Lost cities in the Cambodian jungle. The Lost World: Travel Guide to Cambodia. Three days or more

A sensational discovery was made by a group of archaeologists in Cambodia - an ancient lost city, which have been looking for more than a dozen years.
The exact location of the city, until recently, was hidden from the general public, thanks, among other things, to the inaccessible terrain covered with minefields and swamps, as well as hidden in dense forests, unfriendly settlements of Khmer ethnic minorities: tribes far from civilization and professing animism.
Not so long ago, I came across a lidar survey map of a part of Mount Phnom Kulen. There was fragmentary information and coordinates of one of the objects. the ancient city of Mahendraparvata, located just 27 km from temple wat Phrea Ang Thom, on Mount Kulen. Using the scarce information about the location of the ancient city, we deciphered the map and, putting it on the GPS, planned a pedestrian trekking along the excavation route. In this article you can familiarize yourself with the results of our walking expedition to the area of ​​the ancient city of Mahendraparvata, made on February 23 and 24, 2016. We set out on the route early in the morning. The entire area around the ancient city is overgrown with impenetrable rainforest.
There are trails in the forest, beaten by poachers who extract valuable species of trees, as well as sappers who are clearing some areas.
Kulen plateau d More recently, it was a stronghold of the Khmer Rouge and became available to archaeologists only in the 1990s. You can read about the history of the Khmer Rouge in the article
There is currently no way to visit the excavation site by car.
The paths in the forest give way to swampy areas and thickets of yellowed grass, in which there is a full set of poisonous snakes living in this region.
Walking trekking along the route is complicated by the clearing of the area and careful tracking of reptiles. We chose not to think about mines, hoping that archaeologists, as well as activists from the demining group, had passed this way before us.
The first 25 kilometers we did not meet a single living soul along the route. Only giant silent trees that hide the centuries-old secrets of ancient civilizations.
Suddenly, a clearing opened to us with the characteristic mark of the ubiquitous Apsara fund, from which we concluded that we were already close to the first object:
The main secret in detection ancient cities in Cambodia consists in the fact that on the territory of the Kulen plateau, as in the main part of the country, the terrain is extremely flat, and any hillock or unevenness on the earth's surface is nothing more than an archaeological object covered with a load of sand and dead foliage.

Excavation of an ancient city in Cambodia

Any such irregularities indicate the presence of a human settlement.

Intuition did not deceive us, and now, a clearing with the first archaeological objects opened up to our eyes:

There were five rectangular prasats (brick towers) in the clearing, of which only one survived:

We found such artifacts inside the towers and in the surrounding area.

In terms of the similarity in size, these two elements resemble a kind of installation with a lid.

with a characteristic high-tech finish.

The purpose of these items is not entirely clear, as is the reason why such elaborate and difficult doorways were installed in simple brick structures.

After careful examination of the surrounding area, we discovered three more dilapidated complexes of similar brick towers on a laterite platform.

Each of them contained a different stone artifact... It could be ancient wells, water purification systems, or something else.

These structures have long disappeared into the jungle, leaving only traces in the form of mounds and hollows, which are easy to see among the trees and overgrowth, and which are hidden by the moss-covered ruins of the temple.

The mounds are several meters in diameter and, to the untrained eye, look like ordinary natural hills. However, archaeologists know that they matter much more.

Scientists suggest that the population the ancient city of Mahendraparvata died out due to lack of water - the resources of the land were exhausted and not restored, and people had to go in search of territories conducive to the prosperity of life.

Moreover, the mystery is the mysterious objects of the ancient city that have stood for centuries, the unique, technologically skillful stone carving, and engineering structures that have no analogues, the intended use of which has not yet been solved.

You can read about the intended purpose of some artifacts in the article:

The most interesting objects were found 6 kilometers to the north:

Archaeological maps assure that this is nothing more than a quarry, in which the stone was mined for the construction of Angkor.

On the lava frozen thousands of years ago, artificial notches and perfectly straight cuts are clearly visible:

The gigantic structures of ancient Angkor were built from the stone quarried in these quarries.

A laterite pyramid rises in the center of a kilometer-long territory, lined with cut lines and rectangular trenches.

