Bakong ( consecrated in 881), in the Southeast of the Angkor region, was the first big state temple. The temple complex, centred by a pyramid, and adjusted to the cardinal directions, was a microcosm. The king created a new world in geometrical order and harmony. Shiva should be enticed to take his abode in the central tower of the new state temple and thus make Angkor the centre of the world. The Bakong defines the pattern of the Khmer pyramid temple. Later temples will maintain these principles. Preah Ko
( 879), and Lolei (893) are dedicated to the memory of the kings' ancestors. Both temples are famous for their outstanding reliefs in stucco and sandstone.

Phnom Bakheng . At the end of the 9th century, King Yasovarman I moved the capital to central Angkor and built a pyramid temple on top of a phnom, a steep hill , incorporating the whole phnom into the temple complex. Marking the centre of the new capital Yasodharapura (now called Angkor) for four centuries, this ruin is now mostly visited at sundown. Other monuments of the Bakheng era: East Baray , Phnom Bok , and Phnom Krom .

From 928 to 941 AD, the capital was in Koh Ke r , some 85 km northeast of Angkor. There was a tall and steep pyramid constructed and many other temples.

Then the capital moved to Angkor again. Baksei Chamkrong (947), located close to Phnom Bakheng, is a small and elegant pyramid, built of laterite. Baksei Chamkrong became a model for the steep pyramid as it is built in Angkor from then on.

East Mebon (952), and Pre Rup (961) are pyramid temples made of laterite and brick. For the first time we can see five towers arranged in a quincunx (like the five points on a dice).

Prasat Kravan (921) and Banteay Srei ( 967) are private temples, built by high ranking dignitaries. Both temples show remarkable reliefs. Other private temples of the 10th century: Bat Chum (950, Buddhist) and Prasat Enkosei (in northern Siem Reap).

Ta Keo (1007) is a precursor of Angkor Wat: a huge steep sandstone pyramid, topped by five sandstone towers. Each tower is open in all directions. Doors are preceded by porches, that makes the ground plan of the tower cruciform. For the first time there is a gallery, here they are vaulted with brick. The construction of Ta Keo seems to have been stopped. There are almost no reliefs. The overall picture is that of a cubist sculpture.

Phimeanakas is a small pyramid in the compound of the Royal Palace. It shows the first perfect gallery. The tower, now destroyed, sheltered the royal chapel.

Baphuon (1060), just south of the Royal Palace, consists of a huge pyramid, topped by " the tower of bronze, even higher than the golden tower [of the Bayon]", as a Chinese chronicler remarked. Perfect galleries frame the tiers of the pyramid. The entrance of the temple is marked by a large pavilion with three doors. From here a long causeway, raised on four rows of round pillars, runs to the pyramid. It is interrupted by a cruciform pavilion. There are remarkable reliefs in a primitive style. Some of them tell myths in consecutive scenes, each one is in a rectangular frame. The pyramid has since collapsed and is being reconstructed.

Other monuments of the Baphuon era: West Baray, West Mebon, Kbal Spean, Chau Srei Vibol, and, more remote, Phnom Chisor , in the South, and Preah Vihear in the North.

Angkor Wat period

Angkor Wat was dedicated to the Hindu god Vishnu, the preserver of the world. Constructed in the first half of the 12th century, Angkor Wat is the climax of Khmer architecture: a gigantic three-step pyramid is adorned by nine slender towers of enormous height. The steps of the pyramid are capped by galleries. Framed by an enclosure wall and a majestic moat, the temple covers 2.5 square kilometres.

The access from the West is structured by

An outer causeway, crossing the moat.
an entrance gate with three towers and five doors. The gate is larger than the west face of the pyramid.
an inner causeway, flanked by two big pavilions an two square ponds.
A raised terrace.

The lower and the second tier of the pyramid are linked by a wide cruciform gallery. Angkor Wat has an enormous area of beautifully elaborated reliefs. Bas-reliefs cover the walls of the lower gallery, more than 500 m in length. And there are more bas-reliefs in the south-west and north-west corner pavilions.

Devata
In the beauty of eternal youth, more than two thousand Devata (goddesses) are guarding and embellishing Angkor Wat. Their outfit is stunning: there are thirty-six varieties of hairdressing, heavy jewellery, effectively designed and draped sarongs. According to the customs of the period they are bare breasted. Their charm is an obvious representation of the divine. They help to transform the building into a sanctified area. Don't miss the devata reliefs at the east face of the main entrance!
By a common mistake they are called apsara (nymphs) that's what they are not! (you can find Real apsara at the bas-relief depicting the churning of the sea, where they soar up to the sky.

