Angkor Thom is the inner royal city, built by the end of the
12th century during the reign of King Jayavarman VII, shortly after
Angkor had been conquered and burnt down by the Chams. This inner
royal city was built as a quadrangle and bordered by a 100-metres-wide
moat and an 8-metres-high wall. Angkor Thom is geometrically oriented:
it covers an area which is an exact quadrangle; the sides of this quadrangle
run exactly in North-South and East-West direction. A gate opens exactly
in the middle of each wall, connecting, through a bridge over the moat,
the royal city with the outside.
Exactly in the center of Angkor Thom are the temple grounds of the Bayon.
The temple grounds have puzzled archaeologists because they do not fit
the Hindu religion as does Angkor Wat. Therefore it is assumed that King
Jayavarman VII introduced elements of the Buddhist faith into the
religious system of Angkor, though it is assumed they were lost after his
death.
The palace area of Angkor Thom is located directly to the North
of the Bayon. Its basic features were laid out during the reign of King
Suryavarman I, 150 years before the construction of Angkor Thom.
From the center of the palace complex rose the Heavenly Palace,
Phimeanakas. The king of the Khmer always used to spend the first part
of each night in the uppermost part of this Heavenly Palace, where according
to legend he had sexual intercourse with the sun queen.
Several high terraces inside Angkor Thom served primarily ceremonial
purposes, among them cremations.
More information on Angkor:
Mega Attraction Angkor
Angkor Wat
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