Angkor Wat - The Wonder of the Forgotten World
On 07/07/07, the
new seven wonders of the World were announced in Lisbon, the result of a
"contest" that was not supported by UNESCO. Angkor Wat was left out. But
for those who have visited this ruins complex, it is clear that it
deserves a place in the "7 wonders", especially if we compare it to one
of the winners (I will not reveal which, so as not to hurt
susceptibilities ...).
Contests aside,
the Angkor complex, which stretches for about 200 km2 in northwestern
Cambodia, is one of the most impressive archaeological sites on the
planet. At present, from entire cities, capitals of empires
built over centuries, there remain only the ruins of temples built in
stone (unlike houses, palaces and other structures), dedicated to the
Hindu and Buddhist gods. After the height of the Khmer empire (not to be confused with the so-called "red Khmer" of the 20th century ...) XII and XIII, Angkor was sacked several times and fell into oblivion until the 18th century. XX. The
ruins are generally quite run down, but given the centuries that have
passed and the recent violent and bloody history of Cambodia, it is even
surprising what has come down to the present day. And it is these ruins that today constitute one of the most important sources of revenue for a fragile and needy country.
Given the extent
and complexity of Angkor, we decided to buy the three-day ticket and
thus sleep four nights in Siem Reap, the city a few miles away. On the first day, we chose to visit the main attractions, which are also those that are closer to the city. So
we decided to leave the rickshaw for the other days and go cycling, so
that we can stop whenever and wherever we want, and we can better
"absorb" the surrounding landscape. It proved to be an excellent choice. The weather was very cloudy all day (bad for the photos!) But it did not rain (good for cyclists!). On
the second and third days we visited other temples, some of them quite
interesting, such as the temples of Banteai Srey (with exceptional stone
decoration) and Bakong (the first mountain-shaped temple, further away
from the city but worth to be Visited), but none of them approaching the grandeur and beauty of those we visited on the first day.
Angkor Wat, the largest religious complex in the world and main attraction of Angkor, was our first stop. It
did not impress us much initially, perhaps by the immense number of
tourists present (and this was the low season!), By the lack of sun or
by very high expectations. The next day, we would
return to Angkor Wat by the end of the afternoon, already with sun, and
the temple had already looked like another. Even
so, personally, I thought it was more elaborate (save the low reliefs
that survived in the galleries) and was better preserved, especially the
towers of the central sanctuary, which are the "face" of this temple.
The moat could
also be better taken care of, which would greatly increase the quality
of the views of the complex from the outer banks. That said, the scale and complexity of the complex are second to none. It's a shame not to have money for a balloon ride ...
In my opinion, the true pearl of Angkor is situated a few kilometers to the side. Angkor Thom was, at the end of the century, XII, the largest city the Khmer empire and today we can admire the ruins of the main temple of the city, its name Bayon. Although
it contains some of the most beautiful bas-reliefs of Angkor, the
landmark image of this temple is undoubtedly the set of 54 towers and
216 stone carvings that tower above each of the towers. Four
faces with an enigmatic smile, contemplating the four cardinal points,
and thought to represent the bodhisattva Avalokitesvara, personified by
the king-god Jayavarman VII, who had the city constructed. The
originality of the building and the serenity transmitted by the faces
in stone (especially when the crowds of tourists leave ...) guarantee
this temple a unique place in the history of architecture. Let's hope it stays that way for many years!
We also visit
Phnom Bakheng, which stands on a hill above the surrounding plain, and
from where you get fabulous views of the forest that seems to be able to
cover all temples at any time. From avoiding, however, to the sunset, since it is the final destination of all day tour packages ... A tourist circus!
Finally, to
highlight the temple of Ta Prohm, famous for the trees that embrace the
ruins with its roots, creating a spectacular and enigmatic effect, so
much that was already used by Hollywood in the films of Lara Croft,
starring Angelina Jolie. Could the beauty of this
temple (apart from the countless beautiful Cambodian children
surrounding temples selling souvenirs to tourists) have contributed to
the actress's heart opening to Cambodia and humanitarian causes? ...
(Perhaps our Guterres may ask you!)
