Abandoned city of Angkor. The Vanished Empire. Angkor. Cambodia. How to get to the Angkor temple complex

Angkor (Cambodia) - description, history, location. The exact address, phone, website. Tourist reviews, photos and videos.

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History paragraph

The complex of Angkor religious buildings dates back to the 10th-12th centuries, in those years it was one of largest cities world, its temples were known far beyond the borders of the Khmer Empire. In 1431, Siamese troops practically destroyed the city, forcing the inhabitants to leave it. Since then, Angkor and more than 100 remaining palaces and temples have hidden under the shadow of a lush tropical forest. Until, at the end of the 19th century, the French naturalist Anne Muo published a number of works on Angkor. They say that even Rudyard Kipling wrote his “Jungle Book” about Mowgli after visiting this place. In 1992 temple complex was taken under UNESCO protection.

Angkor Temples

Phnom Bakheng

Phnom Bakheng is one of the first temples built in Angkor (9th-10th centuries) - a five-tiered structure with a bunch of turrets. Other ancient temples have also been preserved in Angkor: Pre-Khan, Preak Neak Pean, Ta Som (12th century), Banteay Kdey (second half of the 12th century).

Angkor Thom

Angkor Thom (" Big city") - the citadel of the city, the central part of the temple complex - is surrounded by a moat 100 m wide and a wall about 8 m high. The citadel was built during the time of Udayadityavarman II (11th century), and after the Cham invasion (1181) it was restored by King Jayavarmana VII . There are 5 gates in the wall of Angkor Thom, above which rise towers about 23 m high, decorated with the faces of a bodhisattva. Inside the walls is the three-tier Bayon pyramid, surrounded by 54 towers, the ruins of the Baphuon temple, Royal Palace, the temples of Baphuop and Pimeanakas ("Heavenly Palace"), the Terrace of the Elephants and the Terrace of the Leper King, as well as the Victory Gate and stone bridges decorated with images of the gods.

The height of the Elephant Terrace is 350m - it was from there that the Khmer kings watched the ceremonies on main square Angkor Thom, lying in front of the palace.

Ancient Angkor

Bayon Temple

Another magnificent monument is the Bayon Temple (not to be confused with the Bayon Pyramid) with giant stone sculptures of Buddha faces. This three-level building with a base of 140 by 160 m is located southeast of the Angkor Thom citadel. The temple is decorated with 52 square towers located at different levels and having different heights. On each side of these towers are depicted the faces of Buddha, so that no matter where a stranger from the north looks at this structure, he will always meet the gaze of the Enlightened One.

It is the outlines of Angkor Wat that are depicted on the national flag of Cambodia.

Angkor Wat (“temple city”, 1112-1152) is the temple and mausoleum of King Suryavarman II. The complex consists of a central tower (65 m high) and surrounding towers, symbolizing the five peaks of the sacred Mount Meru. The central building of the temple is a multi-level structure with many stairs and passages.

The temple is surrounded by a moat 190 m wide and more than 5.5 km long, it symbolizes the oceans of the world. This is the largest religious building in the world, its area is about 81 hectares.

Ta Prohm - temples swallowed up by the jungle

No less interesting is the Pre-Kan monastery with the Nik-Pin and Ta-Som temples (12th century). It is worth paying attention to the Banteay Kde temple, as well as the unique Ta-Prom temple complex, almost untouched by restorers. Other “mast-si”: the complex of cult pools of Pre-Neak Pean (late 12th century), the East Barei pool (7 km long and 1.8 km wide) with an island in the middle, Bakong Temple (the first example of the architectural style temple-mountain in Khmer art), the pink sandstone temple of Bantrei Srei with fantastic bas-reliefs.

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If you believe official sources, then the construction of the temple began in the 12th century. It is believed that Angkor Wat was part of the once huge Khmer Empire, around which there is a lot of controversy even today.

