Angkor Thom

Angkor Thom was a walled Khmer imperial city established by Jayavarman VII in the late twelfth century. Its monumental gates, reservoirs, and temple complexes formed the political and ceremonial center of the Khmer Empire.

Bayon: A state temple at Angkor Thom, distinguished by towers bearing large carved faces. At the city’s center, it served as Jayavarman VII’s principal temple.
Jayavarman VII: A Khmer king who ruled in the late twelfth and early thirteenth centuries and commissioned major building projects. He established Angkor Thom as a new imperial capital after Cham forces sacked Angkor.
Devaraja cult: A Khmer royal tradition linking kingship with a sacred divine presence, especially associated with Shiva. Earlier Khmer ideas of sacral kingship shaped the political setting Angkor Thom inherited.
Terrace of the Leper King: A carved royal platform in Angkor Thom, named for a statue later identified with Yama, the god of death. Its hidden reliefs and royal associations illuminate the city’s ceremonial core.
Theravada Buddhism: A major Buddhist tradition emphasizing the Pali canon and the path to liberation through disciplined practice. Theravada practice later reshaped religious life at Angkor after the city’s royal Mahayana era.
Angkor Thom gates: Monumental gateways through Angkor Thom’s city walls, decorated with sculpted figures and crowned by faces. Five gates controlled ceremonial and practical entry through the city’s enclosure.
Cham–Khmer War: A series of conflicts between the Khmer Empire and Champa, including a Cham invasion of Angkor in 1177. The invasion and ensuing reconquest formed the immediate backdrop to Angkor Thom’s foundation.
Buddhism in Cambodia: The development of Buddhist traditions in Cambodia, including periods of royal Mahayana and Theravada patronage. Jayavarman VII’s Buddhist patronage shaped the city’s temples and royal imagery.
Phimeanakas: A stepped temple within Angkor Thom’s royal enclosure, built before Jayavarman VII’s city. It shows how the new capital incorporated older royal and sacred structures.
Angkor Archaeological Park: A protected archaeological area in Cambodia that includes Angkor Thom and many surrounding Khmer monuments. The city is now conserved and interpreted as part of this larger heritage landscape.

Linked from 5 pages