The pyramid is crowned with destroyed brick prasat, inside which, however, another mysterious installation has been preserved:

Let me outline a few historical versions of what this is:

Archaeologists are sure that this structure is called

Yoni

Within Indian culture, worship yoni is most clearly traced in the mythology and rituals of Shaivism and related sects, where yoni honored in conjunction with the corresponding masculine symbol - lingoi(creative principle) as a natural energy contributing to its manifestation, as well as a way to obtain "sacred" healing water.

The water that falls on the top of Linga's head and flows into the Yoni is considered sacred and endowed with healing properties.

All found Yoni have just such a perfect treatment.

Enough interesting fact is the presence under each "Yoni", mine, going vertically underground. In some natural depressions, mines filled with sand and compressed foliage can be seen.
In these photos you can see, perhaps, the last of the untouched mines, which we cleaned a little of the cultural layer.
Some information from the press about the discovery and research in the area of ​​the ancient city of Mahendraparvata:

The ancient city of Mahendraparvata, which disappeared in the wilds of the tropical forest, was previously known only from legends.

By special order, we carry out trekking walking tours to the excavations of the ancient city of Mahendraparvata, as well as one-day excursions on motorcycles with a driver, as part of individual tours:

Cambodia is one of the most mysterious countries South-East Asia, in which many secrets have not yet been revealed. Since the ruins of Angkor Wat were officially found, there have been many interesting researchers and travelers found in Cambodia. With a certain frequency, researchers find more and more ruins, dig more and more interesting temples and palaces. What is the mystery of Cambodia? What is her secret? Why is there so much unknown here?

Roads of Cambodia.

The hardest part of getting around Cambodia, especially if you want to travel to distant cities and villages, is transport connection... The roads of Cambodia are a real obstacle even for avid travelers. But only by overcoming this obstacle, you can find something really interesting and mysterious. If you are going to go to Lovek, then get ready for the fact that the roads may be washed out, asphalt is definitely not there. And think carefully if you plan on going there during the monsoon season. The fact is that most of the roads in Cambodia are made of clay, and it becomes very slippery when it rains. A tractor is best suited for such roads, not a machine. But all the same, nothing is impossible. Let's hit the road!

The Lost City of Lovek.

The town of Lovek is a place that is not even known to the majority local residents... It is known that this city became the capital during the reign of An-Chan (there was such a king in the sixteenth century). The city was beautiful and great, but King Ayutthaya defeated it during the conquest of these lands.

And it seems that nothing remained of the former splendor and grandeur, if not for the feeling of something secret, unusual and mysterious.

If you are driving near Udong in Cambodia, try to find this secret city. Maybe he will appear just for you!

The secrets and revelations of Cambodia are not only in the famous temples of Angkor. Travelers, expats and locals told us about the village life and entertainment of the Cambodian capital, about the provincial architecture and the wilds of national parks, about the legacy of the recent past and places where everyone becomes happy. We have selected 15 ways to discover the Khmer kingdom.

Meet the dawn

John Reed, Regional Director of Aman Resorts:
If you go to Angkor Wat before dawn, then at the entrance you will be greeted not by crowds of tourists, but by a mysterious silence. Inside, the temple amazes with endless bas-reliefs on scenes from the Mahabharata and Ramayana - I especially like the panel "Churning the Milk Ocean". The temple complex of Angkor is huge, so it is better to take at least a couple of days to get to know it. If you don't have much time, you can, within one tour, go around the ancient city of Angkor Thom on a bicycle, examine the ruins of the Ta Prum temple entwined with tree roots, in which the statues of heavenly beauty of the demigoddesses-apsaras remind of the 615 dancers who lived here. You can visit the temples of Angkor not only during the high season (from November to April), but also during the monsoon period - from June to October, when the forest comes to life, the lakes are filled with water, and there are fewer tourists. This the best time and to take a boat trip on Tonle Sap Lake and see the floating villages.

