Cambodia - a journey trough an supernatural beauty in light of a bloody history - Part 2 of 3 (Angkor Wat .......)

This article conitunues here

Unknown temples and treasures The natives and explorers believed that is still unknown and big treasures deeper in the jungle. For real brave explorers, as Lara Croft in the movie Tomb Rider, with some scenes recorded from Angkor, this area has to be an Eldorado. But it's not without danger. Deeper in the jungle there are poisoned snakes, scorpions, blood iglers, malaria, landmines, armed bandits and Khmer Rouge guerrilla. For they who venture to go further, the temple Beng Mealea is quite interesting. According to locals this temple is stylistically similar to Angkor Wat of the early 12th century. It's located south of Mount Kulen, the sacred mountain of Kulen. Looting in the area is a serious problem. To protect the country's enormous cultural treasures, the a

Cambodia - a journey trough an supernatural beauty in light of a bloody history (this article conitunues here)

Wonder of the world - Angkor Wat - "Discovered" from sky, but have to be experienced from the earth

Unknown temples and treasures The natives and explorers believed that is still unknown and big treasures deeper in the jungle. For real brave explorers, as Lara Croft in the movie Tomb Rider, with some scenes recorded from Angkor, this area has to be an Eldorado. But it's not without danger. Deeper in the jungle there are poisoned snakes, scorpions, blood iglers, malaria, landmines, armed bandits and Khmer Rouge guerrilla. For they who venture to go further, the temple Beng Mealea is quite interesting. According to locals this temple is stylistically similar to Angkor Wat of the early 12th century. It's located south of Mount Kulen, the sacred mountain of Kulen. Looting in the area is a serious problem. To protect the country's enormous cultural treasures, the authorities have empowered the guardian force in the area.

Another great monument here is Bayon, which was built nearly hundred years after Angkor Wat. This temple is located in the centre of the city of Angkor Thom in the jungle. This city was bigger than any city in Europe at that time, and it is estimated by scientists that so many as one million have lived here. It served as the religious and administrative centre of the powerful Khmer kingdom.

From a distance Bayon looked like collapsed stone monuments, but when I approached, I could clearly view that it had more to offer. It was not so well preserved as Angkor Wat, but the grandness of architecture fascinated me. This temple is characterised by 54 gothic towers decorated with over 200 large smiling faces. When I walked around I could sometimes view several faces at one time in fully or in profile. I really wondered why they were smiling? It was really exciting to walk round in the narrow corridors, stairways and chambers, up and down on different levels. Fortunately I didn't fall down or get lost, and after a while I stumbled upon the exit.

Photo. The "smiling" Bayon Temple, with the Golden Tower. Are there more temples like this in the area, and with hidden treasures?

The Bayon is decorated with 1200 metres of extraordinary bas-reliefs incorporating over 11,000 figures. The fascinating carvings on the outer wall of the 1st level depict vivid scenes of everyday life in the 12th century in the country. As most of the monuments in the area, is also Bayon full of mysteries. So far I have heard no one knows the idea behind the monuments and the symbolism in the all the smiling faces. Perhaps it was quite easy: Don't worry, stay happy!

In the Angkor Thom area, it was earlier a tower covered by gold. The tower stand there still, but the gold is disappeared. No one knows where the gold has been taken. It is assumed that there are big gold treasures below some of the temples, but they are difficult to excavate without destroying the temples fundamental construction. In Angkor Thom there are gold structure (gold floor or layer) under the temples that lays totally unavailable for tourists and others.

Preservation of temples and cultural treasures According to the represents for the organisation Angkor Conservation as I met, it works 160 conservators actively to find new status and other sculptures in the jungle. It means a lot for the country's inhabitants that their origin and history can be documented, so it's possible to take care of their cultural and religious identity. Many of the conservators come from other countries too.

The work contains to maintain and keep artefacts on safe places. It's necessary because the illegal market for antics is enormous and big money changes steadily hands. The pillages have done more damages on the temples than the 30 years long civil war. The pillages will just continue, but hopefully the authorities will get a better control over the area.

I got a special permission to see a unique collection of Buddha sculptures and other kind of sculptures that are not available for tourists. More than 5000 artefacts are kept here to avoid stealing. Because of this, Angkor's most beautiful artefacts are preserved in the organisation store building and other safe places on the property. Hopefully these artefacts will be displayed to other visitors too. Even though the store building is protected by armed forces, bandits have attacked the place, and stolen several artefacts. Actual nothing is safely preserved here. In a so poor and war exposed country as Cambodia, is it not difficult to understand that tomb riding and robberies can happen. It's just what the popular movie Tomb rider is about. Some of the scenes in the movie are shot in the Angkor area. Someone would say that the movie glorify tomb riding, and that don't make it easier for the conservators.

Photo: Meeting with Mr. Tuon Phok, manager for Angkor's Conservation Office in Siem Reap, and his college In Phally. In the middle sits my guide. Preservationists in Cambodia have a big challenge to keep Angkor's sacred temples intact while looters threaten to destroy and take away the few remaining traces of the ancient Khmer Empire.

