Temples "Temples in Siem Reap"

In Siem Reap, there are many ancient temples in Angkor. The temples of Angkor, built by the Khmer civilization between 802 and 1220 AD, represent one of humankind's most astonishing and enduring architectural achievements.

From Angkor the Khmer kings ruled over a vast domain that reached from Vietnam to China to the Bay of Bengal. The structures one sees at Angkor today, more than 100 stone temples in all, are the surviving remains of a grand religious, social and administrative metropolis whose other buildings - palaces, public buildings, and houses - were built of wood and are long since decayed and gone.

In Angkor, you can see many great ancient temples such as in Phnom Bakheng, Bakong, Prah Ko, Prei Monli at Roluos, the world famour Angkor Wat, Ta Prohm and many more.

Angkor Wat Angkor Wat is the centerpiece of any visit to the temples of Angkor. It is visually, architecturally and artistically built in a massive three-tiered pyramid of sandstone temples, chapels, causeways, terraces and reservoirs making it the world’s largest temple complex. The temple itself is 1 kilometer-square and is surrounded by a moat and an exterior wall measuring 1300 meters x 1500 meters. Angkor Wat was built by King Suryavarman II at the height of the Khmer Empire in the 12th Century dedicated to the Hindu god, Vishnu. Its walls are covered with thousands of bas-reliefs and carvings depicting the scenes of confrontations between the gods and demons of classical Hindu mythology. Nearly 2000 distinctively carved apsara adorn the walls throughout the temple and represent some of the finest examples of Angkorian era art.

Angkor Thom King Jayavarman VII, considered as the greatest King of the Khmer Empire built the Angkor Thom between the late 12th to early 13th Century after regaining power from the Chams. Angkor Thom (Big Angkor) is a 3-kilometer-square walled and surrounded by moat royal city, was the last capital of the Khmer Empire. The city has 5 monumental gates, one each in the north, west and south walls and 2 in the east wall. In front of each gate are giant statues of 54 gods to the left of the causeway and 54 demons to the right of the causeway, a motif taken from the story of the Churning of the Ocean of Milk as illustrated in the bas-relief at Angkor Wat. In the center of Angkor Thom are the city’s most important monuments, including the Bayon, the Baphuon, the Royal enclosure, Phimeanakas and the Terrace of Elephants.

Bayon Temple Bayon temple is the second must-see temple next to Angkor Wat. The giant four smiling faces of Bayon has become one of the most recognizable symbol of Cambodia connected to classic Khmer art and architecture. is located at the center of Angkor Thom with about 216 faces on 54 standing towers representing the provinces of the Khmer Empire during the ancient times. Who the faces represent is still a mystery up to these modern times.

Baphoun Temple Baphoun temple is a temple-mountain found at the heart of Angkor Thom, said to be constructed by King Udayaditvarman II between1049-1065. Presently, it is undergoing a massive restoration project because of it’s largely ruined condition. It has a 200 m elevated walkway made of sandstone At the entrance are unique animal carvings with the large reclining Buddha on the west side are prominent which must have been added to the temple at a much later period.

Banteay Srey Banteay Srey means the “citadel of the women”. This is a small temple compared to the rest of Angkorian temples, but it has some of the most beautiful and intricate designs and carvings of Khmer art. On top of that, they are carved in unique pink-colored sandstone giving it a fairyland ambience.

Ta Prohm Ta Prohm temple is one of the most popular attractions of Angkor. This temple was one of King Jayavarman VII’s first major temples constructed in honor of his mother. This used to be a sprawling monastic complex which is presently and intentionally left partially unrestored because of massive fig and silk-cotton trees that grow from the towers and corridors adding it to the jungle atmosphere.

Preah Khan This temple was constructed by King Jayavarman VII in honor of his father. Just like Ta Phrom, this is a huge, highly explorable monastic complex which served as a Buddhist monastery and school engaging the services of 1000 monks. At one time, this used to be a residence of the king during the reconstruction of his home in Angkor Thom. Buddha images carvings are prominent in the central corridors. Preah Khan means ‘sacred sword’.

Phnom Bakheng Temple Phnom Bakheng temple is the first major temple to be constructed in the Angkor area. It sits on top of the mountain, Phnom Bakheng (Bakheng Hill) which served as King Yasovarman I’s state-temple and marked the transfer of the capital of the Khmer Empire to this complex from Rolous in the late 9th Century AD. Bakheng’s hilltop location makes it the most popular sunset location in the area offering the view of the Tonle Sap lake and the distant Angkor Wat in the jungle.

Phimeanakas This is the king’s temple or royal temple. The lack of surviving carvings leaves this temple artistically uninteresting. However, it is the tallest temple in Angkor Thom, providing a beautiful panoramic view from the top. The back staircase is the most easily ascended. Legend has it that the golden tower crowned the temple and was inhabited by a serpent, which could transform into a woman. The kings of Angkor were required to make love with the serpent every night , lest disaster will befall him or the kingdom.

Ta Som This is a small but classic Jayavarman VII’s temple similar to Ta Prohm. which incidentally has a huge tree that grows from the top of the east gopura. It is destroying the gate but it is a photo-classic. The temple has execution of the apsara carvings showing an uncommon individuality in the faces and bodies.

Terrace of the Elephants This is an impressive two-and-one-half meter tall wall spanning the heart of Angkor Thom. It has carved elephants and giant garudas that adorn the wall. The wall faces east so that the best lighting for photography occurs before noon.

Phnom Kulen This is where the 500-year long Age of Angkor began. Phnom Kulen is the mountain on which Jayavarman II initiated a god-king or divine-kingship linga cult in 802 AD declaring a unified and independent cambodia under a single ruler. Soon after, he moved his capital from kulen to Rolous where it was to remain a century before moving to the Angkor area. Several sites including hundreds of linga stands in the Siem Reap River, waterfalls and pagodas. It is about 50 km from Siem Reap.

Rolous Group The Rolous group is a collection of monuments representing the reaminsof hariharalaya, the first major capital of the Khmer empire. It has become the Rolous Group due to its proximity to the modern town of RolousThe ancient capital was named for HARI-HARA, a synthesis of the Hindu gods Shiva and Vishnu. Though there was an existing settlement in the area before the rise of of Angkor, this Rolous grou p was established as a capital city under Jayavarman II and served as its center for over 70 years. This is located about 15 km from Siem reap.