Angkor is the name of the city that was considered the center of the empire. Its size is amazing. Initially, it was believed that the city occupied an area of 200 square km, and now this figure has increased tenfold. Scientists claim that at the very dawn of the empire, at least 500 thousand Khmers lived here. The temple complex itself was dedicated to the god Vishnu and was considered the most prominent representative of the Hindu religion. It is the architecture of the buildings that reminds us of the religion that was preached in this territory for many centuries.

The construction was completed during the reign of King Suryavarman II. It was during this period that Ankor experienced the peak of its development, became a metropolis and had a population of several hundred inhabitants. In total, the temple included huge areas with villages and other settlements, in which at least 80 thousand peasants lived. A little later, Ankor Wat became not only a center for the worship of Vishnu, but also Buddha.

Already in those early years the temple amazed the imagination with its majesty. Huge ditches (about 200 m) filled with water were dug along its entire perimeter. The height of the main tower of the temple is a record for that time 42 meters, and the most high point is located 65 meters above the ground.

All the most interesting information and a roundup of Cambodia's most stunning sights in our guide.

Location of the religious center

A unique building of its kind, which amazes with its ingenious architecture, size and rich decoration, is located just 5 km north of the city of Siem Reap. It is interesting that for several centuries in a row, starting from the 15th century, almost no one remembered such a structure. This led to the temple falling into some decline. The jungle reliably hid the grandiose structure from prying eyes, and the huge roots of tropical trees caused irreparable damage to the religious complex, which for many years successfully combined the center of two religions - Hinduism and Buddhism.

It is worth paying tribute to the local activists and authorities who came to their senses in time and began beautifying the territory of the majestic temple. And today we all have a unique opportunity to enjoy the monumental structure to the fullest, take rare photographs and mark with a red pencil another place on the map that is worth visiting more than once.

A program of large-scale restoration of the huge complex has been launched, and is seeking funds for world organization UNESCO. The scale of the temple and the amount of work required require serious investment in the restoration of the temple. Since 1992, the temple complex has been included in the list of monuments of cultural heritage and is under protection. Despite this, the years have caused irreparable damage to the structure, which was based on fragile sandstone. Therefore, if you want to see the grandiose 12th century building with your own eyes, you should not put off booking a tour for a long time. Hurry to see the temple with your own eyes and touch ancient history with your hands!

There is a version that the famous writer Rudyard Kipling came up with the idea of writing The Jungle Book after visiting this grandiose complex of buildings. Who knows, maybe a muse or inspiration will come to you to create some masterpiece...

Why is it unique?

As mentioned earlier, the temple has impressive dimensions and rich architecture, even individual elements of which cannot be called excessive. In addition, the uniqueness of the structure is due to the rare combination of two religions that coexisted peacefully within the walls of the temple. You won't find this anywhere else.

But there is one more feature. Despite its size and importance for the Khmer Empire, the temple was not open to everyone. Only a select few - representatives of the nobility and kings - could get behind its walls to perform prayer services. Here the souls of the deceased rulers found their final refuge, and their bodies forever occupied the designated places in the tomb. This is due to one feature of the local religion of that time. The Khmers believed that gods lived in the temple, so only selected representatives of the spiritual and secular nobility could communicate with them and see them. Here every detail has its own meaning and plays a certain role. Three huge towers are shaped like lotus buds, and their design is complemented by special sculptures and a unique bas-relief.

The total area of the temple complex, which has the shape of a rectangle, is almost 200 hectares! And all the buildings, without exception, were erected in the original way - from top to bottom. Archaeologists and scientists have not seen such technology anywhere on the planet.

It is believed that the appearance and structure of the complex would ultimately correspond to the legendary sacred mountain At least The buildings seem to follow all its contours: the towers are its peak, the outer walls are rocky ledges, and the ditch at the foot is the ocean that surrounds the Universe.

The Khmers spared neither effort nor jewelry to create a unique temple complex. Initially, Angkor Wat was the most impressive and rich religious center of the Khmers. But as a result civil war, the invasions of atheists, better known as the Khmer Rouge, and the soldiers of Pol Pot in the 1970s, most of the decorations and artifacts were looted, and the complex itself was irreparably damaged. It was possible to protect the temple from the invasion of vandals only in 1992, when control was established over it by UNESCO.

