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Editors Pick

Angkor Wat and other temples

From Europe in Angkor Wat, Cambodia on Jan 13 '07

barb & tom has visited no places in Angkor Wat
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Ta Prohm.  My favorite because it is only partially restored.   It was a Buddhist monastery controlling over 3000 villages with thousands of support staff.  Several movies have been filmed here, including Tomb Raider.
Ta Prohm. My favorite because it is only partially restored. It was a Buddhist monastery controlling over 3000 villages with thousands of support staff. Several movies have been filmed here, including Tomb Raider.
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Angkor means "Capital City" or "Holy City."  Angkor has come to refer to the capital city of the Khmer Empire that existed in the area of Cambodia between the 9th and 12th centuries.  At its height, more than a million people lived under the Khmer kings in the area of modern Cambodia, and much of Thailand, Vietnam and Laos.

Angkor Wat was built by King Suryavarman II in the early 12th century.  Considered the most spectacular architectural temple.  A later king, Jayavarman VII built hundreds of monuments, most considered architecturally confused and artistically inferior to earlier temples, partly due to the speed in which they were built.

Ta Prohm.  The tree roots are amazing, one of the reasons the temple has become a jumble of stones.
Ta Prohm. The tree roots are amazing, one of the reasons the temple has become a jumble of stones.
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Two days of temple viewing seemed to be enough; we were able to see 15 temples.  We hired a car and driver who would take us to each temple and wait while we walked around at our own pace.  This is one place where I wouldn't want to be on a group tour; it was great to spend as much time at each temple as we wanted.  I don't know why we took hundreds of pictures; it just seemed important at the time to document all the details.  So if you're ready to see lots of pictures, here they are.  JUST KIDDING!  Here are just a few of my favorites.


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