Angkor is a region of Cambodia that served as the seat of the Khmer empire, which flourished from approximately the ninth century to the thirteenth century. The word Angkor is derived from the Sanskrit nagara, meaning "city". The Angkorian period began in AD 802, when the Khmer Hindu monarch Jayavarman II declared himself a "universal monarch" and "god-king", until 1431, when Ayutthayan (Thai) invaders sacked the Khmer capital, causing its population to migrate south to the area of Phnom Penh. The ruins of Angkor are located amid forests and farmland to the north of the Great Lake Tonle Sap and south of the Kulen Hills, six kilometres from Siem Reap, and are a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The temples of the Angkor area number over one thousand, ranging in scale from piles of rubble scattered through rice fields to the magnificent Angkor Wat, said to be the world's largest single religious monument. Many of the temples at Angkor have been restored, and together, they comprise the most significant site of Khmer architecture.

The Angkorian period may be said to have begun shortly after 800 A.D., when the Khmer King Jayavarman II announced the independence of Kambujadesa (Cambodia) from Java. Through a program of military campaigns, alliances, marriages and land grants, he achieved a unification of the country bordered by China and Champa (now Vietnam). In 802, Jayavarman joined his new status by declaring himself "universal monarch", taking on the title of "god-king".

Over the next 300 years, between 900 and 1200, the Khmer empire produced some of the world's most magnificent architectural masterpieces in the area known as Angkor. Some 72 major temples or other buildings are found within this area, and the remains of several hundred additional minor temple sites are scattered throughout the landscape. This makes it the largest urban agglomeration in human history.

The principal temple of the Angkorian region, Angkor Wat, was built between 1113 and 1150. With walls nearly one-half mile long on each side, Angkor Wat grandly portrays the Hindu cosmology, with the central towers representing Mount Meru, home of the gods; the outer walls, the mountains enclosing the world; and the moat, the oceans beyond.

Following the death of of the king around 1150 A.D., the kingdom fell into a period of internal strife. Its neighbors to the east, the Cham of what is now southern Vietnam, took advantage of the situation in 1177 to launch a seaborne invasion up the Mekong River and across Tonle Sap. The Cham forces were successful in sacking the Khmer capital of Yasodharapura and in killing the reigning king. However, a Khmer prince who was to become king rallied his people and defeated the Cham in battles on the lake and on the land, he later assumed the throne in 1181 and was to be the greatest of the Angkorian kings. Over the ruins of Yasodharapura, he constructed the walled city of Angkor Thom, as well as its geographic and spiritual center, the temple known as the Bayon. Bas-reliefs at the Bayon depict not only the king's battles with the Cham, but also scenes from the life of Khmer villagers and courtiers. This massive program of construction coincided with a transition in the state religion from Hinduism to Mahayana Buddhism. During Jayavarman's reign, Hindu temples were altered to display images of the Buddha, and Angkor Wat briefly became a Buddhist shrine. Following his death, a Hindu revival included a large-scale campaign of desecrating Buddhist images, until Theravada Buddhism became established as the land's dominant religion from the 14th century.

The year 1296 marked the arrival at Angkor of the Chinese diplomat Zhou Daguan, his one-year sojourn in the Khmer capital during the reign of King Indravarman III is historically significant, because he penned a still-surviving account of approximately 40 pages detailing his observations of Khmer society. Some of the topics he addressed in the account were those of religion, justice, kingship, agriculture, slavery, birds, vegetables, bathing, clothing, tools, draft animals, and commerce. In one passage, he described a royal procession consisting of soldiers, numerous servant women and concubines, ministers and princes, and finally, "the sovereign, standing on an elephant, holding his sacred sword in his hand." Together with the inscriptions that have been found on Angkorian stelas, temples and other monuments, and with the bas-reliefs at the Bayon and Angkor Wat, Zhou's journal is the most important source of information about everyday life at Angkor.

The end of the Angkorian period is generally set at 1431 A.D., the year Angkor was sacked and looted by Thai invaders, though the civilization already had been in decline in the 13th and 14th centuries. During the course of the 15th century, nearly all of Angkor was abandoned, except for Angkor Wat, which remained a Buddhist shrine.

It is widely believed that the abandonment of the Khmer capital occurred as a result of Siamese invasions. Ongoing wars with the Siamese were already sapping the strength of Angkor toward the end of the 13th century. In his memoirs, Zhou reported that the country had been completely devastated by such a war, in which the entire population had been obligated to participate. After the collapse of Angkor in 1431, many persons, texts and institutions were taken to the Thai capital of Ayutthaya in the west, while others departed for the new center of Khmer society at Longvek further south, though the official capital later moved to the present site of Phnom Penh.

Some scholars have connected the decline of Angkor with the conversion of Cambodia to Theravada Buddhism following the reign of Jayavarman VII, arguing that this religious transition eroded the Hindu conception of kingship that undergirded the Angkorian civilization. Other scholars attempting to account for the rapid decline and abandonment of Angkor have hypothesized natural disasters such as earthquakes, floods, or drastic climate changes as the relevant agents of destruction. Research by archaeologists suggests that the decline may have been due to a shortage of water, tree-ring chronologies indicate severe periods of drought across mainland Southeast Asia in the early 1400s, raising the possibility that Angkor's canals and reservoirs ran dry and ended expansion of available farmland.

