An easy mistake made by many visitors to
Cambodia, is that
Angkor Thom is “another temple”.
It’s not, it’s a whole city. “Angkor” means “city” and “Thom” means big – so the clue is in the name:
Angkor Thom refers to what once was a great Khmer city and includes a whole host of temples and sites of historical interest.
- 5 facts about Angkor Thom
- 5 handy tips for visiting Angkor Thom
- Angkor Thom’s history
- Architectural design
1. 5 facts about Angkor Thom
1. Angkor Thom site is 10sq km in size.
2. There are 216 faces on the Bayon temple.
3. Baphuon temple in Angkor Thom became one of the world’s largest jigsaw puzzles when the records from the carefully mapped pieces that had been taken apart were destroyed during the Khmer Rouge. Archaeologists were left with a lot of stones on the ground and only their best guess as to where they might all go.
4. Ta Prohm is not the only temple to feature in Tomb Raider. The east gate of Angkor Thom made an appearance as well.
5. The Angkor Thom gates would have originally been closed with wooden doors.
2. 5 handy tips for visiting Angkor Thom
1. It is possible to walk around the whole Angkor Thom wall. There are a couple of steep scrambles to get up and down at the gates, but a walk round the wall is a lovely way to explore the Angkor Park.
2. The south west corner of the Angkor Thom wall, overlooking the moat, is a lovely sunset spot.
3. Don’t just visit Bayon. While the temple is fascinating, it’s really taking in all the other nearby structures that gives a sense of the scale of the site.
4. The south gate is the busiest with visitors as it is closest to Angkor Wat. For a magical entrance to the temples, buy you ticket first, and then hire a motodop to take you through the west gate of Angkor Thom to enter the temple park.
5. Angkor Thom is a big site and takes energy! Rehydrate with fresh coconuts sold in the local restaurants outside.
3. Angkor Thom’s history
Angkor Thom was founded by King Jayavarman VII, one of the most important figures of the Khmer Empire.
He was a Buddhist, and during the time of his reign oversaw a wholesale conversion of the Khmer people from Hinduism to Buddhism.
He was a great believer in public works, creating schools, hospitals, and reservoirs.
He is also famous for resurrecting the Khmer Empire following Cham invasions, and creating a glorious new capital city – Angkor Thom – which was the central hub for a population of around 1 million.
Angkor Thom remained the capital of the Khmer Empire throughout its decline – and was probably fully abandoned in the 16th century.
It is now, as with the other temples in the Angkor Park, a World Heritage site.
4. Architectural design
The city of Angkor Thom is surrounded by a wall, 8m high and 12km long, with five gates (two in the eastern wall).
The entrances to some of the gates are lined with statues of gods and demons holding nagas, and the gates themselves are adorned with the face of Avalokiteshvara, the goddess of compassion (although it’s thought they also strangely resemble King Jayavarman VII).
The wall itself is circled by a 100m wide moat. Bayon is in the center of this area, with Baphuon slightly to the west, and some of the smaller temples further north.
The stunningly intricate Terrace of Elephants and Terrace of the Leper King are to the north of Bayon.