The Temples of Angkor - a world-wonder!

For many travellers the name Cambodia equals with the name of the maybe most famous temples of the world: Angkor.
Over an area of more than 160 km² in the north-east of the country, more than 1,000 temples have been discovered up to today. With modern technologies - with the help of satellite images - even today temples are discovered that were built more than a thousand years ago.
About 800 AD King Jayavarman II built a capital for the first time in the area. The holy mountain Phnom Kulen from where a river descends, might have been the reason to set up the centre of his kingdom right here. Many Kings hereafter built their capitals close to this mountains - but often on new locations in the agricultural rich area of the first temples, the Rolous-Group.
Today several hundred people visit the archaeological wonder and still there are corners where you can feel as being one of the first to explore the monuments. The most-visited temples Angkor Wat, Ta Prohm as well as the Bayon fascinated us very much, the less known sites of Banteay Srei or Preah Khan astonished us with even more reliefs and architectonic skills - and a calmer atmosphere to enjoy these.
We spent four days to explore, compare - and take pictures of the monuments that were erected between 802 AD and 1432 AD (when Phnom Penh became capital for the first time). Here is a small selection of the countless buildings with countless adornments. Whether restored to its assumed previous conditions or overgrown by the jungle - we could not say which temple we like most ...

Click on the pictures to view them larger.

Angkor Wat (Early to mid 12th century)
Banteay Srei (Late10th century)
Bayon (Late 12th century)

Ta Phrom (Mid 12th to early 13th century)
Preah Khan (Late 12th century)
Other temples
The temples - still places of living
We have not been alone ...