Angkor Wat (Siem Reap, Cambodia)

Angkor Wat, 5.5 km north of Siem Reap city, hidden among the forests, bearing the traces of Angkor Civilization, these mystical and mysterious temples take their place on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1992.  Angkor Wat is the best known among more than fifty temples built during the Khmer Kingdom period, which reigned for 630 years.

 According to the legend, Cambodia;  the ruler of the seas is made up of the daughter of the great dragon Naga and the Brahman Indian youth Kaudinya.  While Kaudinya walks with her boat one day, she sees the princess and falls in love.  The father of the princess, Naga, who is the ruler of the seas, gives her daughter a gift of marriage, she draws all the waters of the region under her sovereignty and gives these lands, and thus the Kingdom of Kambuja is established.

 Angkor wat

 Angkor Wat Sunrise

 Angkor Wat was built in the name of the Hindu god Vishnu (Vishnu) by the Khmer kings Suryavarman II (1113-1150), who ruled a magnificent wealth in the twelfth century.  In the thirteenth century, the pressure and attacks from neighboring Thailand increased, and the kingdom, which could not bear any more, moved from its capital, Angkor, to its capital, Phnom Penh, in the fourteenth century.

 These ancient temples, which have been abandoned for four centuries and remain surrounded by the forest, are rediscovered by the French naturalist Henri Mouhot in 1858.  Although the temples are known to the Khmer natives and the westerners who visit this area from time to time, the whole world hears the existence of Angkor with the publication of Mouhot's book.  The scientist who mentions Angkor in his book saying "He cannot die without seeing" dies a year after his discovery.

 

 Angkor Wat, the capital of the powerful Khmer Kingdom and the symbol of its power, spreads over an area of ​​four hundred square kilometers.  Angkor Wat, which is home to more than 1 million people in the twelfth century and is wider than any cathedral in Europe, remains the title of being one of the largest temples in the world.

 It is one of the most striking engineering projects ever realized not only in size, but also in terms of building on water.  Angkor Wat also carries the traces of the chipped stone workmanship and construction art of the Khmer people who have established a large water distribution network with proper urban planning plans.

 Angkor Wat Pictures

 When Angkor Wat was built, it was unlike any of the medieval religious structures in the world.  More than 1 million people lived in the twelfth century and wider than any cathedral in Europe, this striking building was transformed from the Hindu temple to the Buddhist temple in the thirteenth century.

 While Angkor Wat is compared with the compatibility of its design with the Ancient Greek and Roman architecture, it is referred to in the same category as the Pyramids, Machu Picchu and Taj Mahal in architectural and artistic terms.

 Angkor Wat Pictures

 The lands and weeds gathered on the temple, located in the heart of the forests in Cambodia, where the forests did not enter the ax, were cleaned in the twentieth century.

 Although maintenance work stopped during the Red Khmer period between 1970-80, restoration work started again after it entered the UNESCO World Heritage List after 90s.  The German Apsara Conservation Project (GACP) has protected guardian angel statues and wall sculptures.

 Angkor Wat Pictures

 When we say Angkor, we have to think of an area of ​​1000 square kilometers where there are nearly 100 temples, tombs or ancient ruins.

 Angkor actually means a city full of religious works of Khmer Empire and Angkor city in Khmer language, Wat means temple.  When we say Angkor Wat, one should understand one of the most important temples of this old city.

 Angkor Wat Pictures

 While visiting this biggest religious structure of the world, which is now visited by more than 2 million tourists every year, you should forget the historical places you have visited so far.