During the 12th century a series of Buddhist temples were constructed. There is no pyramid; Buddhist temples are flat. The Buddha is on the same level as the community of his followers. Thommanon (consecrated 1150), Chau Say Tevoda , and Banteay Samré were built in Angkor, and Beng Mealea is located some 40 km east.

Bayon period

He also built Angkor Thom ; the royal city inside of the extensive metropolis that is framed by a moat and a wall with five gates. In the centre of the city he built the Bayon as his state temple. In a confused construction numerous face towers grow up like trees in a natural forest. These towers show the smiling Buddhist god of universal compassion spreading divine blessings all over the world. The Bayon is framed by two galleries; they mostly depict daily life and war; the inner gallery, in addition, shows mythological scenes.

The Terrace of the Elephants hides the east face of the Royal Palace. The Terrace of the Leper King is located in the North of it.

Other temples in Bayon style:
Banteay Kdei, Ta Som, and Ta Nei. Prasat Prei and Banteay Thom are located northwest of Angkor Thom. In Banteay Chhmar , located in the North-West of Cambodia, are the ruins of a huge temple city.

A brief guide to Angkor

Meet the temples!

Early period

Angkor Wat period

Bayon period

Early period Bakong ( consecrated in 881), in the Southeast of the Angkor region, was the first big state temple. The temple complex, centred by a pyramid, and adjusted to the cardinal directions, was a microcosm. The king created a new world in geometrical order and harmony. Shiva should be enticed to take his abode in the central tower of the new state temple and thus make Angkor the centre of the world. The Bakong defines the pattern of the Khmer pyramid temple. Later temples will maintain these principles. Preah Ko ( 879), and Lolei (893) are dedicated to the memory of the kings' ancestors. Both temples are famous for their outstanding reliefs in stucco and sandstone. Phnom Bakheng . At the end of the 9th century, King Yasovarman I moved the capital to central Angkor and built a pyramid temple on top of a phnom, a steep hill , incorporating the whole phnom into the temple complex. Marking the centre of the new capital Yasodharapura (now called Angkor) for four centuries, this ruin is now mostly visited at sundown. Other monuments of the Bakheng era: East Baray , Phnom Bok , and Phnom Krom . From 928 to 941 AD, the capital was in Koh Ke r , some 85 km northeast of Angkor. There was a tall and steep pyramid constructed and many other temples. Then the capital moved to Angkor again. Baksei Chamkrong (947), located close to Phnom Bakheng, is a small and elegant pyramid, built of laterite. Baksei Chamkrong became a model for the steep pyramid as it is built in Angkor from then on. East Mebon (952), and Pre Rup (961) are pyramid temples made of laterite and brick. For the first time we can see five towers arranged in a quincunx (like the five points on a dice). Prasat Kravan (921) and Banteay Srei ( 967) are private temples, built by high ranking dignitaries. Both temples show remarkable reliefs. Other private temples of the 10th century: Bat Chum (950, Buddhist) and Prasat Enkosei (in northern Siem Reap). Ta Keo (1007) is a precursor of Angkor Wat: a huge steep sandstone pyramid, topped by five sandstone towers. Each tower is open in all directions. Doors are preceded by porches, that makes the ground plan of the tower cruciform. For the first time there is a gallery, here they are vaulted with brick. The construction of Ta Keo seems to have been stopped. There are almost no reliefs. The overall picture is that of a cubist sculpture. Phimeanakas is a small pyramid in the compound of the Royal Palace. It shows the first perfect gallery. The tower, now destroyed, sheltered the royal chapel. Baphuon (1060), just south of the Royal Palace, consists of a huge pyramid, topped by " the tower of bronze, even higher than the golden tower [of the Bayon]", as a Chinese chronicler remarked. Perfect galleries frame the tiers of the pyramid. The entrance of the temple is marked by a large pavilion with three doors. From here a long causeway, raised on four rows of round pillars, runs to the pyramid. It is interrupted by a cruciform pavilion. There are remarkable reliefs in a primitive style. Some of them tell myths in consecutive scenes, each one is in a rectangular frame. The pyramid has since collapsed and is being reconstructed. Other monuments of the Baphuon era: West Baray, West Mebon, Kbal Spean, Chau Srei Vibol, and, more remote, Phnom Chisor , in the South, and Preah Vihear in the North. Angkor Wat period Angkor Wat was dedicated