Angkor Wat: 7 Keajaiban dunia

Angkor Wat, Siem Reap, Cambodia
Friday, 10 Feb 2017

Kami mula start tour di Angkor Wat around 7.30am macam tu. Barulah terfikir masa tu, lama benar buang masa tengok sunrise saja. Angkor Wat ni boleh tahan besar & luas & banyak tangga juga, huh. So, bertabahlah ya. Sila kumpulkan stamina anda sebelum nak sampai ke Angkor Wat & kawasan sekitarnya.

Kepada yang suka photography tu, inilah masanya nak amik gamba puas-puas sebab banyak sangat angle yang menarik kat Angkor Wat ni. Aku pun sampai tak larat dah nak explore semua. Datanglah seawal pagi untuk mengelakkan cuaca panas ditengah hari. Masa kami sampai pukul 7.30 pagi ni pun dah ramai kat dalam Angkor Wat ni. Paling ramai kat center temple.

Ohh nanti masa nak masuk Angkor Wat ni ramai juga local people yang jual Angkor guidebook, rasanya hari tu kami dapat paling murah USD8. Tapi kita orang minta USD5, hahaha. Tak beli pun saja nak try test. Kalau nak lebih kefahaman & pengetahuan or ada budget lebih, boleh lah beli. 

Angkor Wat... one of 7th Wonder of the World

Jom learnt history of Angkor Wat

Angkor Wat (Khmer: "Capital Temple") is a temple complex in Cambodia and the largest religious monument in the world, with the site measuring 162.6 hectares (1,626,000 m2; 402 acres). It was originally constructed as a Hindu temple of god Vishnu for the Khmer Empire, gradually transforming into a Buddhist temple toward the end of the 12th century. It was built the Khmer King Suryavarman II in the early 12th century in Yaśodharapura (present-day Angkor), the capital of the Khmer Empire, as his state temple and eventual mausoleum. Breaking from the Shaiva tradition of previous kings, Angkor Wat was instead dedicated to Vishnu. As the best-preserved temple at the site, it is the only one to have remained a significant religious center since its foundation. The temple is at the top of the high classical style of Khmer architecture. It has become a symbol of Cambodia, appearing on its national flag, and it is the country's prime attraction for visitors.

The initial design and construction of the temple took place in the first half of the 12th century, during the reign of Suryavarman II (ruled 1113 – c. 1150). Dedicated to Vishnu, it was built as the king's state temple and capital city. As neither the foundation stela nor any contemporary inscriptions referring to the temple have been found, its original name is unknown, but it may have been known as "Varah Vishnu-lok" after the presiding deity. Work seems to have ended shortly after the king's death, leaving some of the bas-relief decoration unfinished. In 1177, approximately 27 years after the death of Suryavarman II, Angkor was sacked by the Chams, the traditional enemies of the Khmer. Thereafter the empire was restored by a new king, Jayavarman VII, who established a new capital and state temple (Angkor Thom and the Bayon respectively) a few kilometers to the north.
(source: wikipedia)

Map of Angkor Wat

Zoom in sikit...inside Angkor Wat

Aku ni takdelah nak kaji sangat in detail pasal sejarah Angkor Wat, apa lagi nak tahu every inch of design inside the temple. Tapi apa yang buat aku kagum is the engineering of the Angkor Wat. Walaupun aku bukan architect or archeologist tapi aku curious juga nak tahu macam mana temple sebesar Angkor Wat ni boleh dibina dengan dengan begitu kukuh sekali tanpa engineering yang canggih dan dalam tempoh 30 tahun. No use of glue, cement or nails (which more to modern tools of construction). Kagum. Macam mana lah orang zaman ni boleh assembled batu-batu kat Angkor Wat dengan cara yang menakjubkan and masih kukuh architecture nya sehingga hari ini. Amazing. Hebat engineering zaman ni dah. No wonder Angkor Wat ni disenaraikan antara 7 keajaiban dunia.

Angkor Wat... side view

Angkor Wat... side view

Inside Angkor Wat... door that linked from one section to another

Bas-reliefs on the walls of the outer gallery at Angkor Wat

Battle of Kurukshetra

Bas-reliefs kat Angkor Wat ni telah diukir seawal tahun 1100-an and at this age and day, we can still see them, for the most part, very clearly. They're still there, in unbelievably great condition, for current generation to see. 

Bas-reliefs kat Angkor Wat ni bukan sahaja ada kat some small section of the temple, tapi dekat semua four sides of the outer walls. From one end to the other, from top to bottom. And the reliefs are meant to be seen in a counter-clockwise direction. Refer photo below Angkor Wat map. Each section of the bas-relief depicts a story and most of them are about battles between the gods and the demons. 

Kita orang memang tak lah nak tawaf satu Angkor Wat ni nak tahu citer disebalik bas-reliefs kat semua walls kan, hahaha. Cuma kagum sajalah.

Nice corridor

Apsara Statue at Angkor Wat

Dianggarkan lebih 3000 ukiran penari Apsara dalam Angkor Wat ni. Nanti kalau berkesempatan tengok show “The greatest king Jayavarman 7” kat Cultural Village (normally last show dalam pukul 7pm & only available Fri-Sat-Sun) akan ada salah satu part yang show Apsara dance. 

Jom explore that section on Angkor Wat

The other side of Angkor Wat

Angkor Wat Northern Library

Angkor Wat... outside the main temple

Angkor Wat... the other side

Boleh tahan steep tangga ni... be careful

Gallery of 1000 Buddhas corridor

Ancient Royal bathing pool

Bertapa ke kak

There are more than 3000 Apsara Statue at Angkor Wat

Kami masuk sampai ke central tower area tapi tak naik sampai atas lah. Ramai gila orang masa ni. patut lah kat tempat lain macam agak lengang sikit. Rupanya kat sini yang lebih menjadi tumpuan para pengunjung kat Angkor wat ni... main temple. Queue nak naik to main tower pun panjang gila. Kami pun give-up sebab rasa macam buang masa pulak nanti. Lagipun banyak lagi tempat lain lagi yang kami akan pergi. Semua lokasi pun agak jauh. So, memang kena pandai budget masa lah kalau yang beli one day pass tu. Make sure, at least, sempat nak cover recommended  temple kat Angkor Wat ni.

Central Tower of Angkor

Some area at center temple still under maintenance & closed to visitors

Honestly, kalau korang interested nak tahu, how this world wonder was built or the history behind it, Aku encourage korang tengok National Geographic documentary. If you’re planning to visit, it’s a must for research. A lot more compelling than Angkor guidebook, perhaps.

Google Maps has street views of Angkor Wat and other Cambodian temples. Boleh lah dapat feel, what’s inside Angkor Wat. 

We ended the tour around 9am. Nak berjalan ke tempat parking Tuk-tuk saja dah jauh. Dengan panas lagi. Next destination would be Ta Phrom aka Tomb Raider temple. 

To be continued...