Explore temples

Alexey Ilyin, journalist:
In temples remote from Angkor, a thoughtful visitor has more chances to feel the spirit of Cambodian antiquity than in places of mass "worship". To get started, drive to the Banteay Srei Temple, located about 20 kilometers northeast of the main group of Angkorian monuments. Banteay Srei, built in the 10th century from pink sandstone, is one of the most beautiful sanctuaries in Cambodia. Symbols of fertility and sculptures of the gods of the Hindu pantheon are carved on the stone bottom of the "Stream of a Thousand Lingams" at the foot of the sacred Mount Phnom Kulen. Another temple, Bengmealea, is located 40 kilometers east of Angkor. This huge temple complex was built at the beginning of the 12th century, during the heyday of the Khmer Empire. In order not to get lost in its giant labyrinth, it is worth using the services of one of the caretakers, who will take you through the vines-overgrown galleries for a nominal fee of $ 3-5.

Go to the circus

Anika Rao, Phare Communications Manager, The Cambodian Circus:
Siem Reap is not just a "gateway" to Angkor Wat, it is one of the new cultural centers of Cambodia. The Phare Cambodian Circus gives performances here. This creative association was born in the early 90s in the city of Battambang as a school for the children of the poor. With the help of dance, theater, modern music and unique circus art, artists recreate not only traditional plots, but also moments new history country. I also recommend a visit to the new Crane Cafe (Central Market St.), where excellent coffee from the local Rumblefish brand is brewed - it is located in the old French district of Kendal Village, which has turned into a trendy place with restaurants, galleries and boutiques. Best bar in the city - Long's Bar (Doung Hem St.) with cozy armchairs and delicious cocktails: try martini with aromatic peppers from the Kampot province or vodka infused with basil and pomelo. My friends and I often stay up late at The Harbor, a pirate bar with hard rock and all kinds of entertainment, from stand-up comedians to fun parties with board games.

Colonize capital bars

Kounila Keough, blogger:
Phnom Penh is an ancient city, but you can hardly find ancient architecture in it - only the quarters adjacent to To the royal palace, and the Art Deco building of the Central Market. Palace complex with the Throne Room and the Silver Pagoda and National Museum with the largest collection of Khmer sculptures will certainly be in your program. But visiting the Museum of Genocide, housed in the dungeons of the prison S-21, and the "Killing Fields", where the Khmer Rouge tortured and executed victims of the regime, should only be those with strong nerves. In general, Phnom Penh is unlikely to overwhelm you as much as Ho Chi Minh City or Singapore, but it is homely and simple. For an evening like the locals, head to one of the tiny bars on Bassak Lane. For shopping, go to Psar-Tuol - the so-called "Russian market" - where you can buy anything from silk fabrics to antiques and carved wooden Buddha figurines. And for the weekend, go to the surrounding cities - Udong, one of the ancient capitals of Cambodia, or the quiet lake Tonle Bati.

Alexey Terentyev

Bow to Widow Stump

Eng Polit Solari, lecturer at ISAA MSU:
For me the most important place Phnom Penh - Wat Phnom Monastery. It was with him that the history of our capital began. According to legend, the first temple on a high hill was built in the 14th century for four statues of Buddha, miraculously found in the waters of the Tonle Sap River by a widow named Penh. Vihara, a shrine with statues of Gautama, has been rebuilt four times over the centuries. It is said that during the Khmer Rouge regime, the original statuettes that the widow found were lost. However, it doesn't matter, because the place of Buddha is in the hearts of believers. There are other significant relics in the monastery, including the sanctuary of the widow Penh herself and the tomb of King Ponya Yat, the ruler of the Khmer empire, who moved the country's capital from Angkor to Phnom Penh in the 15th century. The monastery is always full of visitors and is especially crowded during the Khmer New Year, which is celebrated during three days in the middle of April. At this time, in Wat Phnom, you can see how children and adults indulge in traditional Khmer fun - from tug-of-war to various games with songs and dances.

Look over the edge

Osman Khawaja, Director of the Egbok Mission Hospitality School:
The Preah Vihear temple complex is located in the very north of Cambodia, near the border with Thailand. A few years ago, this monument served as a point of dispute and a "stumbling block" between the two countries, but now everything is calm here. Preah Vihear is located on a high plateau above the valley. It leads to the top steep road- on the own car it is forbidden to climb (however, for a dozen dollars they are allowed on personal motorcycles), visitors are brought to the ruins by a museum pickup truck or bike. The temple dedicated to the god Shiva symbolizes sacred mountain Hinduism - Meru. The complex is very large - you can easily spend three hours there, admiring the panoramas of the Cambodian and Thai expanses from the windows opening in the walls of the galleries. The layout of the temple is oriented from north to south: from the entrance you gradually rise higher and higher, bypassing the pavilions of the gopur (towers) and stairs. After walking through the ruins, picnic on the edge of a cliff with one of the best views in Cambodia.

