ANGKOR WAT

ANGKOR
The Temples of Angkor cover an area of approximately 77 square miles.
They are left from the great ancient Khmer civilization.
Undoubtedly one of the great 'Wonders of the World' they were built between the 9th and 15th centuries.
Seeing them for the first time inspires a great sense of awe.
These monuments are unrivalled for their architectural greatness.

HISTORY

Angkor was a political centre, 199 miles (320 kilometers) north of Phnom Penh in the province of Siem Reap. The town of Siem Reap is situated 4miles (6 kilometers) south of Angkor.
Cambodia was once known as Kampuchea,apparently the name originated from north India where it was associated with Kambu Svayambhuva founder of the Khmer civilisation.
Angkor is surrounded by The Tonle Sap lake in the south and the Kulen Hills in the north.
There were many kings during the Angkor period (802-1432), most of whom built a temple or monument to honour their ancestors.
Suryavarman 11 became king around 1113 till 1150 and is credited with building Angkor Wat.
The Thais (people of Thailand) made repeated attacks around the then capital of Angkor during the 14th century and the Kmers (people of Cambodia) moved the capital south to Phnom Penh.
Angkor wasn't abandoned completely with temples like Angkor Wat being looked after by monks in the 15h and 16th centuries.
The king returned briefly in 16th and 17th centuries but Angkor was never the great capital again.
No one really knows what really happened to make Angkor become abandoned.
Some theories are that it was too near to the invading Thais.
The hydraulic system wasn't looked after because of lack of manpower, and the common people, fed up with the extravagant lifestyle of the king causing hardship to the people made them revolt.
It could have been a combination of all of these plus climatic factors could have put a strain on agriculture causing lack of food to feed the large population.
From around the middle of the 16th century visitors to Cambodia reported sightings of Angkor.Not a lot of interest came of these sightings until a French naturalist, Henri Mouhot with support form the Royal Geographical Society visited Angkor where he measured, surveyed, took notes and drawings.
Unfortunately he got very ill in Laos and died aged 35, but his notes were sent back to his family in Jersey where they were published in 1864.
Since then there has been civil war (Pol Pot) and many of the local people who were taking care of the temples were murdered.
Many countries have sent experts to help rebuild the complex including France, Poland and Japan.
In December 1992 Angkor was declared a Worlds Heritage Site and was taken over by UNESCO who are recording and restoring the sites with the support of France, Japan and the Royal Cambodian government.

Cambodia may open Angkor Wat at night for visits

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP) - Cambodia is considering opening the famed Angkor Wat temples at night to draw more tourists to the impoverished country, an official at the archaeological site said Tuesday.

Similar night tourism efforts have been introduced at other sites in Southeast Asia.

Cambodia already has installed some lights at the network of centuries-old temples, said Bun Narith, who leads the agency responsible for managing the Angkor park.

Tourism is a major foreign currency earner for cash-strapped Cambodia. More than a million foreign tourists are expected to visit this year, with most from South Korea, Japan and the United States. More than half of tourists visit the Angkor temples, by far the country's biggest draw.

Visitors are now ushered out of Angkor at sunset, but authorities are considering extending visiting hours to as late as 8:30 p.m. local time.

"We want tourists to see all views of the temple, even in the dark places where they may have not have seen some of the sculptures and statues," Bun Narith said.

But conservationists have long expressed concerns about tourism's impact on Angkor.

They say the uncontrolled pumping of underground water to meet the rising demand of hotels and residents in the nearby town of Siem Reap may be destabilizing the earth beneath the temples.

Angkor is about 143 miles (230 kilometers) northwest of the capital, Phnom Penh. - AP