Angkor

Angkor, also known as Yasodharapura, was the capital city of the Khmer Empire in what is now Cambodia. It was a busy city from the 9th to the 15th centuries, full of temples, libraries, and other important buildings. One famous place is Angkor Wat, a beautiful temple that many people visit today.

The name Angkor means “kingdom” in Khmer, a language that comes from a word in Sanskrit. The city started in the year 802 when a Khmer king said he was a great ruler. Over time, Angkor became very big and important.

Today, the old parts of Angkor are near forests and farms close to the city of Siem Reap. There are more than one thousand temples there, showing wonderful Khmer architecture. In 1992, Angkor was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site to help keep it safe for the future.

New studies using satellite pictures show that Angkor was once the largest city in the world before factories and machines were used. It covered an area of at least 1,000 square kilometres. The city had a smart water system to help with rainy seasons and support many people.

Archaeological overview

The Angkor site changed a long time ago, around 420 BC. Scientists studied shells found with old graves to learn this. These shells show people lived in Angkor from the 14th century BC and maybe even earlier. They traded goods with places along the coast in Southeast Asia. The oldest items found there include iron and bronze spearheads, tools like knives and hoes, and bracelets.

The buildings at Angkor were mostly built for people who followed Hinduism and Buddhism. Some of the stone came from a quarry near Kulen Mountain. Other buildings were made of wood and tiles, and many used grey and brown sandstone.

The biggest temple, Angkor Wat, was built between 1113 and 1150 by King Suryavarman II. After winning a battle, Suryavarman started building Angkor Wat as his personal temple. With walls almost half a mile long on each side, Angkor Wat shows Hindu ideas of the universe. The central towers stand for Mount Meru, home of the gods.

Angkor had roads and canals that helped people move around and trade. These roads and canals formed a grid around the buildings. They were important for daily life and farming. The roads were made from layers of dirt and soil, and they got better over time. Archaeologists used LiDAR, a special mapping tool, to find hidden structures in the dense forests around Angkor. This helped them learn more about how the city was laid out and how people lived there long ago.

Historical overview

Seat of the Khmer Empire

Angkor was the capital of the Khmer Empire from about the 9th to the 15th centuries. The city started around 800 AD when King Jayavarman II declared Cambodia's independence from Java. He built important cities and temples, including Hariharalaya. Later kings built new cities and large water reservoirs.

Between 900 and 1200 AD, the Khmer Empire built amazing structures known as Angkor. These spread over a large area, with many temples. At its height, Angkor was one of the largest cities ever, bigger than modern Paris.

Jayavarman VII

After a hard time, King Jayavarman VII took control in 1181 AD. He built new walls around the city and created important temples like Angkor Thom and the Bayon. He also changed the main religion from Hinduism to Buddhism, which changed many temples.

Zhou Daguan

In 1296 AD, a Chinese visitor named Zhou Daguan wrote about life in Angkor. His book, called "The Customs of Cambodia," describes daily life, including religion, food, and how people lived. His writings help us understand life in Angkor.

End of the Angkorian period

The Angkorian period ended around 1431 AD. Some think it was because of wars, changes in religion, or natural problems. After this, most of Angkor was left empty, except for Angkor Wat, which stayed important.

Restoration, preservation, and threats

People started caring for Angkor again in the 1600s. French experts helped clean up the buildings. Today, many people visit Angkor, but this can harm the old structures. Efforts are made to protect the site and manage visitors.

Religious history

Angkor was a big city for the Khmer people. Many of the buildings left today are religious, because other buildings like the king’s home were made from wood and did not last.

Many religions were important in Angkor. These included mixing local beliefs with Shaivism, respect for the king as a god, Hinduism, and Buddhism.

Before Angkor, people in Cambodia mixed Hinduism, Buddhism, and local beliefs. The god Shiva was very important.

When Angkor began around 800 AD, the king Jayavarman II chose Shiva as a central figure. Temples were built to look like Mount Meru, the home of Hindu gods. A special stone shape called a lingam was used to represent Shiva.

Later, some kings, like Suryavarman II, focused more on Vishnu. But the king was still seen as a god.

In the late 12th century, King Jayavarman VII chose Mahayana Buddhism. He built the Bayon temple to show this.

Eventually, Theravada Buddhism became the main religion in Angkor during the 13th century and stayed important for many years.

Archaeological sites

The area of Angkor has many important old places, including:

• Angkor Thom
• Angkor Wat
• Baksei Chamkrong
• Banteay Kdei
• Banteay Samré
• Banteay Srei
• Baphuon
• the Bayon
• Chau Say Tevoda
• East Baray
• East Mebon
• Kbal Spean
• the Khleangs
• Krol Ko
• Lolei
• Neak Pean
• Phimeanakas
• Phnom Bakheng
• Phnom Krom
• Prasat Ak Yum
• Prasat Kravan
• Preah Khan
• Preah Ko
• Preah Palilay
• Preah Pithu
• Pre Rup
• Spean Thma
• Srah Srang
• Ta Nei
• Ta Prohm
• Ta Som
• Ta Keo
• Terrace of the Elephants
• Terrace of the Leper King
• Thommanon
• West Baray
• West Mebon
• Another city at Mahendraparvata was found in 2013.

Notable people

Angkor was an important place led by great kings. One of these kings was Jayavarman VII, who ruled the Khmer Empire. Another important king was Yasovarman I.

Terms and phrases

• Angkor (អង្គរ ângkôr) is a Khmer word meaning "city". It comes from an older word nôkôr (នគរ), which itself comes from a Sanskrit word.
• Banteay (បន្ទាយ bântéay) is a Khmer word meaning "citadel" or "fortress", used for walled temples.
• Baray (បារាយណ៍ baréayn) means "open space" or "wide plain" in Khmer, but in architecture it refers to a large artificial lake.
• Esvara or Isvara (ईश्वर्)(ឥស្វរៈ ĕsvâreă/ឦស្សរៈ eisvâreă) is a Sanskrit word meaning "god".
• Gopura (गोपुर) is a Sanskrit word meaning "entrance pavilion" or "gateway".
• Jaya (ជយ chôy/ជ័យ choăy) is a prefix from Sanskrit meaning "victory".
• Phnom (ភ្នំ phnum) is a Khmer word meaning "mountain".
• Prasat (ប្រាសាទ prasat) is a Khmer word from Sanskrit meaning "monument" or "palace", often used for ancient temples.
• Preah (ព្រះ preăh) is a Khmer word meaning "God", "King", or something sacred. It can also be a prefix meaning "holy".
• Srei (ស្រី srei) is a Khmer word meaning either "woman" or "beauty", depending on its use.
• Ta (តា ta) is a Khmer word meaning "grandfather" or "ancestor" (as in Ta Prohm, meaning "Ancestor Brahma").
• Thom (ធំ thum) is a Khmer word meaning "large" (as in Angkor Thom, meaning "large city").
• Varman (វរ្ម័ន vôrmoăn) is a suffix from Sanskrit meaning "shield" or "protector" (as in Suryavarman, meaning "protected by Surya, the sun-god").
• Wat (វត្ត vôtt) is a Khmer word from Pali meaning "temple" (as in Angkor Wat, meaning "temple city").

Main article: Banteay

Main articles: Neak ta, Pali language