Preak Vihea temple world heritage

Preak Vihea temple world heritage

Brief Description Situated on the edge of a plateau that dominates the plain of Cambodia, the Temple of Preah Vihear is dedicated to Shiva. The Temple is composed of a series of sanctuaries linked by a system of pavements and staircases over an 800 metre long axis and dates back to the first half of the 11th century AD. Nevertheless, its complex history can be traced to the 9th century, when the hermitage was founded. This site is particularly well preserved, mainly due to its remote location. The site is exceptional for the quality of its architecture, which is adapted to the natural environment and the religious function of the temple, as well as for the exceptional quality of its carved stone ornamentation.
Outstanding Universal ValueThe Temple of Preah Vihear, a unique architectural complex of a series of sanctuaries linked by a system of pavements and staircases on an 800 metre long axis, is an outstanding masterpiece of Khmer architecture, in terms of plan, decoration and relationship to the spectacular landscape environment.
Criterion (i): Preah Vihear is an outstanding masterpiece of Khmer architecture. It is very ‘pure’ both in plan and in the detail of its decoration.
This temple is situated at the Thai border on top of the 625 metres high Preah Vihear mountain in Svay Chhrum village, Kantuot commune, Choam Ksan district, 108 kilometres north of Tbaeng Meanchey, the capital of Preah Vihear province.The temple is 800 metres long and 400 metres wide. The Cambodian side of the mountain is very steep while the Thai side is gently rolling. The sanctuary is perched on the edge of the cliffs with amazing views over the seemingly endless Cambodian jungle to the south. The temple is not yet restored but has some very spectacular carvings and lintels. The orientation of the long stairways leading up to the central sanctuary is north-south and deviates less than 1 degree. There are no halls with doors or windows in the central sanctuary opening towards the east. Only in Gopura II the rising sun is visible.
There are no western views from any floors of the temple because the hill towards west is obscuring the view. Originally the temple was known as Sreysikharesvara ("The power of the mountain"). Construction started in the late 9th century, 100 years before the start of Angkor and was used to worship Shiva Brahmanism. Preah Vihear was the ultimate sacred temple for the Khmers and provided a place for worship and respect for kings and scholars during more than 300 years. Preah Vihear was more than a temple it was a special sanctuary for study and reflection on the close connection between the heavens and the earth as well as the divinity of Shiva.The Cambodian flag now flies proudly over the temple which has been fought for and argued over for a lifetime. In 1962, the International Court ordered that the temple belonged to Cambodia, but in subsequent years ownership has changed hands many times, particularly during the civil war when the Khmer Rouge and the Cambodian army took turns in wrestling control from each other. Today, Cambodia benefits from the many visitors, though by far the vast majority come from Thailand. Visitors do not need a visa to enter Cambodia but receive special permission to cross the border to visit the temple before returning.

The Khmer ruins of the Preah Vihear Temple are located on top of a cliff on the Thai-Cambodian border approximately 220 kilometres to the south-east of Surin. Construction of the temple is believed to have taken place over a 300-year-period beginning in the ninth-century. The temple was dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva and was an important site which served as a place of pilgrimage for Hindus and a retreat for Hindu priests.
Access to the TempleThe central sanctuary of Preah Vihear sits on Cambodian soil, but the most convenient form of access is from the Thai side of the border via a road and the start of a staircase which is located within the Thai national park of Khao Phra Viharn. Because of the terrain, access from the Cambodian side of the border is very difficult and most tourists enter the temple from the Thai side of the border. This means that visitors from the Thai side have to pay a fee to Thai authorities to access the national park and another fee to the Cambodian authorities to access the ruins themselves. Land DisputeThe temple has been at the centre of a land dispute that has been going on since 1904 when the border was drawn up between what was then Siam and French Indochina. The issue has never gone away and has flared up again at numerous points throughout the last one hundred years. In 1962, the International Court of Justice ruled that the temple belongs to Cambodia but the surrounding land remains in dispute. In 1975, the Khmer Rouge took control of the temple and as a consequence land mines were laid in the area. The immediate grounds around the temple have now been de-mined but there are marked sections of land in the vicinity which remain off-limits to visitors. Because of the ongoing dispute between Thailand and Cambodia, the temple has been closed at various stages as tension between the two neighbours has risen. This tension flared again in July 2008 when Preah Vihear Temple was awarded UNESCO World Heritage status and with it the prospect of a significant boost in tourist money to the area. It also re-ignited nationalist sentiment on both sides of the border and has raised the prospect of a military dispute between Cambodia and Thailand.

