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INTRODUCTION TO ANGKOR
WAT This section as intended as a guide for visiting the
monuments at Angkor. It can be either read in advance of a visit or
afterwards to reinforce the experience, or used at the sites to enable
the visitor to be an active spectator. Historical quotes from early
visitors to Angkor are included where appropriate to try to capture
the spirit of its past glory.
Legends and symbolism are also included whenever
feasible to give the visitor additional background for a better
appreciation of Angkor.
VISITING THE MONUMENTS
It
is based on the amount of time the visitor has to spend at Angkor
and take into consideration the roads, proximity of the temples, and
favorable light conditions.
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For
some temples it is important to begin at the principal entrance to
perceive the space and decoration as the builder intended, and
entrances are indicated in the text. The monuments are oriented according to the four points of a compass which can be used as a point of reference. the temple of Angkor Wat is covered in detail in this book because of its importance, complexity and size.
Angkor provides wonderful photographic opportunities. the monuments
and the surrounding jungle afford unlimited textural and lighting
opportunities for composing a picture.
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Clouds
are common and tend to diffuse the light which is somewhat flat even
though it is intense. As most of the temples face east the best lighting
conditions are in the morning except for Angkor Wat where the best light is in the afternoon because it faces west. the temples surrounded by jungle such as Ta Prohm and Prah
Khan can be photographed with good results when the sun is directly
overhead and shining through the foliage. Just as one is never prepared for the enormous size and overwhelming beauty of
Angkor, one is never ready to leave it. With photographs and visions etched in memory, one need never say good-by to Angkor, for its magic will go with you wherever fate and the gods may take you to colour your thoughts and dreams to life's very end.
The name of the monuments at Angkor are often modern ones designated by Cambodians or early European travellers.
In publications by the French the enclosures of a temple are numbered starting from the central sanctuary and progressing towards the enclosing walls. The system used in this book reverses the order for the convenience of the visitor. Thus the first enclosing wall the visitor encounters when entering a temple is number one. the numbers ascend from the exterior to the interior of the monument. In many
distances, though, only traces of the enclosing walls, particularly the outer one,
remain.
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