With more that 100 temples in the Angkor area it's easy to lose the overview. They have a wide area to cover. Conservator In Phalli said proudly that he has found a error on page 19 to one of the most famous authors about Angkor Wat, Dawn F. Rooney (the photo don't show Angkor Wat, but the temple Preah Rup). He knows her well and has made her aware of this. The interest about Angkor Wat and the Angkor site have rose up to big heights. Recently he has been contacted by several broadcasting companies. He has been interviewed of both BBC and CNN.

The daily life under the Khmer empire Angkor Wat and other temples waked big association in me about an incredible life. The mighty Khmer empire had obviously the power to create legends of gods, kings and heroes. The length of the great time has to been overwhelming. Since the start on the beginning of the 800 century, Khmer has kept it going on in over 600 year (from 702 to 1432), but suddenly the building activity stopped when Thai warriors conquered the area. Sometimes it is possible to find connections regarding architectural features on the temples built in different periods that make it even more interesting.

The only preserved inscriptions that can tell something about the life in the past, could be understood by setting different stones together with inscription on, just as a puzzle. From the scenes depicted, it's possible to understand little bit of what people ate, what clothes they wore, dwelling, animals, flora and fauna and more.

Photo. Dancing Asparas, celestial nymphs. I am sure they were angels from heaven. What an art gallery. These reliefs on Angkor Wats`s wall are inspired from the Khmer's spiritual world and are definitely among the most beautiful examples of relief caring. Some other reliefs carved in stone on the walls of the temples display the daily life at Angkor.

Only the temples have survived the long period. Angkor Wat is the biggest and maybe the most beautiful temple of all temples in the area. It has now become a kind of Buddhist monastery as the monks keep free for vegetation and maintain. Today the Buddhists wander daily to the temple for preying and giving aroma flowers to the area's many Buddha sculptures.

Angkor Wat - a temple, tomb or something else What was the meaning behind this enormous monument? What is really Angkor Wat? A temple for tilbedelse of gods, observatory for looking at stars, tomb for kings, or a helgenskin, a treasure chamber, a mausoleum? Who build this wonder? Big man, kings to the angels, or worksome and creative people? Earlier locals believed that the temples were built by supernatural creatures. It's so difficult to imagine that humans would be able to create something like that.

Angkor became constructed as an symbol of the universe, as associated the Hindus perspective on the world. When the ancient Khmer devoted themselves to Hinduism, they designed a symbolic geography that reflected their new destiny. The relatively small haugene near Angkor represents for example the mighty and far Himalaya, the mountain for the Hindu gods. The water Kbal Spean ("bridge head") on the Khmer language, represent the holy Ganges River.

Photo. Majestic Angkor Wat - the direction of the rising sun. Is the monument constructed as an model to reflect the universe? Mysteries about Angkor Wat are still unsolved, but it makes it even more interesting.

Khmers architecture is based on cosmology as many other wonders around the world, for examples as the Incas built in South America. West is considered inauspicious and represents death, impurity and the setting sun. Most of the Khmer temples were built with the entrance to the east, as this was the formal approach to most Hindu shrines except for Angkor Wat. Has Angkor Wat an astrological value? Has the monument been built according to a mathematical system in order to function in harmony with the universe?

It's so much around the Angkor Wat that is unique compared with other temples. The most typical is the west turned orientation. West symbolise the direction of death, that got many explorers to believe that Angkor Wat was primary a tomb. This became documented as the truth that the fundamental pillars became designed so that Angkor Wat could be seen in the sun direction, a tradition in the past according to Hindus funeral customs. The Hindu god Vishnu, as Angkor Wat became built to honour, is most linked to the west. It's now today a common understanding that Angkor Wat is most likely both a temple and a mausoleum for the king Suryavarmann II, who ruled from 1112 to1152.

Spending 4 - 5 days in Angkor`s historical site was well worth. Inside Angkor Wat I felt in dreamland. I dreamed back to the Khmer's great time, and I dreamed about beautiful nymphs (Asparas) danced and soared in the air. These beautiful creatures must have been angels from heaven. I wished that the dream never ended. One thing is for sure: I became totally lost in Angkor Wat!

This article continues in part 3. Read more…. The killing fields - Cambodia's holocaust.

Stein Morten Lund, 11 August 2001

Additonal information Added to UNESCO`s United Nations Educational, Scentific and Cultural organisation) list of World Heritages Sites in 1992. Both local and foreign people work together to preserve and reconstruct the monuments. At the same time the struggle against well organised looting.

Reliefs carved in stone on the walls of the temples provide a glimpse of daily life at Angkor. From the scenes depicted, it's possible to understand something what people ate, what clothes they wore, dwellings, animals, flora and fauna and more.

For more detailed background information, read the book "Angkor" by Dawn F. Rooney. She has written several books about the region's culture, including Khmer Ceramics and Betel Chewing Traditions in Southeast Asia, as well as contributing articles to Oriental Art and other journals.