Tour of the ancient temple

Today tourist excursions the temple complex is accessible to almost everyone. The main requirement is to comply simple rules stay in the temple and respect this cultural and architectural monument.

Angkor Wat will offer some of the most vivid impressions to everyone who finds themselves in Cambodia. Exotic adventures, history steeped in Eastern culture and amazing religion are just a small part of what you will experience outside its walls.

You also need to know that the complex of buildings includes several dozen temples and individual buildings, and the entire irrigation system, which is 900 years old, and today it works properly and performs its functions. Of particular note are the temple mountain called Bayon, images of the main god Buddha, carved from stone, the Elephant Terrace and the statue of the Leper King. Of course, it is impossible to describe in words the grandiose creation of human hands. Each building is made in a special style and has its own characteristics. Let's take a closer look at some of the attractions.

Phnom Bakheng is considered one of the earliest buildings of Angkor. It is believed that it was built in the ninth century and eventually took the form of a structure with five tiers and several towers. The central area of the complex is called Angkor Thom, which literally means “big city”. It is surrounded along its entire perimeter by a water channel and walls (100 m and 8 m respectively). The citadel includes five gates that surround tall towers, the walls of which are decorated with images of deities.

Behind the walls of the citadel is the Bayon pyramid, which was already mentioned above. It is surrounded by 54 towers. There are also such attractions as the Baphuon Temple (more precisely, its ruins, which have survived to this day), the palace, the sanctuaries of Baphuop and Pimeanakas (which is better known as the “Palace of Heaven”), the Terrace of the Elephants (from which the rulers watched the progress of all ceremonies). Here you can also enjoy the original features of the Gate of Victory and stone bridges decorated with the faces of the gods.

While the buildings mentioned above, for the most part, were subject to partial or complete restoration, some churches retained their original appearance. For example, Ta-Prom.

How to get there and where to stay

You can get to the temple complex from Phnom Penh (240 km) or from Siem Reap (6 km). It is Siem Reap that is most popular among tourists, since recently it has been actively developing travel business. For the convenience of visiting Angkor Wat, which hundreds of thousands of tourists go to see every year, an international airport has been built here, and a lot of modern hotels will provide convenience for visitors without any problems. Getting to the temple complex from here is quite easy. This is what made it so popular among tourists.

If you are going on a tourist visit to Cambodia for the first time, it is better to use the services of a guide. Even today, the country is littered with mines and other life-threatening reminders of the Khmer Rouge invasion. Therefore, the easiest way to get to the temple safely and get the impressions for which you came here is with tourist group led by an experienced guide.

A detailed historical excursion that will tell you about Angkor Wat - the legendary temple complex in Cambodia. Get ready, it will be interesting!

Angkor Wat religious building - the largest in the world hindu temple. Considered one of the most magnificent “pearls” of Angkor - ancient capital powerful Khmer Empire. While on holiday in Cambodia, independent traveler you should definitely visit this mysterious and beautiful place.

Angkor Wat: history

More than ten centuries ago, the Khmer Empire (Kambujadesha) existed on the territory of Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, and Thailand. Its founder was King Jayavarman II (802-850), who united these lands through bloody wars.

The empire reached its peak a little later, during the reign of Suryavarman II (1113-1150). The king worshiped the Hindu god Vishnu, and Angkor Wat was built in honor. The construction of the religious building lasted more than 30 years. Not only local craftsmen worked on its creation. By order of the ruler, craftsmen were searched throughout Asia.

The main material used was sandstone, which was brought from a quarry located 40 km away. from the construction site. The stones were polished and stacked on top of each other. No mortar was used during installation.

In those distant times, rulers were considered messengers of the gods. After the death of Suryavarman II, the temple became his tomb. Since then, the history of Angkor and its main religious monument have been inextricably linked.

The construction of the temple complex undermined the country's economy. In addition, the capital was overpopulated; at that time more than 1 million people lived in it. There was a catastrophic shortage of water, and fertile lands were depleted. During the reign of Jayavarman VII (1181-1218), several uprisings occurred, as a result of which Angkor was partially destroyed.