Wash the elephant

Mr Three, founder and main guide of the Mondulkiri Project:
The cool, densely forested hills of Mondulkiri lie in eastern Cambodia. The provincial capital, Senmonorom city, can be reached from Phnom Penh in five hours. Most of The population here is representatives of the Pnong tribe, in whose life elephants play a huge role: they are not just an irreplaceable labor force, but also a kind of family members. When you come here, you will see how strong this bond is.

Photo: Nicolas Axelrod, Lynn Gail / Getty Images

In a protected valley not far from Senmonorom, we are protecting a virgin forest from being cut down, and at the same time we have set up a “rest house” for elephants there. They get it hard both in rural work and in tourist centers... One of our elephants, the Princess, once injured her spine, carrying a heavy wooden saddle on her back; two male drivers tore ears with hooks. Therefore - no riding! Go for a walk in the jungle on foot side by side with the giants, feed them (elephants feed on bamboo shoots, but prefer bananas for dessert), swim with them in the waterfall: washing an elephant smeared in red clay is not an easy job! And the pnong guides along the way will tell you about how the tribe collects rubber in the forest, will treat you to wild honey and cook fern soup over the fire.

Take a train ride

Chamnan Muon, Internet Marketing Consultant:
Battambang is the second largest city in Cambodia, but the atmosphere here is calm and conducive to walking. Take a bike and explore the embankment of the Sangker River and the old quarters on the left bank - there are elegant colonial mansions built at the beginning of the last century. In the surrounding villages, you can look into old peasant houses on stilts, as well as see how rice paper is made, traditional glutinous rice sweets are prepared, and Khmer kram scarves are weaved. The Battambang province is not only Cambodia's "rice basket", but also a land of ancient monuments. One of the most notable is Phnom Banan, the same age as Angkor. There are many places here that have gone down in history because of the atrocities of the Khmer Rouge. And most tourists know about Battambang only that you can ride here on the so-called bamboo train. This funny railcar still connects the villages south of Battambang, following a single track dating back to the days of the French colony. There is a danger that the bamboo train line will be closed soon, so hurry up!

Arrange a march into the Neolithic

Pierre-Yves Clay, owner of the Terres Rouges Collection hotels:
Ratanakiri is a mountainous province in the north-east of the country cut off from civilization. It is inhabited mainly by tribes professing animism. Many of their customs have remained virtually unchanged since prehistoric times. For example, the Zyarai, Tampuan and Kachok tribes set up wooden totems around cemeteries, which are designed to protect the dead on their way to the next world. Young Krungs, having reached marriageable age, build "bachelor houses" on high pillars, in which they live until they have a family. In all local tribes, it is customary to bring sacrifices to the spirits - as a rule, buffaloes. Overgrown with dense forests or planted with Hevea plantations, the Ratanakiri hills are rich in waterfalls and caves, and also in deposits of zircons, amethysts and opals. The most beautiful local lake, Yeaklaom, located not far from the provincial capital, Banlung, is nothing more than a water-filled crater of an ancient volcano. In the largest national park in the country, Viraci, you can meet the gibbon family, go rafting in a dugout boat on the Sesan River and explore forest trails on foot or on an elephant ride.

Become a forest dweller

Sophani Touch, Chi Phat Project Manager, Wildlife Alliance:
Located in the southwest of Cambodia, the Cardamom Mountains are a great ecotourism destination. These hard-to-reach places have preserved one of the largest tracts of tropical rainforest in Southeast Asia. The landscapes of the Cardamom Mountains are varied - from formidable mountain peaks (here is the main peak of the country Phnom Oral with a height of 1813 meters) to swamps and mangrove forests on the coast. To get acquainted with the wealth of this "lost world", come to the forest village of Chi Phat. Its residents themselves organize overnight stays and excursions for guests. Many of them used to hunt for poaching, and now serve as guides. They will take you to waterfalls, caves full of bats, and ancient burial places in the forest, showing rare plants, animals and birds. Village families will be happy to share the table and shelter with you so that you can get to know more about their way of life.