to the Hindu god Vishnu, the preserver of the world. Constructed in the first half of the 12th century, Angkor Wat is the climax of Khmer architecture: a gigantic three-step pyramid is adorned by nine slender towers of enormous height. The steps of the pyramid are capped by galleries. Framed by an enclosure wall and a majestic moat, the temple covers 2.5 square kilometres. The access from the West is structured by An outer causeway, crossing the moat. an entrance gate with three towers and five doors. The gate is larger than the west face of the pyramid. an inner causeway, flanked by two big pavilions an two square ponds. A raised terrace. The lower and the second tier of the pyramid are linked by a wide cruciform gallery. Angkor Wat has an enormous area of beautifully elaborated reliefs. Bas-reliefs cover the walls of the lower gallery, more than 500 m in length. And there are more bas-reliefs in the south-west and north-west corner pavilions. Devata In the beauty of eternal youth, more than two thousand Devata (goddesses) are guarding and embellishing Angkor Wat. Their outfit is stunning: there are thirty-six varieties of hairdressing, heavy jewellery, effectively designed and draped sarongs. According to the customs of the period they are bare breasted. Their charm is an obvious representation of the divine. They help to transform the building into a sanctified area. Don't miss the devata reliefs at the east face of the main entrance! By a common mistake they are called apsara (nymphs) that's what they are not! (you can find Real apsara at the bas-relief depicting the churning of the sea, where they soar up to the sky. During the 12th century a series of Buddhist temples were constructed. There is no pyramid; Buddhist temples are flat. The Buddha is on the same level as the community of his followers. Thommanon (consecrated 1150), Chau Say Tevoda , and Banteay Samré were built in Angkor, and Beng Mealea is located some 40 km east. Bayon period Towards 1200 AD, King Jayavarman VII made Mahayana Buddhism the state religion. He started an enormous number of constructions, in Angkor, and all over the kingdom: Buddhist temples, roads, bridges, hospitals, and the gates of Angkor Thom. He built two ancestor temples, Ta Prohm (1186), famous for the roots, and Preah Khan (1191). The two of them were monastic cities, framed by outer walls. The complex ground plan of Preah Khan (Yellow) The central tower is framed by a double gallery. To the East is the Hall of Dancers, a cruciform gallery. (Green) At the axes to the North, West, and South are secondary temples . Later on more shrines were asymmetrically perched into the courtyards. North of the Hall of Dancers is a two-storey building , it is the stone copy of a rice granary. Neak Pean is a contemporary water sanctuary. He also built Angkor Thom ; the royal city inside of the extensive metropolis that is framed by a moat and a wall with five gates. In the centre of the city he built the Bayon as his state temple. In a confused construction numerous face towers grow up like trees in a natural forest. These towers show the smiling Buddhist god of universal compassion spreading divine blessings all over the world. The Bayon is framed by two galleries; they mostly depict daily life and war; the inner gallery, in addition, shows mythological scenes. The Terrace of the Elephants hides the east face of the Royal Palace. The Terrace of the Leper King is located in the North of it. Other temples in Bayon style: Banteay Kdei, Ta Som, and Ta Nei. Prasat Prei and Banteay Thom are located northwest of Angkor Thom. In Banteay Chhmar , located in the North-West of Cambodia, are the ruins of a huge temple city. References EVANS, Damian, Pixels, Ponds and People: Urban Form at Angkor from Radar Imaging , dissertation (B.A), Department of Archaelogy, University of Sidney 2002. GLAIZE, Maurice, Les monuments du groupe d'Angkor, Saigon 1944, Paris 2001. POTTIER, Christophe, Siedlungsmuster und Wassermanagement, in: Angkor Göttliches Erbe Kambodschas, catalogue oft he Angkor exhibition in Germany and Switzerland, 2007, p. 83-90. ROVEDA, Vittorio, Images of the Gods, Khmer mythology in Cambodia, Thailand and Laos, Bangkok 2005 Photo Pre Rup, c.o. Dave Taylor, HeliStar Cambodia. top	Bakong	Preah Ko
	Lolei	Phnom Bakheng
	Koh Ker	Baksei Chamkrong
	East Mebon	Pre Rup c.o. HeliStar Cambodia
	Prasat Kravan	Banteay Srei
	Ta Keo	Phimeanakas
	Baphuon	Angkor Wat plan
	Angkor Wat, aerial view from west	Devata
	Banteay Samre	Beng Mealea
	Ta Prohm	Neak Pean
	Preah Khan	Preah Khan plan
	Angkor Thom, South Gate	Bayon
	Faces	Relief at the outer gallery
	Terrace of the Elephants	Terrace of the Leper King