Later, the capital was repeatedly invaded by Siamese troops. After the last invasion in 1431, Angkor finally fell into disrepair. People left the city forever. Only monks remained to live in the temples. The capital of the empire was moved to Phnom Penh. The territory of Angkor was swallowed up rainforests, and the structures became home to thousands of animals. But the city did not disappear forever.

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At the beginning of the 17th century, Portuguese and Spanish travelers accidentally stumbled upon mysterious stone structures in the jungle. But for some reason, the Europeans did not attach any importance to the unusual find and soon forgot about it. With his second birth ( late XIX century) ancient Angkor must to a French traveler Henri Muo. He described the ancient city in detail and with admiration in his manuscripts. Crowds of explorers, scientists, historians, pilgrims and traders rushed to Angkor.

Photo 45 years after opening: 1906
Unfortunately, not a trace remains of the capital's former splendor. The sandstone from which the buildings were built has eroded over time due to exposure to wind, sun and water. Most of the wooden buildings were burned by vandals during periods of hostilities. Tree roots and branches grew through the walls of buildings in many places.

Thanks to the efforts of thousands of people, by the middle of the 20th century, many buildings in the city, including Angkor Wat, were restored. After the end of the civil war, the restoration of the temple complex was carried out mainly by Indian specialists. Since 1992, the unique creation of Khmer masters has been protected by UNESCO.

Photo 45 years after opening: 1906
Structure and architecture of Angkor Wat

The temple is located in the very center ancient city. Angkor Wat measures 1.3 km from north to south and 1.5 km from west to east. Religious building of rectangular shape. It consists of three levels (tiers), which increase in height towards the center. By appearance somewhat reminiscent of a pyramid. The levels represent three elements: air, earth and water. The territory of the complex is surrounded by lush greenery and is reliably protected on all sides by a moat with water. The width of the moat is more than 100 m. A stone bridge is laid across it, connecting the rectangular “island” with land. Further the road leads to the main entrance. The central gate and the front side of the structure are oriented to the west. TO east side Angkor Wat also has a road, but it is less noticeable, and you can find it using the services of a guide.

You have to walk around the entire temple territory; transport is prohibited here.

Angkor Wat is located in such a way that when looking at it from any direction, only three of the five towers are always visible. This proves the skill of the architects of that time. The towers and tiers are connected by staircases, intersecting galleries, and covered walkways. The internal space thus formed is divided into numerous square-shaped courtyards.

The walls of galleries and corridors, columns and stairs are covered with bas-reliefs, carvings and paintings. The ceilings are decorated with lotus images and intricate patterns. On the territory of the complex, many statues of strange animals, mythical heroes and real historical characters have been preserved.

The first tier is the largest and consists of several galleries and passages. The walls are decorated with numerous images. There are 8 panels here, the total length of which is more than 800 m. The main “subjects” are the battles of the gods, the period of the reign of the great Suryavarman II and numerous battles for the power of the empire. Several panels are dedicated to scenes from the epics “Mahabharata” and “Ramayana”. The outer wall is made in the form of a double row of columns.

At the end of each gallery there are corner pavilions. Two pavilions are connected to the main galleries. Two more end in shallow niches in the wall. At one time these recesses were also decorated with bas-reliefs, but over time they have worn away and are barely noticeable.

The gate towers of the main entrance are connected to the towers of the second tier using transitions. Between them are four courtyards, which are filled with water during the rainy season and serve as swimming pools. The interior walls of the galleries are made in the form of columns, through which the courtyard-pools are visible. On the opposite walls, between windows with figuratively carved columns, figures of thousands of celestial dancers (apsaras) are carved. There are many statues in the long corridors.

At the intersection of the galleries (from north to south) there are corner columns with inscriptions in an unknown language. On both sides of the second tier there are libraries, each of which has four entrances.

Only about a century and a half ago, the great discovery of Angkor, lost in the jungles of Cambodia, took place. Today this is one of the most interesting places of our planet.