See pink dolphins

Samban Tkheng, director of travel agency Merry Travel:
People come to the small town of Kratie, located in the central part of the country, on the banks of the Mekong, to admire the rarest Irrawaddy freshwater dolphins. Kratieh and the surrounding area (more precisely, the village of Kampi, two dozen kilometers from the city) is perhaps the only place in the country where you can definitely see these animals: after a power plant was built upstream of the Mekong, in Laos, in the north of Cambodia dolphins have already do not meet. The town itself is also very pleasant with its sleepy rhythm of life and quarters of colonial houses. I advise you to grab a bike and ride along the Mekong, visiting coastal fishing villages and staying overnight in colorful stilt huts.

Alexey Terentyev

Conquer the jungle

Igor "Sinus" Sokolov, traveler and motorcyclist:
Sihanoukville, located in the southwest of the country on the coast of the Gulf of Thailand, is the only deep-water port in Cambodia. And also - the largest resort in the country, the area of ​​which is constantly expanding. Of the seven famous beaches of Sihanoukville, I recommend relaxing on Sokha Beach at the hotel of the same name and on Otres Beach - it is located farther than the rest, but it is the cleanest. It makes sense to look for the coolest beaches on the nearest islands of Sihanoukville: Koh Rong is discos and parties, Koh Rong Samloem is calm and relaxation. The remote islands located 60-80 kilometers from the coast - the Koh Prince and Koh Tang archipelagos and the "paradise" island of Koh Damlong - can be seen during a dive safari.

The surroundings of Sihanoukville are most interesting to explore on a motorcycle - for example, in one day you can visit the Kbal Chhai waterfall and Ream National Park. A more serious "expedition" to the real jungle is planned for two or three days. Even I, although a "loner", would not have stuck there alone - there are too many dangers: from snakes and mines left over from the war to the real possibility of getting lost or drowning a motorcycle in the river while crossing. Overnight stays are held in small Khmer villages, where there is no light, no water, no communication, food is only rice and fish, and on the way there are meetings with elephants, monkeys and other representatives of the local fauna. It's not scary if you have no riding experience - even a beginner can be prepared for such a trip in three days.

Feel the old days

Santel Phin, founder of khmerbird.com:
Kep is the quietest and most peaceful resort in Cambodia. Neither war nor time has harmed his beauty. A dilapidated royal residence, abandoned modernist villas - remnants of the former luxury, the "Cambodian Riviera". Be sure to take a walk along the sea in the evening and watch the sunset. Best view the area is opened from the terrace of the restaurant at the Veranda, and coffee and food are quite good there. For complete relaxation, take a boat and head to Koh Tonsai Rabbit Island to doze in a hammock stretched between coconut trees swimming and feasting on blue crabs. There is even a monument to this delicacy in Kepe. The next day, rent a bike and climb Mount Bokor - a dizzying panorama of the coast opens from its top, and dilapidated buildings give the place a slightly surreal look. End your day well in the nearby town of Kampot, watching the sunset over the river and enjoying food flavored with aromatic local peppers at Rikitikitavi or Ta Eou (Riverfront Road).

View the world from above

Valeria Strebkova, biologist:
Phnom Bokor is a 1100 meters high mountain located near Sihanoukville. It offers cosmic views of the entire coastline. But Bokor is also the name national park... It's worth coming here for the sake of settling down on the slabs polished by time and elements at the very edge of the abyss near Buddhist temple, meditate, look into the distance (this is in good weather) or look at the clouds swirling at the edge of the cliff. In colonial times, the French settled here mountain resort with a casino, and then King Norodom Sihanouk built himself a residence. Most of the buildings in the former resort are now ruins, which many find picturesque. For me the best place National Park - Popokvil Waterfall. The cascades are especially beautiful during the rainy season - from August to October.