The great city and temples remained largely cloaked by the forest until the late 19th century, when French archaeologists began a long restoration process. From 1907 to 1970, work was under the direction of the École française d'Extrême-Orient, which cleared away the forest, repaired foundations, and installed drains to protect the buildings from water damage. In addition, scholars associated with the school initiated a program of historical scholarship and interpretation that is fundamental to the current understanding of Angkor.
Work resumed after the end of the Cambodian civil war and, since 1993, has been jointly coordinated by the French, Japanese and UNESCO through the International Coordinating Committee on the Safeguarding and Development of the Historic Site of Angkor, while Cambodian work is carried out by the Authority for the Protection and Management of Angkor and the Region of Siem Reap, created in 1995. Some temples have been carefully taken apart stone by stone and reassembled on concrete foundations. International tourism to Angkor continues to increase. The increasing number of tourists, exerts pressure on the archaeological sites at Angkor by walking and climbing on the sandstone monuments at Angkor. This direct pressure created by unchecked tourism is expected to cause significant damage to the monuments in the future.

Photos of Angkor Cambodia 2003 © Joe Mendonca

Passes are required to enter the Angkor area. They are on sale at the front gate for 1-day, 3-day (valid for any 3 days within a week), or 7-day intervals (valid for any 7 days within a month). Cambodians can enter for free, you shouldn't need to buy a pass for your guide or your driver. Hiring a guide for at least the first day can help you get orientated to the temples and are particularly useful for finding and explaining the bas-reliefs, which can otherwise be rather overwhelming and difficult to understand.

Angkor Wat is one of the largest of Khmer monuments. Built around the first half of 12th century by King Suryavarman II, the sight of the grand monument towering over the landscape is breath-taking. 'Wat' is the Khmer (Cambodian) word for temple, scholars believe that the architecture and sculptures are that of a temple where Lord Vishnu was worshipped but it was also built as a mausoleum for the king after his death. Climb the steps to reach the second tier, and reach the third tier and the central courtyard within by climbing the steps oriented towards any of the four cardinal points. Take the steps on the south as these now have a handrail, useful when descending as it can be steep.

Bayon, built in the latter part of the 12th century by King Jayavarman VII, Bayon is one of the most widely recognised temples in Siem Reap because of the giant stone faces that adorn the towers of Bayon. There are 54 towers of four faces each, totaling 216 faces.

Baphuon, located to the northwest of the Bayon, the Baphuon is supposed to represent Mount Meru, sacred to Hinduism, and was one of the largest and grandest structures in Angkor. Built into the western face of the Baphuon is a giant reclining Buddha, added in the 16th century after the region converted from Hinduism to Buddhism.

Angkor Thom, once thought to hold a population of one million. In addition to the Bayon and Baphuon temples, the ancient city of Angkor Thom holds a number of other sites of interest: The Elephant Terrace; The Terrace of the Leper King. Each of the gates is topped by the face of Avalokitesvara, there is a path on top of the walls, and one along the outside wall, that can be followed to walk from gate to gate. The total walk is around 13km, about 3.5 hours long. The Elephant Terrace, the first temple-mountain constructed in Angkor, with a commanding hilltop location. Extremely popular spot for sunsets, the final climb to the top of the temple is steep and dangerous.

Ta Prohm, built during the time of king Jayavarman VII and is best known as the temple where trees have been left intertwined with the stonework, much as it was uncovered from the jungle. A strange beauty in the marvelous strangler fig trees which provide a stunning display of the embrace between nature and the human handiwork. This is one of the most popular temples after Angkor Wat and the Bayon because of the beautiful combinations of wood and stone. Most of the stunning postcard shots of Angkor's trees come from here. Large sections of the temple are unstable rubble and have been cordoned off, as they are in danger of collapse.

Preah Khan, Jayavarman VII's first capital, before the completion of Angkor Wat. Large and atmospheric, yet somewhat overshadowed by Angkor Wat and Ta Prohm, this temple is partly in disrepair with strangler figs crawling up the walls, but has some excellent carvings and less visitors, and is well worth a visit. The temple is some 3 kilometers north of Angkor. Located on what was an island in the now dry East Baray, this is a large, three-story temple-mountain crowned by five towers, like a miniature Angkor Wat. Originally built by Rajendravarman II in the 10th century, many structures are in poor shape, but the temple is best known for its massive restored elephant statues.

Banteay Srey, 37 km north of Angkor Wat, a red colored temple well known for its intricate carvings, and is worth a half day trip on its own, since it is a bit further from Siem Reap than the main Angkor Thom and Angkor Wat areas.

Beng Mealea , 80 km east of Siem Reap, this is a temple has been left to nature, but unlike Ta Phrom it has not been cleared at all. The result is the visitor clambering over ruined walls and through windows to get access to areas where nature is running riot. Lots of trees growing out of walls, and creepers hanging over ruined buildings. Much of the standard walk is along wooden decking for those who don't want to clamber. Though this will entail about 5 hours traveling in total on some very rough roads, there is an additional entry fee to Beng Mealea.

Touring the temples is a hot and sweaty job, so bring sunblock and keep yourself well hydrated. Some of the temples, notably the uppermost level of Angkor Wat, require climbs up very steep staircases and are best avoided if you suffer from vertigo or are not fully confident of being able to keep your footing. Covering 80 hectares it takes at least four days to see all the ruins, after two days I was already overwhelmed by it all. Don’t miss the Hall of Echoes and a sunset over the canopy of the surrounding jungle.