Angkor Wat, Siem Reap is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Siem Reap. It is architecturally, visually and artistically spectacular. The Angkor Wat in Siem Reap is a massive three-tiered pyramid crowned by five lotus-like towers. These towers rise 65 meters from the ground level. The Angkor Wat is the centerpiece of any visit to the temples of Angkor.
At the apex of Khmer political and military dominance in the region, Suryavarman II built the Angkor Wat in the form of a massive 'temple-mountain'. This temple was dedicated to the Hindu god, Vishnu. It served as his state temple, though the temple’s unusual westward orientation has led some to suggest that it was constructed as Suryavarman II’s funerary temple. Some of the temples built in the same fashion and period include Thommanon, Banteay Samre, Wat Atwea and Beng Melea, which may have served as a prototype to Angkor Wat.
The Angkor Wat is surrounded by a moat and an exterior wall measuring 1300 meters x 1500 meters. The temple itself occupies an area of 1 square kilometer and consists of three levels surmounted by a central tower. The walls of the temple are covered inside and out with bas-reliefs and carvings. Nearly 2000 distinctively rendered apsara carvings adorn the walls throughout the temple. It represents some of the finest examples of apsara carvings in Angkorian era art. The exterior walls of the lower level that display the most extraordinary bas-reliefs, depicting stories and characters from Hindu mythology and the historical wars of Suryavarman II.
The visual impact of Angkor Wat, particularly on one's first visit, is overwhelming. As ones passes through the outer gate and gets the first glimpse of the temple, its size and architecture that make it appear two dimensional, like a giant postcard photo against the sky. Do not make your first visit to Angkor Wat in the morning when the backlighting obscures the view.
The temple interior is not as densely carved as the first level exterior, but still sports hundreds of excellent carvings of apsaras and scenes from Hindu mythology. A guide can be quite helpful in explaining the stories of the various chambers, statues and architectural forms to be found in the interior. It is considered to be good luck to pay homage to all four Buddha images before departing from Angkor Wat.
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| Tourist Attractions in Siem Reap |
Phnom Krom Hilltop Temple
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The Great Lake Tonle Sap & Floating Fishing |
Phnom Koulen
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Civil War Museum
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Crocodile Farm, Siem Reap
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Angkor Borie, Siem Reap
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Angkor Wat, Siem Reap
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Angkor Zoo, Siem Reap
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Banteay Kdei, Siem Reap
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Banteay Sam Re Temple, Siem Reap
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Banteay Srey Rochna, Siem Reap
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Banteay Srey Temple, Siem Reap
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Baphuon, Siem Reap
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East Mebon, Siem Reap
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Baksei Chamkrong, Siem Reap
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