History of the temple

The first mentions of huge stone structures date back to 1601. Then Marcelo Ribandeiro from Spain accidentally stumbled upon the strange temple of Angkor Wat in the jungle of Cambodia. The Khmers living on this land could not build stone structures; the mystery of the origin of the temple arose, for which the missionary had to turn to local residents. But they also could not satisfy Ribandeiro’s interest. This once again reinforced the idea that there was a completely different civilization here long before the Khmers, the legacy of which was Angkor. Nobody lived in this temple city except animals; the locals believed that, according to one of the legends, the city should have been restored by foreigners.

This huge discovery was quickly forgotten. For Europe, the Angkor Wat temple was of no interest. A new wave of mentions of this monument began in 1868 after the publication of a book by a traveler from France, Henri Muot.

For a long time, Muo wandered through the jungle, suffering from hunger and disease, until one day he managed to come across a clearing. Three towers loomed against the sky; at first it even seemed to him that these were beginning hallucinations. But as he approached the buildings, he realized that he had made a great discovery.

This happened on January 22, 1861. The discovery turned out to be very important. This is how a stage in Cambodian history appeared - the era of the Angkor civilization. And the towers of Angkor are enshrined in the flag and coat of arms of Cambodia.

Legendary Palace

In ancient times, the Cambodian state of Chenla was ruled by Jayavarman II. This man is credited with creating the Angkor Empire. And his successor Suryavarman II (1113-1150) built the Angkor Wat temple.

The temple was built for the god Vishnu. But in fact it was the sanctuary and tomb of King Suryavarman II. In the Angkor empire, there was worship of the king, who was considered the incarnation of a great deity. And the Angkor temple itself was considered his heavenly home on earth.

There is a whole legend about the construction of the temple. So one of the rulers had a son, Preah Ket Mealea. God Indra liked this young man and invited him to his heaven. Preah Ket Meala loved this place, but he especially liked magnificent palace with five towers. But all good things come to an end sooner or later; the tevoda (divine dancers) became worried about the appearance of a divine spirit in the sky, disturbing its harmony. They told Indra about this, and he had to return the prince to earth. And the deity decided to build his beloved palace on earth. The place for construction was indicated by the bull Nandin, and Preah Pushnuka was chosen as the leader of the construction. The best craftsmen from all lands were gathered, and Angkor Wat was built.

Description of the temple

The temple is located in the center of a vast complex that unites about 200 other temples. The temple is surrounded by a moat that fills during the monsoon season. In the reflection of the water the temple looks like sacred mountain Meru is surrounded by the world's oceans. This is what the great builders intended.

Angkor Wat is surrounded by a wall, and the visitor enters through the main portal. Before his eyes I see three terraces towering above each other. The first is at a height of 3.5 meters, the second - 7, the third - 13. In the plan, the terraces represent decreasing squares. On upper terrace there are five towers - four in the corners and one in the center, rising 65 meters. Due to the orientation of the temple, only three towers are visible when approaching from either side.

Calculations show that the number of stones at Angkor Wat corresponds to the number of stones used in the construction of the Egyptian Pyramid of Khafre. But since the stones in Angkor have deep artistic processing, one can only be amazed at the labor expended by the ancient inhabitants of this land.

Image feeds

The carvings of the temple are of great interest to visitors and researchers of the temple. The carved images here stretch for kilometers, something like this cannot be seen anywhere else in the world. Indian mythology is combined with real historical characters; one can compare this miracle with famous paintings of the Renaissance.

In 1973, the war began. The shelter of the Popotovites was located in the temple. Many images were destroyed, there are bullet marks, but the temple was still able to survive. The restoration work carried out was able to revive the great wonder of the world, Angkor Wat, and again give beauty ancient architecture thousands of tourists.

Video about Angkor Wat

Our reader Igor M. continues the story about his trip to Cambodia. Today we will talk about the main attraction of this country, the great and mysterious temple complex of Angkor Wat.

