Angkor

Angkor, also known as Yasodharapura, was the capital city of the Khmer Empire in what is now Cambodia. It flourished from the 9th to the 15th centuries and was filled with many religious temples, libraries, moats, and other important buildings. One of the most famous sites is Angkor Wat, a beautiful temple complex that attracts many visitors today.

The name Angkor comes from a Khmer word meaning "kingdom," which itself comes from a word in Sanskrit. The city began in the year 802 when a Khmer king declared himself a great ruler. Over time, Angkor grew into a very large and important place.

Today, the ruins of Angkor lie near forests and farmland close to the modern city of Siem Reap. There are over one thousand temples in the area, making it one of the most important examples of Khmer architecture. In 1992, Angkor was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site to help protect it for the future.

Recent studies using satellite images have shown that Angkor was once the largest pre-industrial city in the world, covering an area of at least 1,000 square kilometres. It had a very clever water system to manage the unpredictable rainy seasons and support its large population.

Archaeological overview

The Angkor site changed from the Late Bronze Age to the Early Iron Age around 420 BC. Scientists figured this out by studying shells found with ancient graves. These shells show that people lived in Angkor from the 14th century BC and maybe even earlier. They traded goods with places along the coast in Southeast Asia. The oldest Iron Age items found there include iron and bronze spearheads, tools like knives and hoes, and bracelets.

The buildings at Angkor were mostly built for people who followed Hinduism and Buddhism. Some of the stone came from a quarry near Kulen Mountain, found using a special mapping tool. Other buildings were made of wood and tiles, and many used grey and brown sandstone that could be split into pieces for different building stages.

The biggest temple, Angkor Wat, was built between 1113 and 1150 by King Suryavarman II. After winning a battle, Suryavarman started building Angkor Wat as his personal temple. With walls almost half a mile long on each side, Angkor Wat shows Hindu ideas of the universe. The central towers stand for Mount Meru, home of the gods, the outer walls stand for the mountains around the world, and the moat stands for the oceans.

Angkor had roads and canals that helped people move around and trade. These roads and canals formed a grid around the buildings. They were important for daily life and farming, even though it was hard to build big water systems for so many people. The roads were made from layers of dirt and soil, and they got better over time. Archaeologists used LiDAR, a special mapping tool, to find hidden structures in the dense forests around Angkor. This helped them learn more about how the city was laid out and how people lived there long ago.

Historical overview

Seat of the Khmer Empire

Angkor was the capital of the Khmer Empire, which lasted from about the 9th to the 15th centuries. The city began around 800 AD when King Jayavarman II declared Cambodia's independence from Java. He built several important cities and temples, including Hariharalaya. Later kings, like Yasovarman, built new cities and large water reservoirs called barays.

Between 900 and 1200 AD, the Khmer Empire created amazing buildings known as Angkor. These buildings spread over a large area, with many temples and structures. At its height, Angkor was one of the largest cities in history, bigger than modern Paris.

Jayavarman VII

After a difficult time, King Jayavarman VII took over in 1181 AD. He built new walls around the city and created important temples like Angkor Thom and the Bayon. He also changed the main religion from Hinduism to Buddhism, which led to many temples being changed to show Buddhist images.

Zhou Daguan

In 1296 AD, a Chinese visitor named Zhou Daguan wrote about life in Angkor. His book, called "The Customs of Cambodia," describes many parts of daily life, including religion, food, and how people lived. His writings, along with pictures and stones with writing on them, help us understand what life was like in Angkor.

End of the Angkorian period

The Angkorian period ended around 1431 AD. Some think it was because of wars with the Ayutthaya Kingdom, changes in religion, or natural problems like droughts and floods. After this time, most of Angkor was left empty, except for Angkor Wat, which stayed a important place for people.

Restoration, preservation, and threats

People began to care for Angkor again in the 1600s. French experts helped clean up and fix the buildings. Today, many people visit Angkor, but this can hurt the old structures. Efforts are being made to protect the site and manage the number of visitors to keep it safe for the future.

