There is definitely something magical about this country… Indeed Cambodia gives this particular impression to every person who decides to visit this charming yet confounding kingdom. Thinking about faith and when it comes to the magnificent temples which best of all is Angkor Wat, a spectacular fusion of symbolism, symmetry and spirituality.
Welcome to the conundrum that is Cambodia: a country with a history both inspiring and sad, an intoxicating place where the future is about to be shaped.
Many people have described Angkor temple in Cambodia as the best thing they ever saw in their life. We must say that it is quite impressive. First it is huge and second it has crossed the ages, been through very difficult times but still have a deep soul…
Angkor is situated at 7 kilometres of Siem Reap, the site extends over square 400 kilometres. 287 temples were counted in the region. That is how huge it is and it is just the world’s largest religious building. Angkor Wat combines two basics plans of Khmer temple architecture: the temple mountain and the galleried temple, based on early South Indian Hindu architecture. It has been designed to represent Mount Meru, home of the devas in Hindu mythology. This place is consecrated and at some point, people can feel it… It has become a whole symbol of Cambodia. Somehow during the war, it represented hope for Cambodians. The temple was supposed to be invulnerable and during the war which began in 1970, the inhabitants of Siem Reap had taken refuge inside the temple, through their faith. This temple has represented and still does what Cambodia is proud of…
The modern name, Angkor Wat means “City temple”, “Wat” is the khmer word for temple. It represents one of humankind’s most astonished and enduring architectural achievements. It appears that its purpose was to architecturally mirror the heavens in order to assist in the harmonization of the earth and the stars. It was built to honors the Hindu god Vishnu and is a symbolic representation of Hindu cosmology. Saying it has been built by the gods in a far ancient time… Centuries passed these fables became legends. However people believed the stories to be nothing more than legend. Thought to be a miniature replica of the universe, its towers, moats and concentric walls reveal an architectural sophistication, and the bas-relief with their plump figures and triumphal battle scenes reflect a healthy, wealthy period of history. The fascination is such that in the 1950s a foreigner fell deeply in love with the Angkor temples and her last wish was to have her ashes scattered on the temple grounds.
Before leaving Cambodia, you must don’t forget the rest of the country. You should relax in the sleepy seaside town of Kampot and trek the at Ratanakiri; take an elephant ride in the jungles of Mondulkiri Province; admire with your kids Mekong dolphins at Kratie or simply choose lay down on a beach near Sihanoukville.
