Glorious Angkor Thom Magnificent Ruins: Impression and Posession

#asiatrip Angkor Thom is a very interesting temple city in Cambodia, built by the ancient Khmer near Siem Reap. It is located next to the walls of another global celebrity and the main attraction of all Cambodia, the Angkor Wat temple complex, whose name is much more widely known and well-known to many. However, Angkor Thom is no less amazing. To see it, you can go from Siem Reap to the route along the Large or Small circle of Angkor. There are so many objects on its territory and they are all so different and unlike each other that you can inspect them all day. Therefore, leave Siem Reap early. Angkor Thom is a huge ancient temple city and the former capital of the Khmer Empire, located north of the modern city of Siem Reap and the main temple of Cambodia, Angkor Wat. Most of it was built under Jayavarman VII at the turn of the XII-XIII centuries and is a giant fortified city. The name of the city is translated from the Khmer language as “Big Angkor". And as scientists say, it fully justifies its name: its size is so large that about a million people used to live in it. And even now, a tourist coming to Angkor Thom can appreciate the scope of the ancient Khmer construction. Among the attractions of Angkor Thom in Cambodia, the most famous temple is, of course, Bayon with prasats in the form of faces. But of no less interest are the ancient temple-Mount Bapuon, as well as the labyrinthine terraces, richly decorated with carvings. Such unique attractions place Angkor Thom among the most curious phenomena of Cambodia, and certainly will not let tourists who have already seen the classic Angkor Wat get bored. Trees grow on the territory of the city, sometimes some areas even look like a jungle, among which temples are hidden. Many ruined buildings lie in ruins, stone blocks are covered with moss and look incredibly romantic. The adventurous spirit has not disappeared from Angkor Thom. Here you can imagine yourself as the hero of an adventure film in search of ancient treasures. The central part of Angkor Thom covers an area of about 10 km2 and has the shape of a square (the length of each side is 3.2 km), surrounded on all sides by high walls and moats with water – external and internal. The moats were so large that boats and even small ships sailed along them. Curiously, there were even crocodiles in the inner moat – Jayavarman took the defense of the city very seriously. You can get to Angkor Thom from the city of Siem Reap, from which it is located 9 km to the north. The nearest landmark to it is the most famous Khmer temple complex Angkor Wat, located 1.5 km away in the neighborhood. Angkor Thom is also included in two popular routes through the Angkor Temple complex – the Small and Large Circles of Angkor.