ANGKOR WAT - What can l say?

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'Breathtaking' is not an over statement when attempting to describe Angkor Wat. In fact there are not enough words to describe the gob-smacking magnificence of Angkor Wat & all its surrounding temples. When the French naturalist, Henri Mouhot, first discovered it in the mid 1800's, after centuries of being hidden in the jungle, he described it as,

"A temple that would rival Solomon, erected by some ancient Michelangelo. It is grander than anything left to us by Greece or Rome."

Angkor Wat was built in the 12th century. It was the centre-piece of the mighty Angkor Empire, an all powerful & consuming empire that dominated most of SE Asia but little known by the Western World. The city of Angkor was a mega-city, the largest ever constructed in all of human history & remained so until the Industrial Revolution. It supported a population of about one million inhabitants with complex systems & waterways.

Angkor Wat was built by King Suryavarman ll. He overthrew the previous king, his uncle, and seized the throne for himself at the age of fourteen, inflicting the lethal blow himself. The ambitious prince then pronounced himself god-king & went on a building spree that had never been seen before and still has the experts baffled. Maybe an attempt to prove his worthiness of the divine title.

Angkor Wat is the largest religious structure built on the planet & was constructed in about 35 years. Compared to the Gothic medieval cathedrals in Europe that were built around the same time that took over 50 years and were smaller in every way.

Archeologists, architects and engineers are in awe of what was achieved by this lost empire. The precision was perfect, no mortar was used in its construction & it has stood for nearly a thousand years. The artisans were extremely skilled. What happened to all those master craftsmen? The Angkor Empire reigned for about 500 years and historians are still scratching their collective heads for the reason of its downfall. There are many theories but no real conclusions.

Angkor Wat and the 700 other temples built throughout the empire, were originally dedicated to Hinduism. Then later to Buddhism. And back & forward again, depending on the king at the time's religious preference. The most famous other temples in the area would have to be Ta Prohm & the Bayon. Ta Prohm featured in the movie 'Tomb Raider.' It has slowly been eaten up by the jungle and there is intense restoration work in progress to try & save it. The huge gnarly trees & roots are the site's main feature and though destroying it, it actually creates an eerie beauty that reflects its agelessness as well. Extremely photogenic, the temple has become iconic of Angkor.

The other most photographed temple is the Bayon. A temple of about 50 towers , mostly bearing 4 faces, facing in all compass directions. Believed to be the omnipresent face of King Jayavarman Vll, another king who aggressively built his mark in history. The serene half-smiling faces stare out through the centuries in their stony silence. It is quite moving!

Every temple in the area is unique & well worth the visit. Climbing around like Indiana Jones in the Cambodian heat can be exhausting. There is a point of being 'templed out.' And everyone's point is different and everyone has a favourite temple. For me it is Anglor Wat.

I love to go there and just sit & feel Angkor Wat. It's magnificent majesty seeps into your soul. I can almost hear the ancient chanting, the tinkering of bells and see the colour & splendour of pageantry. I try to imagine how it appeared in its prime, bejeweled in gem stones & gold.

For some reason that I cant fathom, the Pol Pot regime managed to leave the temples of Angkor Wat untouched. And Im so grateful that they did.

Over a million people a year are now visiting Angkor Wat. Eventually tourism will have to be restricted to protect the temples. Erosion of the stairs due to so may feet passing over them, and touching of the sculptures are destroying the art. Unfortunately like many ancient sites worldwide, Angkor Wat is being loved to death.

I am so glad & very fortunate to have first visited there 9 years ago. I enjoyed the opportunity to see them before any restrictions. I return every year and little by little, access to some areas are diminishing while the much needed restoration work is in progress. I recommend anyone wanting to enjoy the beauty of Angkor, get there sooner than later.

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