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Temple
of Angkor Wat
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. |
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| 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 reached 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. The jungle
setting and silence enhance the mystery of the temples. |
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| 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 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. |
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| 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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