Angkor: The Lecture

I promised an Angkor lecture but find it difficult to follow through. In the drafts thus far, I either bore you with too many details or bore you with too many details. Here is a not so brief outline. If you have any specific questions (Dad), I will be happy to reply over email.

The Khmer empire was founded by Jayavarman II in 802 AD when he declared himself “world emperor” in his capital, about 30km from Angkor. Earlier Cambodian kings had built stone temples, Jayavarman II and his successors continued this trend, building some of the most magnificent temples seen in Asia. The Khmer Empire lasted until the fourteenth century, occupying Angkor and the surrounding area for over five hundred years except for a brief period when it was overran by the Thais. After the fall of the Khmer empire, the temples were not entirely forgotten. Some, like Angkor Wat, remained a place of worship for the local population through the centuries. Others were reclaimed by the jungle but were not entirely lost.

We visited only a portion of the Angkor temples but were able to see examples of the various types of architecture and building techniques that developed over the years. The early kings, Jayavarman II, Yasovarman I, Harshavarman, built simpler brick structures and the temple “mountains” that inspired later builders. We watched the sunset from Yasorvarman I’s Bakheng, which has a stunning view of Angkor Wat and the surrounding area.

Suryavarman II, 1113-1150, built the iconic Angkor Wat as his capital and State Temple. According to Freeman and Jacques, Angkor Wat typifies “the high classical style of Khmer architecture.” The central shrine, topped by a conical tower representing Mount Meru, is surrounded by four additional towers, representing mountain ranges. At the outermost edge, the moat represents the ocean at the end of the world. The three interior levels are enclosed by hallways and heavily ornamented. The bas reliefs are simply incredible.

Jayavarman VII, 1181-1220, was responsible for many of our favorite spots: Bayon, with its incredible face temples; Ta Prohm, the jungle temple; Neak Pean, the well-designed ponds. He was a Buddhist, in contrast to the earlier kings who were predominantly Hindu, and was responsible for much of the Buddhist iconography found in Angkor. His buildings, often a jumble of features, were the last high period of Angkor architecture. Later kings continued to build but without the innovation and expertise shown in earlier construction.

Throughout my studies of Sanskrit and Buddhism, I learned pieces about Hinduism. It was incredible to use those tidbits of knowledge to better understand the temple iconography. Finding a monkey from the Ramayana or a scene from the Mahabharata on a wall or lintel felt like discovering something for the first time. As I said, incredible. Three days were not enough.