Taste the dust

Joanne Riviere, chef at Cuisine Wat Damnak:
One of the main ingredients of Khmer cuisine is prachok, a paste made from fermented fish. Fishing in Tonle Sap Lake is a seasonal fishery, and the catch needs to be stored somehow. Many centuries ago, Cambodians invented a way to ferment fish, and to this day, dust is an important source of protein in their diet. This product has a peculiar scent that can scare off a beginner. The dust needs to be tasted, but there is nothing wrong with that: usually the paste is mixed with other ingredients. For a start, you should try "prachok kti" with chopped pork and coconut milk. The best is at Rohatt Cafe and Marum Restaurant in Siem Reap. After that you can already master the "knop prachok" with pork, peanuts and basil (look for it in the kiosks opposite Angkor Wat). The most daring will also like the "teuk prachok" of tripe, which is served in restaurants opposite the Wat Damnak pagoda.

The country, which will be discussed further, got, probably, the most in Indochina. In addition to the standard set, French colonization, Japanese occupation and the civil war, it also had an internal dictatorship, the history of which had no analogues. We are talking about Cambodia, which I still remember from my pioneer past as Kampuchea, I think, even from the generation of those who are now over forty, not many remember how those tragic events developed. When there is a civil war, there are always all sorts of radicals and anarchists, besides the right and the left, the red and the whites (remember dad Makhno and a bunch of all sorts of atamans), who are eager for power or money no less than everyone else, and sometimes even come. The same Makhno had huge territories under control, and if it were not for the "cunning move" of the First Horse, it is still unknown how it would have ended. Also in Cambodia, during the civil war, the radical Khmer Rouge guerrilla group gradually took control of the country. And then the most sad thing began, called the genocide of one's own people. Moreover, it was carried out with Asian cruelty and perversion - people were killed because they are of the wrong nationality, because they are intellectuals, for picking up a banana that fell from a tree, even for wearing glasses. We have a different topic for the article. But some things must be said - it was in Cambodia that they came up with the idea of ​​saving cartridges and killing people with hammers and hoes, crushing them with bulldozers and throwing them to crocodiles. According to various estimates, during the Pol Pot genocide, from one million to three million of the local population died in the country. So, in spite of all these horrors, Cambodians are so friendly people that all that remains is how to be surprised at their philosophical outlook on life. A country where, due to the huge number of mines left over from the previous regime, it is still impossible to move outside the main tourist paths; where wages are at the level of a few dollars; where the main food is still rice (and they also eat spiders and other insects with great pleasure - is this not from global gourmet? walk with a smile on your face. This involuntarily lifts the mood.

By the way, about mines - this is an absolute reality, if you were told that these territories are not cleared of mines, you should not experiment. Look at a huge number of cripples, of all ages and genders, and the desire to check will disappear by itself. Moreover, there is no such need in Cambodia, since the two main cities are also two main hiking trails- this is Phnom Penh and Siem Reap. Phnom Penh is the capital, in which, in addition to the standard set of royal palaces and museums, there is generally nothing to see, with the exception of the genocide museum, but Siem Reap is exactly the town near which Angkor Wat is located, one of the most famous places on the planet. Almost every person in our country knows about Angkor Wat from external media - if he did not even watch Lara Croft, the Tomb Raider, or did not play the first videos with Indiana Jones, then Mowgli must have read or watched the cartoon. But Kipling wrote his "Jungle Book", just under the impression of visiting Angkor. So we know about this wonderful place since childhood.

So, what is Angkor Wat, and why is it so famous, why, after almost a century and a half, people still dream of seeing it and talk about it with aspiration? The thing is that it is Angkor that is ideal for the legend of the lost city: it was built, it was great, people left it and the jungle really swallowed it. These are not poetically lines of the introduction to the article - this is absolutely real story Angkor Wat. The primary history of building everything is already lost temple complex- historians disagree on the timing of the completion of construction, either the twelfth or the fourteenth century. It has already been forgotten that the discoverer of Angkor was not a French, he just walked on someone else's maps, many Europeans had been there before him, which means it is not clear how many years this city stood in desolation. For many years now, archaeologists around the world have been fighting in disputes over what the complex actually was - a tomb for the king, such as the pyramids, or was it still a residential settlement. All this went on and on, and Angkor Wat, as it stood, still stands. And all because for the bulk of all this is secondary, and primary is the fact that this is exactly the same the lost city, which for eight hundred (according to other sources, four or five hundred) years stood completely absorbed by the jungle, and now we can walk around it and look at these stones. And the city was indeed completely engulfed in lush Asian vegetation. What we see now cannot be compared with what the Frenchman saw in front of him in 1861, our guide told us that the entire territory of Angkor was looked after every day, continuing to clean it of the advancing vegetation and if we stopped work at least for month, the monument will not be recognized. Angkor is very well monitored, its territory is cleaned, cleaned and restored, it is guarded around the perimeter and to get inside, you need not just buy a ticket, you will have a whole ritual with photographing and making an individual badge. Such attention to Angkor is not surprising - it gives a real part of the funds in the budget of the whole Cambodia, it is not for nothing that one of its monuments, Angkor Wat, flaunts on the national flag of the country. Even during the reign of Pol Pot, none of his soldiers entered Angkor, and they were not afraid of either God or the devil. For unclear reasons, they went to the territory of the complex and therefore the monument was almost not damaged.

