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where are you :: home > pictures > asia-pacific > 2004 > angkor thom
HISTORY: [late 1100s to early 1200s] Angkor Thom is in fact a 3-sq-km walled and moated royal city and was the last capital of the Angkorian empire. The enclosure is a large square area, 3km-long on each side (12km of walls) and a 100m-wide moat surrounds the city. After Jayavarman VII recaptured the badly damaged 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 other wall/moat and some of Angkor's greatest temples including his sate-temple, Bayon, set at the center of the city. There are five entrances (gates) to the city, one for each cardinal point, and the victory gate leading to the Royal Palace area. Each gate, as well as many of Jayavarman VII's monuments, is crowned with 4 giant faces. Bayon itself has 37 standing towers, most but not all sporting four carved faces oriented toward the cardinal points.
ADVICE: You must visit Angkor Thom/Bayon first thing in the morning (after 8) when the smiling faces of Bayon are at its best. Also, spend lots of time admiring the intricately carved Apsaras and bas-reliefs on the outer walls. This will give you a much better appreciation for Angkor Wat when you see it later in the day. If you only visit two temples in Siem Reap, make it Angkor Wat and Bayon. The giant stone faces of Bayon have become one of the most instantly recognizable images of classic Khmer art and architecture. Find an unblemished face with a great smile. Make sure the headdress is intricately carved and the eyes are well-defined. The first one you find that grips you, grab your camera and frame your picture from ear-to-ear and headdress-to-chin. You will never forget the smiling face of Jayavarman VII.
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