Religious history

Angkor was not just a place for religious buildings; it was a large city that met the needs of the Khmer people. Most of the buildings that remain today are religious, because other buildings like the king’s home were made from wood and other materials that did not last.

Many religions were important in Angkor. These included mixing local beliefs with Shaivism, a special respect for the king as a god, Hinduism, and Buddhism.

Before Angkor, the people of Cambodia practiced a mix of Hinduism, Buddhism, and local ancestor worship. The god Shiva was very important during this time.

When the Angkor period began around 800 AD, the king Jayavarman II chose Shiva as a central figure. Temples were built to look like Mount Meru, the home of Hindu gods. A special stone shape called a lingam was used to represent Shiva in these temples.

Later, some kings, like Suryavarman II, began to focus more on Vishnu. But even then, the king was still seen as a god.

In the late 12th century, King Jayavarman VII chose Mahayana Buddhism. He built the Bayon temple to show this.

Eventually, Theravada Buddhism became the main religion in Angkor during the 13th century and stayed important for many years.

Archaeological sites

The area of Angkor has many important old places, including:

• Angkor Thom
• Angkor Wat
• Baksei Chamkrong
• Banteay Kdei
• Banteay Samré
• Banteay Srei
• Baphuon
• the Bayon
• Chau Say Tevoda
• East Baray
• East Mebon
• Kbal Spean
• the Khleangs
• Krol Ko
• Lolei
• Neak Pean
• Phimeanakas
• Phnom Bakheng
• Phnom Krom
• Prasat Ak Yum
• Prasat Kravan
• Preah Khan
• Preah Ko
• Preah Palilay
• Preah Pithu
• Pre Rup
• Spean Thma
• Srah Srang
• Ta Nei
• Ta Prohm
• Ta Som
• Ta Keo
• Terrace of the Elephants
• Terrace of the Leper King
• Thommanon
• West Baray
• West Mebon
• Another city at Mahendraparvata was found in 2013.

Notable people

Angkor was an important place led by great kings. One of these kings was Jayavarman VII, who ruled the Khmer Empire. Another important king was Yasovarman I.

Terms and phrases

• Angkor (អង្គរ ângkôr) is a Khmer word meaning "city". It comes from an older word nôkôr (នគរ), which itself comes from a Sanskrit word.
• Banteay (បន្ទាយ bântéay) is a Khmer word meaning "citadel" or "fortress", used for walled temples.
• Baray (បារាយណ៍ baréayn) means "open space" or "wide plain" in Khmer, but in architecture it refers to a large artificial lake.
• Esvara or Isvara (ईश्वर्)(ឥស្វរៈ ĕsvâreă/ឦស្សរៈ eisvâreă) is a Sanskrit word meaning "god".
• Gopura (गोपुर) is a Sanskrit word meaning "entrance pavilion" or "gateway".
• Jaya (ជយ chôy/ជ័យ choăy) is a prefix from Sanskrit meaning "victory".
• Phnom (ភ្នំ phnum) is a Khmer word meaning "mountain".
• Prasat (ប្រាសាទ prasat) is a Khmer word from Sanskrit meaning "monument" or "palace", often used for ancient temples.
• Preah (ព្រះ preăh) is a Khmer word meaning "God", "King", or something sacred. It can also be a prefix meaning "holy".
• Srei (ស្រី srei) is a Khmer word meaning either "woman" or "beauty", depending on its use.
• Ta (តា ta) is a Khmer word meaning "grandfather" or "ancestor" (as in Ta Prohm, meaning "Ancestor Brahma").
• Thom (ធំ thum) is a Khmer word meaning "large" (as in Angkor Thom, meaning "large city").
• Varman (វរ្ម័ន vôrmoăn) is a suffix from Sanskrit meaning "shield" or "protector" (as in Suryavarman, meaning "protected by Surya, the sun-god").
• Wat (វត្ត vôtt) is a Khmer word from Pali meaning "temple" (as in Angkor Wat, meaning "temple city").

Main article: Banteay

Main articles: Neak ta, Pali language