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Siem
Reap
The majestic temples of Angkor in northwest Cambodia
belong to the classic period of Khmer art and civilization.
Today, a millennium after they were built, the awe visitors
with their perfection and enormity. The temples are the creation
of a succession of Khmer kings who presided over an empire that
dominated most of present-day. Southeast Asia from 800 to 1430
reaching its peak in the 12th century. The period began with
the ascension to the throne by King JayavarmanII. |
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| From the 15th century, the temples were abandonee by
the kings and subsequently forgotten until their "rediscover”
in 1861 by the French naturalist Henri Mouhot. |
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| The jungle setting and silence enhance the mystery of the
temples. One early discovers reaction upon seeing Angkor Wat
more than 130 years ago may not be so different from what travelers
can experience to day: "The temple stands solitary and
alone in the jungle, in too perfect order to be called a ruin,
a relic of a race far ahead of the present, "explorer D.O.
King wrote in 1860, in his "travels in Siam and Cambodia. |
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| The period began with the ascension to the throne by
King JayavarmanII. From the 15th century, the temples
were abandonee by the kings and subsequently forgotten
until their "rediscover” in 1861 by the French
naturalist Henri Mouhot. Many of the temples remain in
surprisingly good condition. Others are under restoration
and visitors can get a first-hand look at the painstaking
efforts under way to preserve the relics. |
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| Architectural historians from a variety of countries,
including France, India, Japan, the United States, Indonesia
and Hungary, in the past several years have contributed their
expertise to reserve the temples. |
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| The ruins cover an area of 400 square kilometers in the province
of Siem Reap. The area contains more than 100 monuments, including
two dozen major temples. Some of the temples, such as Angkor
Wat and Bayon, merit several visits at different times of day
to fully appreciate the artistic qualities of the temple carvings
as they reflect varying degrees of sunlight. Most of the temples
are located a few kilometers from downtown Siem Reap, which
has developed over the past few years and is home to several
new hotels, which givers it the infrastructure in needs to support
the increasing numbers of tourists. |
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