Angkor translated from Khmer is the city. According to one version, the original depositor of Angkor began to build here the capital of the Khmer state in the ninth century, and accordingly, after his death, his followers decided to move the capital to Phnom Penh, which led to the “dying” of the city. It is very important to understand that the temple complex itself is a huge structure, it is located on an area of ​​more than two hundred square kilometers and there are more than two hundred monuments on its territory, i.e. one per square kilometer. At the same time, it was built not by one ruler of the Khmers, and, accordingly, bears the distinctive features different eras and religions. All guidebooks and travel agencies will tell you that when planning a visit to Angkor, you need to plan for a week stay - perhaps, but, in my opinion, you can keep within two or three days. It is important to decide in advance what is important for you to watch. If you divide the city into main attractions, then you get the following must-have program:

1. All tourist buses and taxis arrive at one place, all excursions in all directions start from it, improvised carriages leave from it, here the helicopter takes off and climbs hot-air balloon... Do not spare the money, be sure to take a balloon or helicopter over Angkor: firstly, climbing to a height is always an unforgettable experience, even for such airy cowards as me; and secondly, it will give you an additional feeling of the greatness of this city, because even from the air you cannot fully realize how great and beautiful it is. Here you just need to decide when it is worth doing: before all the excursions, or after - both are equally good.

2. There is a straight line from the central point of arrival. stone road- this is the main entrance to Angkor Wat, the most promoted of all the monuments of Angkor. The temple complex itself is surrounded by a fairly high wall and a moat filled with water. According to one version, Angkor Wat was built like a huge tomb of the king and is nothing more than an Asian pyramid. By its design, it is exactly a pyramid, only of three levels. In general, the whole structure of this structure is rather complicated - remembering it now, I caught myself feeling that I probably could no longer walk along it, so as not to get lost, there are so many passages and stairs in it. The main thing is that it is absolutely certain - there are galleries on the first level, where bas-reliefs of epic, mythical or religious have been preserved on the stone; on the second level there are bas-reliefs of dancers, of which there are already two thousand pieces, despite the fact that all are not repeating, at the same time four corners serve as the basis for four towers; the third level is the last, central tower. Several important points: first - pay attention to the epic bas-reliefs of the first level, besides the fact that they are more than a thousand years old, they are also really interesting, especially if you are told details from the life and myths of the ancient Khmers. Second, the steps to the towers and levels are really steep, they remind Mayan pyramids, be careful, last year a German tourist came from there and access to them is limited. Third, all structures are not very reliable, because everything is very old, and the stone used in construction is soft, so everything is constantly shifting slightly.

3. Again, near the place of arrival is the entrance to Angkor Thom, a mini-city, with real walls, gates and bridges. The gates are located in all parts of the world and are perfectly preserved. Cambodians believe that Angkor Thom was built by the greatest king of the Khmers, but this is not the most interesting thing - what is inside it is much more important. Literally right away (I don't know which part of the world these gates are, but right from the central place of arrival), the Terrace of the Elephants is located inside, another monumental monument, which is a perfectly preserved sculptural group of real elephants, with trunks, ears and tusks, only propping up their backs a building that has not survived to this day. It's worth looking at them, the place is described in all guidebooks, but you don't need to stay for a long time, especially because the Elephants' terrace is just on the way to the famous Bayonne.