Bakong Temple

Bakong Temple

Contructed: Late 9th century C.E.
Religion: Hindu
King/Patron: Indravarman I
Style: Preah Ko

Roluos Group: The most impressive member of the Roluos Group, sitting at the center of the first Angkorian capital, Hariharalaya. Bakong stands 15 meters tall and is 650x850m at the outer wall. Constructed by the third Angkorian-era king as his state-temple, Bakong represents the first application of the temple-mountain architectural formula on a grand scale and set the architectural tone for the next 400 years. The temple displays a very early use of stone rather than brick. Though begun by Indravarman I, Bakong received additions and was expanded by later kings. The uppermost section and tower may have been added as late as the 12th century AD. Some of the lintel carvings, particularly on the outer towers, are in very good shape. Picturesque moat and vegetation surround Bakong.

Angkor Wat Temple

Angkor Wat Temple Date of Construction: Early - Mid 12th century C.E.
Religious Affiliation: Hinduism
Patron or King: Suryavarman II
Artistic/Archeo. Style: Angkor Wat
Location: 6 kms north of Siem Reap; nearest major temple to Siem Reap
Location of Entrance: Western causeway
Duration of Visit: 2 hours - half day
Time to Visit: Sunrise; Afternoon for best light on face; Fewer visitors in the morning.
Photography Notes: Sunrise; Afternoon for best light on face
Position: 13d24'44N 103d52'00E

Angkor Wat is visually, architecturally and artistically breathtaking. It is a massive three tiered 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.

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. Other temples of the same style and period include Thommanon, Banteay Samre, Wat Atwea and Beng Mealea, 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 1km 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.

Angkor Thom Temp

Angkor Thom Temple Date of Construction: Late 12th - Early 13th century C.E.
Religious Affiliation: Buddhist
Patron or King: Jayavarman VII
Artistic/Archeo. Style: Bayon
Location: Angkor Thom
Duration of Visit: See individual temple listings
Photography Notes:
Position (Center, Bayon): 13d26'28N 103d51'31E

Angkor Thom (Big Angkor) is a 3km² walled and moated royal city and was the last capital of the Angkorian Empire. After Jayavarman VII recaptured the Angkorian capital from the Cham invaders in 1181, he began a massive building campaign across the empire, constructing Angkor Thom as his new capital city. He began with existing structures such as Baphuon and Phimeanakas and built a grand enclosed city around them, adding the outer wall/moat and some of Angkor’s greatest temples including his state-temple, Bayon, set at the center of the city. There are five entrances (gates) to the city, one of each cardinal point, and the victory gate leading to the Royal Palace area. Each gate is crowned with 4 giant faces. The South Gate is often the first stop on a tour.

Ak Yum Temple

• Ak Yum Temple

  Date of Construction: Late 8th - Early 11th century C.E.
  Religious Affiliation: Hinduism
  Patron or King: ---
  Artistic/Archeo. Style: ---
  Location: AAP - Near the SW corner of the West Baray.
  Duration of Visit: 15-30 minutes
  Time to Visit: Anytime
  Photography Notes:
  Position: 13d26'50N 103d51'38E

  

  The historically important ruins of a small brick and sandstone temple in very poor condition. The earliest elements date from the pre-Angkorian 8^th century. Inscriptions indicate that a temple dedicated to the Hindu ‘god of the depths’ was previously located on the same spot.

  Ak Yum is the earliest known example of the ‘temple-mountain’ architectural design formula, which was to become a primary design formula for many of the Angkorian periods temples including Angkor Wat.