Angkor Thom: The ancient Great City of the Khmer Empire in Cambodia

After spending the first half of the day at Angkor Wat, we head to Angkor Thom, the ancient capital city of the Khmer Empire, about 10 km from Angkor Wat.

Like Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom also falls under the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Angkor Archaeological Park.

Built in the 12th century by King Jayavarman VII, Angkor Thom was the capital city of the mighty Khmer kingdom and served as the political and religious centre.

Click on the link below to see the beautiful Angkor Thom come alive

https://youtu.be/6JTOh5p8Tsk

Spread over an area of 9 square kilometres, Angkor Thom is designed like a Mandala, or a diagram of the universe, so to speak. As in the case of Angkor Wat, a moat and a wall surround the city with ornate gates (as shown in the video above).

Ornate balustrade along the South gate of Angkor Thom

Plan your time at Angkor Thom...

The ancient city of Angkor Thom offers many intriguing architectural marvels, including the famous Bayon Temple, which lies in the heart of Angkor Thom.

So, one can enter the city through five causeways that lead to gates, located in the four cardinal directions.

The best way to enter the city is through the South Gate, also called Tonle Om Gate. This is one of the best preserved gates of Angkor Thom and also the most sought after by tourists, owing to its stunning causeway that has 54 stone busts of Gods (Devatas) on one side and 54 stone busts of demons (Asuras) on the other. This beautiful causeway is a must-see attraction (as shown above in the photo). The East Gate, also called the Death Gate, does not lead to the Bayon Temple. We learnt from our guide that it earned this infamous name because it was primarily used to ferry convicts who were to be executed.

You will need the Angkor Temple Pass to enter this area. If you have a one-day pass, then you will have just enough time to see the Bayon Temple only, although there are many other temples like the Terrace of the Leper King and the Terrace of the Elephants, very close to the Bayon Temple. If you wish to see all these temples, then you should plan to buy the 2-day or 3-day pass. Remember, there are 72 temples in the Angkor Archaeological Park, so it's a good idea to be sure which ones you wish to see.

If you have time on hand to see more temples in Angkor Thom, then you should plan to see the Phimeanakas Temple, very close to the Bayon Temple. Here, you will be able to see the ruins of the ancient royal palace, although the only surviving parts of the palace are the laterite walls and the royal ponds.

As I've mentioned above, Angkor Thom lies at a distance of about 10 km from Angkor Wat, and you could hire a tuk-tuk or a cab to move around.

We spent about an hour and a half at the Bayon Temple and then drove to the stunning Ta Prohm Temple. Keep following this space for more travel stories on Cambodia!