Wonder: City of Temple |
| Location: Angkor Wat at Siem Rea, Cambodia |
The image
of a capacious hidden temple within a lost domain hidden deep in a green shade.
Its name is Angkor Wat and it is a 12th-century Cambodian City temple of
towers, decorations and refinements. The magnificent structures with Buddhist
and Hindu mythology is amazing. The trees growing all over the temples over
time and the power of restoration needs to be appreciated. |
| Angkor Wat temple built for King Surya Varman II |
What most people
don’t know is that Angkor Wat (which literally means “City of Temple”) was
actually the name of the main temple, not the entire complex. It was built in
the time of King Suryavarman II in the 12th century. The complete temple area was known only
as Angkor (which is situated on the plain of present-day Siem Reap province
north of the Great Lake of Tonle Sap) and it served as the seat of the Khmer
Empire until the 15th century.
 |
| Millions of tourist visit Angkor Wat each year |
The "lost city" of
Angkor first attracted the interest of Europeans in the 1800s after Cambodia
was colonized by the French.
 |
| Jungle is taking over at Angkor Wat |
Not only the destruction of the
temples is visible but also how the jungle is taking over the temple complex.
It’s no wonder that Angkor Wat succumbed to the encroaching jungle…
 |
| Looks a bit like out of a science fiction mavie |
 |
| The trees are the real kings of Angkor Wat |
 |
| Art carvings on the wall in Angkor Wat |
Angkor's temple architecture
was heavily influenced by Indian ideas.
From the earliest days of the city,
Angkor had been conceived as a symbolic universe structured according to Hindu
cosmology. The city was accordingly built around a central temple on a hill, which symbolized Mount Meru, the home of the gods.
1. The many waterways, canals and moats of Angkor served a dual purpose: they symbolized the waters of the cosmos and improved water control and rice irrigation.
Visiting a Magical Place:
http://www.amazingangkortour.com/
Information Credit:
1. http://www.cookiesound.com/2012/01/why-angkor-wat-in-cambodia-is-such-a-magical-place-part-1/
>
No comments:
Post a Comment