Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
From the time of the earliest Angkorian monuments at Roluos, Khmer architecture was
continually evolving, often from the rule of one king to the next. Archaeologists therefore
divide the monuments of Angkor into nine periods, named after the foremost example of
each period's architectural style.
The evolution of Khmer architecture was based on a central theme of the temple-moun-
tain, preferably set on a real hill (but an artificial hill was allowed if there weren't any
mountains at hand). The earlier a temple was constructed, the more closely it adheres to
this fundamental idea. Essentially, the mountain was represented by a tower mounted on a
tiered base. At the summit was the central sanctuary, usually with an open door to the east,
and three false doors at the remaining cardinal points of the compass. For Indian Hindus,
the Himalayas represent Mt Meru, the home of the gods, while the Khmer kings of old ad-
opted Phnom Kulen as their symbolic Mt Meru.
By the time of the Bakheng period, this layout was being embellished. The summit of
the central tower was crowned with five 'peaks' - four at the points of the compass and
one in the centre. Angkor Wat features this layout, though on a grandiose scale. Other fea-
tures that came to be favoured include an entry tower and a causeway lined with
naga
(mythical serpent) balustrades leading up to the temple.
As the temples grew in ambition, the central tower became a less prominent feature, al-
though it remained the focus of the temple. Later temples saw the central tower flanked by
courtyards and richly decorated galleries. Smaller towers were placed on gates and on the
corners of walls, their overall number often of religious or astrological significance.
These refinements and additions eventually culminated in Angkor Wat, which effect-
ively showcases the evolution of Angkorian architecture. The architecture of the Bayon
period breaks with tradition in temples such as Ta Prohm and Preah Khan. In these
temples, the horizontal layout of the galleries, corridors and courtyards seems to com-
pletely eclipse the central tower.
The curious narrowness of the corridors and doorways in these structures can be ex-
plained by the fact that Angkorian architects never mastered the flying buttress to build a
full arch. They engineered arches by laying blocks on top of each other, until they met at a
central point; known as false arches, they can only support very short spans.
Most of the major sandstone blocks around Angkor include small circular holes. These
originally held wooden stakes that were used to lift and position the stones during con-
struction before being sawn off.
