Angkor, also known as Yasodharapura, was the capital city of the Khmer Empire. The city and empire flourished from approximately the 9th to the 15th centuries. The city houses the Angkor Wat, one of Cambodia's most popular tourist attractions.
Angkor Wat is a temple complex in Cambodia and is the largest religious monument in the world, on a site measuring 162.6 hectares. Originally constructed as a Hindu temple dedicated to the god Vishnu for the Khmer Empire by King Suryavarman II, it was gradually transformed into a Buddhist temple towards the end of the 12th century; as such, it is also described as a "Hindu-Buddhist" temple.
The Khmer Empire, or the Angkorian Empire, is a term used by historians to refer to Cambodia from the 9th to the 15th centuries, when the nation was a Hindu-Buddhist empire in Southeast Asia. The empire grew out of the former civilizations of Funan and Chenla, which at times ruled over and/or vassalised most of mainland Southeast Asia and parts of Southern China, stretching from the tip of the Indochinese Peninsula northward to the modern Yunnan province of China, and from Vietnam westward to Myanmar. At its peak, the Khmer Empire was larger than the Byzantine Empire, which existed around the same time.
The Phimai Historical Park is one of the largest Hindu Khmer temples in Thailand. It is located in the town of Phimai, Nakhon Ratchasima province. It is one of the most important tourist attractions in Nakhon Ratchasima province.
Angkor Thom, alternatively Nokor Thom located in present-day Cambodia, was the last and most enduring capital city of the Khmer Empire. It was established in the late twelfth century by King Jayavarman VII. It covers an area of 9 km², within which are located several monuments from earlier eras as well as those established by Jayavarman and his successors. At the centre of the city is Jayavarman's state temple, the Bayon, with the other major sites clustered around the Victory Square immediately to the north. The site is one of the major tourist attractions of southeast Asia.
The Bayon is a richly decorated Khmer temple related to Buddhism at Angkor in Cambodia. Built in the late 12th or early 13th century as the state temple of the King Jayavarman VII, the Bayon stands at the centre of Jayavarman's capital, Angkor Thom.
Preah Ko was the first temple to be built in the ancient and now defunct city of Hariharalaya, some 15 kilometers south-east of the main group of temples at Angkor, Cambodia. The temple was built under the Khmer King Indravarman I in 879 to honor members of the king's family, whom it places in relation with the Hindu deity Shiva.
Spean Thma in Angkor, Cambodia is known as the bridge of stone and it is located west of Ta Keo. It is one of the few Khmer Empire era bridges to have survived to the modern day.
In January 2003, a Cambodian newspaper article falsely alleged that Thai actress Suvanant Kongying claimed that the Angkor Wat belonged to Thailand. Other Cambodian print and radio media picked up the report and furthered nationalistic sentiments, which resulted in riots in Phnom Penh on 29 January where the Thai embassy was burned and commercial properties of Thai businesses were vandalized. The riots reflect the fluid historical relationship between Thailand and Cambodia, as well as the economic, cultural and political factors involving the two countries.
Suryavarman II, posthumously named Paramavishnuloka, was a Khmer king from 1113 AD to 1145/1150 AD and the builder of Angkor Wat, the largest religious monument in the world which he dedicated to the Hindu god Vishnu. His reign's monumental architecture, numerous military campaigns and restoration of strong government have led historians to rank Suryavarman as one of the empire's greatest kings.
Yasovarman I was an Angkorian king who reigned in 889–910 CE. He was called "Leper King".
Beng Mealea, or Boeng Mealea, is a temple from the Angkor Wat period located 40 km (25 mi) east of the main group of temples at Angkor, Cambodia, on the ancient royal highway to Preah Khan Kompong Svay.
Jayavarman II was a Khmer prince who founded and became the ruler of the Khmer Empire (Cambodia) after unifying the Khmer civilization. The Khmer Empire was the dominant civilization in mainland Southeast Asia from the 9th century until the mid-15th century. Jayavarman II was a powerful Khmer king who declared independence from a polity inscriptions named "Java". Jayavarman II founded many capitals such as Mahendraparvata, Indrapura, Amarendrapura, and Hariharalaya. Before Jayavarman II came to power, there was much fighting among local overlords who ruled different parts of Cambodia. No inscriptions by Jayavarman II have been found. Future kings of the Khmer Empire described him as a warrior and the most powerful king from that time frame that they could recall. Historians formerly dated his reign as running from 802 AD to 835 AD.
Yasodharapura, also known as Angkor, is a city that was the second capital of the Khmer Empire, established by King Yasovarman I in the late 9th century and centred on the temple of Phnom Bakheng.
Bokator is an ancient battlefield martial art used by ancient Khmer military groups. It is one of the oldest existing fighting systems originating from Cambodia.
Siem Reap is the second-largest city of Cambodia, as well as the capital and largest city of Siem Reap Province in northwestern Cambodia.
Henri Marchal was a French architect and civil servant. He devoted a great part of his life to research on the art and archeology of Cambodia and the conservation and restoration of Khmer monuments at the archeological site of Angkor, in Cambodia.
The ancient Funan sites of Angkor Borei and Phnom Da are located in the Angkor Borei District, Takéo Province, of southern Cambodia. It is in southern part of Cambodia, about 10 kilometers from the western split of Mekong river delta, 150 kilometers from the seacoast, and near the Vietnam border. The Angkor Borei site was an early capital and a region where southeast Asian culture and arts fused in the ancient times. Archaeological excavations have yielded items that are carbon dated to roughly 400 BC and thereafter, many related to early Buddhism and Hinduism, confirming a continuous human settlement at least for some 2,500 years. They contain the earliest known dated Khmer inscriptions as well as the earliest tradition of Khmer sculpture.
Phnom Dei is a 272 m high hill close to Siem Reap, Cambodia.
Dy Proeung is a Cambodian architect and sculptor. He is notable for creating scaled-down models of Cambodian temples, most notably Angkor Wat. An article in Roads & Kingdoms once described Proeung as Cambodia's "Most diligent and heroic architect".
