Angkor

Angkor, as well as being the bang-average national beer of Cambodia, was the capital city of the Khmer empire from the 9^th to the 15^th century. Today, it stands as an enormous complex of over 1000 temples which range from completely ruined to partially preserved and painstakingly restored. The expansive individual temple complexes were carved out of stone and many of the stones themselves contain carvings of people or text. The city was built with these imposing edifices at its core but the city’s other buildings were made from perishable materials because only the gods had the right to residences made of stone. From research conducted in 2007, it is believed that Angkor was the largest preindustrial city in the world with an urban sprawl of over 1000km² and a population possibly up to one million. This wonder of the ancient world was facilitated by a vast network of infrastructure such as elaborate water management systems which dispersed and stored water to account for the changeable seasons in Cambodia. 

We knew that we had to see Angkor Wat, not only the largest temple complex in Angkor but the largest religious monument in the world, but we also planned on seeing as many other temples as we could on our one day pass. So, we got a rickshaw for the day and sped off. In the coming photos, hopefully you can garner some understanding of the variety and intricacies of the complexes we explored. 

Final thoughts

While it is one of the most popular tourist sites in the world, within the majority of the larger Angkor complex, you don’t feel it’s notoriety. Instead of my usual human-avoiding preoccupation, my attention was fully engaged by the partially derelict temples. These edifices of such solidity and intricacy were enthralling in their sprawling scale and unrestored authenticity. The centuries of slow degradation by the unceasing march of nature had both strangled and saved Angkor. The burly roots of the trees seem to hold together many of the walls, binding the ancient building to the Earth but they also elevated Angkor to something more. The once impenetrable stone corridors, that have wallowed in solemn acceptance of their centuries of twilight, are now sporadically flooded with shafts of dusty sunlight. Nature’s persistence may have broken down man-made forms but now it repaid us by highlighting details that had been lost in the gloom for generations. It was in these rubble strewn recesses, where we could immerse every sense in the character of the temple, where we felt most in awe. However, Angkor Wat and Bayon temple were another story. Absolutely packed with people, the buildings were undoubtedly more grand and imposing, but the sense of adventure that the others instilled in us was gone, we were walking in a museum rather than in history.

Walking around the temples of Angkor is without a doubt one of the most incredible experiences of my life. The immersive, unrestricted and unpolished beauty of site really emphasised its fascinating history and its continuing religious significance to me. In fact, I wish more countries of the world kept their ancient sites like this. With a basis of some key information, trust us to feel what we are supposed to feel. Connect with the history of the place on a personal level. Touch, smell, sight, sounds and (maybe not) taste should not be shirked, they should not be overtaken by flashy gimmicks. Leave me with a ruin over a reconstruction any day.