Angkor Wat Photo Gallery- Angkor Thom Part 1

Angkor Thom is one of the two key temples in the whole Angkor Wat complex. Meaning "Great City" in Khmer, this was the largest city in the empire with a peak population of a million people. It had a 13km-long protective wall, moat, and 4 gates with decorative smiling faces in stone. There was also an extra 5th gate. The lead-up to the south gate has 154 stone statues lining both sides of the causeway with gods on the left and demons on the right. The guidebooks I read recommend visiting the Bayon as early as possible since the light is best at sunrise. However, I was not prepared to greet the enormous crowds that thought an early visit would also be a good idea. Standing at the centre of Angkor Thom, the Bayon was built in the 12th to 13th centuries and was the state temple. Rising 3 levels, it is believed to originally contain 54 towers, of which 37 stand today. There is a belief that 54 represents the number of provinces in the empire at the time the temple was built. To reach the inner part of the temple, visitors need to climb a series of steep staircases. They are then greeted with the face-carved towers at the top.