Cambodia — Day 1: Angkor Thom (អង្គរធំ), Angkor Archaeological Park, Angkor, Cambodia

The second temple of my trip

September 2015

My second temple of the Cambodian tour was Angkor Thom (អង្គរធំ). And it was still raining.

Angkor Thom (អង្គរធំ) dates from after Angkor Wat (អង្គរវត្ត). Angkor Wat (អង្គរវត្ត) was built between 1110–1150, and Angkor Thom (អង្គរធំ) was built during the reign of Jayavarman VII (1181–1218).

Angkor Thom (អង្គរធំ) was the capital city of Jayavarman VII (1181–1218) and was the last capital of the ancient Khmer Empire in the Angkor period. Jayavarman VII is viewed as one of the great kings in Khmer history. He had two wives, Jayarajadevi was his first wife, and upon her death, he married her elder sister., Indradevi.

The Angkor Thom (អង្គរធំ) site was 9 km², surrounded by a 100 m wide moat which is 13.2 km long.

The walls of Angkor Thom (អង្គរធំ) are made of laterite (a reddish clay) and are 7 to 8 m high, 3 km long.

At Angkor Thom (អង្គរធំ), there are five stone causeways taking you to five gates that lead to the Bayon at the city centre.

On the inside of the wall was a large 25 m wide rampart with a small temple, or Prasat Chrung, at each corner.

Within the city were residences for the king and his family, officials, military officers and priests. The rest of the population lived outside the enclosure. Only…