4. Bayon - a place known no less than Angkor Wat, the famous smiling faces of Angkor, its business card and the most popular type for tourist postcards. Remember, huge towers and the same huge faces on them, from all sides, there are no eyes, but it seems that they are all looking at you and there is nowhere to hide from them. The temple itself is huge, just like all the others are confused and incomprehensible, but the most important thing is at the top - more than fifty towers, decorated with two hundred smiling masks. By the way, according to one version, the king himself posed for these masks.

5. To visit Angkor and not see Ta Prohm is simply blasphemous. After all, Ta Prohm is a city left in the state in which it was found. It is undoubtedly cleaned up, but just enough to make it possible to understand the monstrous power of nature. Stone trees sprouting through the stone, turrets entwined with branches, weaving of lianas a meter away from the paths, trees burning like a match and not burning at all, Ta Prom - nature reserve... The trees are especially stunning, in all their majesty they really go right through the meter stone walls and this somehow does not fit well in the head: after all, here is the trunk, here are the branches, here are the leaves - and the stone passed through like a knife through butter. However, thinking about it, we forget. That it took centuries, and the fact that the wood of this species is as hard as iron. It even makes a sound, if you knock on it, it is by no means wooden.

6. With all your travels around the great Angkor, you will definitely have the opportunity to see local residents of Cambodia, ordinary people, those who are not involved in servicing the tourist business, but simply live in the neighborhood of Angkor. Do not neglect this opportunity, take a look, and especially pay attention to the craftsmen engaged in the process of extracting palm juice and making sugar from it - this is especially interesting for us. The very procedure of climbing on a six-meter bamboo pole, on sharp protruding knots, with ten or even more bamboo canisters on the belt evokes respect. And what can we say about the unpretentious idea of ​​digesting juice, from which then a very thick and viscous mass is obtained, which solidifies, turns into palm sugar. And all this among the squalid huts, with children running around completely naked, with vats standing right there over the fire, and with a saleswoman who, right there, in front of you, deftly wraps a piece of brown sugar, wrapping it with leaves all that the same palms. Exotic!

6. A special excursion attraction is watching the sunset from the Bak-Heng mountain. This is really an attraction, because this is a whole action: first you need to climb the mountain - while you have two options, either walk for half an hour, or ride an elephant for the same half hour; find a place for yourself among the ruins of another temple, because there will be a carriage and a small cart for those who wish; get settled, in ten minutes to see the sun go down, and then another half an hour to descend back. Despite all this fuss, all this is worth it, it's not in vain that so many people are crowding the hill - the sun is really a bright orange kolobok very rapidly, right before your eyes, sinks over the horizon. At the same time, before it starts to sit down, you have time to admire Angkor Wat - the view from the hill to it is simply amazing.

Angkor Wat (Temple City) is an ancient city near the city of Siemriap, 322 km northwest of Phnom Penh (Cambodia), which was forgotten for a long time in the jungle. It was first discovered in 1601 by the Spaniard M. Ribandeiro, the second time by the Frenchman A. Muo (1861).

Angkor Wat, covering an area of ​​2 million m2, consists of 72 main monuments, the construction of which began in 900.

It is the center of a huge temple complex dedicated to the king of the Angkor Empire Suryavarman II, whom the Khmers considered the earthly incarnation of the god Vishnu. The temple was built by the architect Preah Pushnuk around 1150.

Angkor Wat is famous for the symmetrical arrangement of buildings (which is almost inexplicable for Khmers who do not know the laws of balance), for the amazing placement of five towers in the form of lotus buds (the highest is 65 m) in relation to the facade (a traveler always sees only three towers when approaching). An extraordinary three-level terrace with covered galleries, the surrounding of the temple with columns, a stone fence and a 180 m wide moat - everything speaks of the gigantic scale of the building. It is estimated that the construction of this complex took as many stones as the pyramid of Pharaoh Khafre in Ancient egypt... Angkor Wat is included in the list of sites protected by UNESCO. It is famous for its artistic paintings on stone, which occupy a total area of ​​more than 2 thousand m2. Reliefs on mythological, historical and everyday themes adorn the walls hundreds of meters long. Irreparable harm architectural monument inflicted by the Pol Pot people, destroying many sculptures that are now being restored.

Angkor Wat is considered to be the largest religious building ever built.

Angkor photos