Continuation. Read the beginning of the story about the trip to Cambodia here:

So, Angkor. Angkor is the capital region of the Khmer Empire. It was there that the most grandiose and famous monuments– Angkor Wat, Bayon and Angkor Thom. Angkor Wat is the pride of Cambodia, a huge temple complex or temple city. He is depicted on all their coats of arms, flags and emblems. This complex is considered the largest religious building in the world.

Angkor was built from the 11th to the 13th centuries (each ruler built something and tried to surpass the others). Built of stone, although in those days only places of worship. Poor Khmer peasants lived in huts, rulers lived in wooden palaces (naturally, such buildings have not survived), but stone structures still stand to this day.

In the morning I woke up in a four-star hotel, we were fed and taken on an excursion to this very Angkor. A ticket is required to visit Angkor. To do this, each tourist is photographed and after a couple of seconds an individual ticket with a photo is returned - it is on a ribbon and worn around the neck. But now all the formalities have been completed and we arrive at Angkor Wat!

The Angkor Wat temple complex was being actively restored during our visit. It can be seen that some parts are covered with a green blanket.

Angkor Wat temple complex: a great city lost in the jungle

The spectacle is very interesting. The Angkor Wat temple complex is very well preserved. The fact is that the temple is surrounded by a square moat-reservoir, only a narrow strip of land is the passage to the territory of the complex. That is why the jungle could not swallow Angkor Wat, although this grandiose structure was forgotten for hundreds of years! It has not been used since the 15th century; all this time there were some legends that there was a temple city in the jungle, but they were not particularly believed. And only in 1861, the French naturalist Henri Muot heard from a Catholic missionary that in the depths of the jungle there was lost city. He became very interested (according to the missionary, the structure was huge) and went into the jungle to search. As a result, Muo rediscovered Angkor after four centuries of oblivion. Many of Muo's contemporaries could not believe that somewhere such a grandiose structure as Angkor Wat could be lost and forgotten.

It should be noted that, regardless of the religion professed (Hinduism or Buddhism), all the ancient rulers of Cambodia wanted to be revered as living gods and to instill the cult of Devaraja - the god-king. And in order to strengthen this cult, all efforts were devoted to the construction of temples, monuments and other structures designed to glorify these kings. This is precisely what explains this great amount temple complexes.

The photo shows one of the towers of the Angkor Wat temple.

Angkor Wat is the most famous of these complexes. It was started to be built by King Suryavarman II, who was a Hindu and considered himself the incarnation of the god Vishnu (although the next ruler, like the rest of the generations of Cambodians, was already a Buddhist). The population of Angkor at that time was millions - perhaps at that time it was the largest city in our Galaxy. Almost all residents participated in the construction of the temple complex. This is largely why Angkor Wat turned out to be truly grandiose. Moreover, it was not at all intended for a meeting of believers - the building served as the abode of the gods, and the king and the top of the political and religious elite had access there. Later, based on the orientation of the entrance to the temple, scientists determined that it was originally intended for the future burial of the ruler. It turns out that Suryavarman II, during his thirty-year reign, built a temple-tomb for himself, and by the time of his death in 1150 it was 99% ready.

During his lifetime, the courtiers extolled Suryavarman II in every possible way and called him the “Sun King”. According to legends, he, like the Sun, could make lotus buds bloom and make everything around prosper. In fact, he left behind a country virtually ruined by such a grandiose construction. But at the same time he went down in history as the “Michelangelo of the East” and the creator of the great Angkor Wat.

Stairway to the Center of the Universe

Some architectural details. As I already said, the Angkor Wat temple complex is surrounded by a moat with water, and you can enter it through a narrow isthmus. The entire complex is surrounded by a rectangular wall, inside it there is a huge territory, and in the center there is a stone platform on which Angkor Wat is built.

So, we are approaching the most important thing! At first, on the sides of the road there were buildings, which (according to our guide) were called libraries. As far as I understand, these were not libraries at all in our understanding - the king and the nobility did not register there, did not go there with their subscriptions and did not receive any scrolls with manuscripts there, and strict monastic librarians did not go to debtors who did not return the manuscript in due time time. These were just some kind of ritual buildings.

