ANGKOR THOM

The fortified city of Angkor Thom, some 10 sq km in extent, was built by Angkor's greatest king, Jayavarman VII (ruled 1181-1201), who came to power just after the disastrous sacking by the Chams of the previous Khmer capital. Centred on the Baphuon, Angkor Thom is enclosed by a square wall 8m high and 12km in length and encircled by a moat 100m wide, said to have been inhabited by fierce crocodiles.

The city has five monumental gates, one each in the north, west and south walls and two in the east wall. The gates, which are 20m in height, are decorated to either side of the passageway with stone elephant trunks and crowned by four gargantuan faces of the bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara facing the cardinal directions. In front of each gate stand giant statues of 54 gods (to the left of the causeway) and 54 demons (to the right of the causeway), a motif taken from the story of the Churning of the Ocean of Milk illustrated in the famous as-relief at Angkor Wat. In the centre of the walled enclosure are the city's most important monuments, including the Bayon, the Baphuon the Royal Enclosure, Phimeanakas and the Terrace of Elephants.

Bayon  
Architectural Layout  
The Bayon Bas- Relief's
Baphuon
Royal Enclosure & Phimeanakas
Preah Palilay
Tep Pranam
Preah Pithu Group
Terrace of the leper King
Terrace of Elephants
Kleangs & Prasat Suor Prat