The Temples of Angkor

Alan and I spent to day in and around the temples of Angkor on Saturday, January 24. We started the day watching the sun rise behind Angkor Wat, the largest religious monument in the world. It was built approximately 900 years ago, first used as a Hindu temple, then converted for use as a Buddhist temple.

Inside, we explored the galleries and bas-reliefs.

Next we went into the Angkor Thom complex. It is the "Great City,", many different parts of a whole, inside a wall with 5 towering gates. Within Angkor Thom is Bayon, with its many faces, and Phimeanakas Temple, with its reclining Buddha.

Along the Terrace of the Elephants to Phimeanakas Temple...

Buddha's ear is sticking up in middle of this photograph.

Can you make out the face?

After lunch and some market-haggling, we visited our final temple, Ta Prohm. This temple is also known as the Temple of the Trees, as the jungle has grown ever onward and upward. If it looks familiar, that is because Ta Prohm was used for some filming in Tomb Raider movie.