very helpful.
The northern reflecting pool in front is the most
popular sunrise location. For sunrise, arrive very
early, well before sunrise begins. The sun will rise
behind Angkor Wat providing a silhouette of Angkor’s
distinctively shaped towers against a colored
sunrise sky. Some of the best colors appear just
before the sun breaks over the horizon.
The visual impact of Angkor Wat, particularly on
one's first visit, is awesome. As you pass through
the outer gate and get your first glimpse, its size
and architecture make it appear two dimensional,
like a giant postcard photo against the sky. After
you cross through the gate and approach the temple
along the walkway it slowly gains depth and
complexity. To maximize this effect you should make
your first visit in optimal lighting conditions,
i.e. after 2:00PM. Do not make your first visit to
Angkor Wat in the morning when the backlighting
obscures the view.
The first level of is the most artistically
interesting. Most visitors begin their exploration
with the bas-reliefs that cover the exterior wall of
the first level, following the bas-reliefs
counterclockwise around the temple. Bas-relief
highlights include the mythological Battle of Kuru
on the west wall; the historical march of the army
of Suryavarman II, builder of Angkor Wat, against
the Cham, followed by scenes from Heaven and Hell on
the south wall; and the classic ‘Churning of the
Ocean Milk’ on the east wall.
The temple interior is not as densely carved as the
first level exterior, but still sports hundreds of
fine carvings of apsaras and scenes from Hindu
mythology. A guide can be quite helpful in
explaining the stories of the various chambers,
statues and architectural forms to be found in the
interior. At the upper-most of your tour of the
temple, the central tower on the third level houses
four Buddha images, each facing a different cardinal
point, highlighting the fact that though Angkor Wat
was constructed as a Hindu temple, it has served as
a Buddhist temple since Buddhism became Cambodia’s
dominant religion in the 14th century. Some say that
it is good luck to pay homage to all four Buddha
images before departing Angkor.
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