Library at the entrance to the Angkor Wat temple complex.

Walking along the road along various buildings inland, we came to the main part of the complex - the temple. The stone temple of Angkor Wat is simply grandiose!

Angkor Wat, the outer wall of the building stands on a stone platform.

All the walls are decorated with engravings - scenes of battles are carved in stone.

Another wall with battle scenes.

Many battle scenes were taken from the legends of Hindu mythology. In particular, the battle between Vishnu and the heavenly devil Banna was depicted. Each engraved wall covers approximately 800 meters. Moreover, as experts note, the further, the more the masters’ technique improved and the better the drawings were. Although some of the engravings may have depicted ordinary battles of the time, many nations fought to gain control of the fertile Mekong River territory.

Behind the battle walls is the central part of the temple:

On the right is the outer wall of the temple, and on the left is Angkor Wat itself.

In those days, everything was built without cement - stone blocks were brought from afar, and the stones were precisely adjusted. As I already said, the Angkor Wat temple complex was dedicated to the Hindu god Vishnu, so its structure reflects Hindu ideas about the structure of the world. Then it was believed that Mount Kailash was located in the center of the universe (it is located in the middle of an endless ocean) - gods and goddesses lived there. Kailash is surrounded by four smaller mountains. The Angkor Wat temple complex was built in accordance with these ideas: in the central part there is a huge tower in the middle, and around there are four smaller towers.

The temple occupies several floors (the staircase to the top floor is visible on the left), and only the king and members of his family could enter the top floor. As it turned out, I could too :) These levels also correspond to people’s ideas about the structure of the world at that time and symbolize lower world, the human world and the heavenly world.

Apsara sky dancers on the walls of Angkor Wat. Cute, right?

And on this wall are depicted apsaras - mythical celestial dancers. By the way, in the Angkor Wat temple there were real dancers portraying apsaras who entertained the king. And on the left we see windows - there was no glass then, so the windows were stone - such mini-columns cut out, sunlight passed through the cutouts.

Based on the ancient images of apsara dancers on the temple walls, 36 different hairstyles were counted. So there were fashionistas in those ancient times, and what kind of ones!

Tourists climb the central tower, that is, to the very center of the world. Previously, no one would have let mere mortals in there :)

This is the view of the entrance to Angkor Wat from one of the towers.

Unraveling the mystery of the ancient dance

After climbing to the main tower (that is, to the very center of the universe), we were given a lot of time to walk around and examine everything ourselves. I went and suddenly saw... apsaras. They stood and were bored. Eh, apsaras, should we be sad?

Apsaras stand and are bored.

Well, what kind of things are these - being bored. We must dance! Come on, let's all do it together!

It's a completely different matter! True, all of their fingers are folded in some bizarre way and symbolize something, but my fingers do not bend like that in principle and can only symbolize complete ignorance in ancient dances. But I decided for myself that the main thing in Khmer dance is participation :) Therefore, nothing spoiled my good mood.

As I already wrote in a previous article, for an ordinary European these dances look quite strange - the movements are very smooth, the pose hardly changes, and only the hands do such pirouettes as if they were exposed to forty-degree frost. Everyone on the bus started discussing this important topic and together they found a simple explanation for this - they are dancing sober! Apparently, in those days alcohol was not brought to the ancient Khmers :) Not like in our discos!

So all they had to do, poor fellows, was chew betel nut. And even now they chew it in those parts - it is believed that a tenth of humanity regularly uses it. Palm seeds and slaked lime are wrapped in betel leaf (a local pepper plant) and chewed, resulting in a certain feeling of euphoria. And at the same time, addiction, similar to tobacco or drugs. True, this makes the saliva red and the teeth black, and the blackness is difficult to clean off, so those who like to chew betel nuts walk around with black teeth. Now, having adopted the European fashion for white teeth, people in cities do not use it. But in the poor provinces, many still chew - they sit, eat, spit out red saliva through their black teeth and they don’t need anything else (like “our” alcoholics).

Exit from the temple complex.