No other man-made structure has made me feel so small.
As soon as I stepped on the temple grounds, I felt weirdly belittled but not in a bad way. Angkor Wat is immense, and I’m not talking about just its size. From the intricacy of the bas reliefs in its galleries to its role in the history and culture of Cambodia, everything about this colossal structure must have required tremendous amount of time, resources, effort, and patience. and standing in the middle of the site, I could not help feeling insignificant compared to the surrounding grandeur made of sandstone.
The Angkor Wat
Angkor Wat literally means “temple city,” and judging by the sheer size of the site, no other name fits better. It is constructed with five to ten million sandstone blocks over 500 acres (208 hectares) of forest. built in the 12th century under King Suryavarman II of the mighty Khmer Empire, the temple complex was originally used to honor Vishnu, a Hindu god believed to be responsible for the sustenance and preservation of the universe. In the 14th century, however, the site was converted for Buddhism.
The largest religious monument in the world, Angkor Wat is a testament to the glory and power of the Khmer Empire, which at one point covered modern day Cambodia and most parts of Thailand, Laos, and Vietnam.
Today Angkor Wat is not only the most popular tourist attraction in Cambodia but also the most important symbol of the country that it appears on the national flag and every possible merchandise in its major cities.
Outside the galleries of Angkor Wat
Exploring Angkor Wat: layout and Architecture
Truth be told, yes, I was expecting a gigantic temple. What greeted me, however, was a gigantic temple complex. The plan of the site looked simple at first glance but its elaborateness combined with its vastness not only amazes but also disorients tourists, who will often find themselves picking up their jaws on the floor. The complex consists of the central tower, surrounded by three rectangular galleries, surrounded by an outer wall, surrounded by a moat. Confusing, eh?
Angkor Wat Layout
A closer look at the layout of the central Sanctuary and the outer Galleries
From the main entrance, a sandstone causeway extends over the moat, piercing through the outer wall, across courtyards, right to the center of the site. The courtyards are also peppered with several much smaller buildings (libraries). Ponds (basins) also cover some parts of the area.
Buddhist monks on the causeway to the temple
Stone lions guarding Angkor Wat!
Stone lions flanking the mouth of the causeway were first to welcome me at the site. Tourists were already flooding the entrance so I decided to stay outside for a moment and watch the water that fronted the temple complex. While most medieval castles had moats as defense from enemy attacks, that of Angkor Wat’s must have served a different purpose. Some say it was just part of a more expansive system of canals that could have been used to regulate irrigation. The water here was so still during my visit that they mirrored the walls and the trees almost perfectly. The only disturbance was the lotus plants that thrived in its waters.
The walkway ends at the entry gate, part of the bordering outer buildings, topped with three towers. Their upper portions had already collapsed. From the outside, these front towers block the view of the central quincunx of towers. once I made it past the gate, I walked on the causeway that stretched from the gate, cutting through a spacious courtyard that was carpeted by grass. To the left was a series of stores selling souvenirs, postcards, and drinks. The entrance to the galleries was fronted by a cross-shaped area known as the Terrace of Honor.
The galleries are divided into three layers (or levels) that are arranged to form rectangular borders. The levels rise considerably from the ground as you go inward and, of course, the upper levels are smaller. The lowest levels are roofed and colonnaded galleries featuring magnificent, intricate bas reliefs that depict scenes from religious, historical, and literary texts. These scenes are the following:
North: battle of Gods and Demons, victory of Krishna
East: victory of Vishnu, Churning of the ocean of Milk
South: heaven and Hell, The Grand Army
West: battle of Kurukshetra, battle of Lanka
The bas reliefs caught me off-guard. I did not know about this part of the temple and I was mercilessly blown away by the tortuous carvings that crept on the walls. Of all the nooks and spots of the site, it was probably here at the outer galleries that I stayed the longest. I just couldn’t believe how they were able to etch such intricate yet delicate images and patterns on the solid wall on such a massive scale. I stood there with my mouth open, in utter awe the whole time.
Bas reliefs at the West Gallery
Some carvings of devatas around the site
Middle galleries
One of tİkinci seviyede kütüphaneler
En üst düzey, merkezi tapınağın bulunduğu yerdir. Merkezdeki en uzun olan, Paris’teki Notre Dame Katedrali kadar uzun olduğu söylenen bir kuincunx kulelerle taçlandırılmıştır. Bu çok katmanlı kuleler, göksel pinekonlar gibi üste konik olan taş lotus çiçekleri biçimini alır. Tüm bu kuleler, en bitkin turistlerin dinlenmeyi seçtiği üst seviyedeki beton bir avlunun ortasında aynı üssü paylaşır. Konukların iyi fiziksel durumda olmaları koşuluyla en uzun kuleye tırmanmalarına izin verilir. Ziyaretçilerin zirveye ulaşmak için kullanabileceği yeni inşa edilmiş bir merdiven var. Dikkatli bir söz – uçuş çok dik, küçük adımlar ve yükseklik göz korkutucu. Üstte, iki şey bulacaksınız: tapınaktaki en kutsal görüntü ve Angkor’un muhteşem bir görünümü!
Merkezi Kutsal Alan. Küçük insanların yapıya ne kadar karşılaştırıldığını görüyor musunuz?
Angkor Wat’ın en yüksek kulesi
Kulelerden birinden görüntüle
Tapınağın en yüksek erişilebilir kısmında bir turist ve rehberi
Angkor Wat kesinlikle beklediğimden yüz kat daha büyük. Zaman kısıtlamaları nedeniyle kütüphaneleri ve diğer galerileri kontrol etmeye karar verdiğimi düşündüğümde, hala tamamen boşaldım. Sadece sitenin etrafında dolaşmak oldukça dayanıklılık ve akıl sağlığı testi olabilir. Baskınlık, ihtişam, önemi ve sitenin büyüklüğü benimkini ezdikçe aklınızı kesinlikle uçuracaktır. Gerçekten de, başka hiçbir insan yapımı yapı beni çok küçük hissettirmemişti.
Angkor Wat’a nasıl gidilir: Siem Reap’ın şehir merkezinden, sadece 12 USD için bir Angkor turu için bir tuktuk kiralayın. Bu sizi Angkor Wat dahil olmak üzere Angkor Arkeoloji Parkı’ndaki üç farklı tapınağa götürecektir. Ayrıca USD1 için bir bisiklet kiralayabilir, ardından Angkor Wat’a giden ana yol olan Vithei Charles de Gaulle’a vurabilirsiniz. Sağınızda bilet ofisini göreceksiniz. Bilet aldıktan sonra aynı yolu almaya devam edin. Hendek ulaştığınızda sola dönün, sonra sağa dönün. Angkor Wat’ı hemen sağınızda göreceksiniz.
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