Angkor Thom

Angkor Thom ( " Great Capital" ) was built from the late 12th, early 13th century at the behest of King Jayavarman VII as the new capital of the Angkorreichs. The preserved buildings and ruins can be found today about 7 km north of the town of Siem Reap (Cambodia ), or about 1 km north of the famous temple Angkor Wat.

History

In 1177, the Cham won a naval battle on the Tonle Sap Lake against the Khmer, conquered the then capital Jayenfranagari and killed King Tribhuvanādityavarman. In four years of fighting, one young military leader and prince to defeat the invaders; in 1181 he ascended the throne as Jayavarman VII, and during his thirty-year reign, he proved to be one of the greatest kings of Angkor. Then the king, in contrast to his predecessors Hindu was Mahayana Buddhist, was born on his behalf a number of Buddhist temples, monasteries and universities - both inside and outside the walls of his new "big capital ", Angkor Thom.

Perhaps his most direct successor Indravarman II (reigned about 1220-1243 ) led the construction program continues; Jayavarman VIII (about 1243-1295 ) was responsible for the destruction of many Buddhist sculptures and restored some important Hindu temples; in Srindravarman (about 1295-1307 ), we encounter probably the first Theravada Buddhist under the Angkorkönigen. Now the local architectural history is no longer understandable, because in the emerging Theravada Buddhism almost entirely wooden buildings were established.

Numerous armed conflict with Siam, as well as emerging problems with the water supply and soil fertility led to the end of the 16th century to the decline of Angkorreichs. The so-called discovery of Angkor in the second half of the 19th century ( an absurd notion, because the Khmer had never forgotten the temples, and other European visitors had long since described ) is closely associated with the name Henri Mouhot, the renovation of history in particular with the École française d' Extrême -Orient. Since 1992, the Angkorgebiet and thus belong to the Angkor Thom covered by the UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Plant

Angkor Thom occupies the northern part of the first Angkorhauptstadt Yasodharapura. Thus, the new capital was smaller than its historical predecessor; but it was larger than all the cities of medieval Europe.

The quadratic system has a side length of about 3 km, which have four sides in the cardinal directions. The moat around 100 m wide. The city wall of laterite is provided about 8 m high and on the inside with a generous Erdanschüttung. The city is divided into quarters and Developed by a road cross. The four street ends open in the city gates of sandstone, a fifth, the Victory Gate, located 500 m north of the east gate at the end of another road, the so-called Victory Boulevard. This leads to the Royal Palace, while the other four avenues intersect at the Bayon.

Jayavarman VII Affiliate important buildings in the historic capital city in his new capital. So lay in the northwestern quarter of the royal palace with the temple pyramid Phimeanakas. This ensemble supplemented he and his successors by the Terrace of Elephants and Terrace of the Leper King, the Grand Place, the tower Prasat Suor Prat series and said Siegesallee. Even the older, overwhelmingly large temple mountain of Baphuon and two hall-like buildings, the northern and southern Khleang were integrated into the overall plan. In the geometric center of Angkor Thom, recessed from the street and surrounded, the state temple Bayon was built with its forest of face towers. Apart from the temples and terraces, passed all the buildings in the city of wood ( the Royal Palace ) and have now disappeared.

List of all stone buildings within the city walls ( dating according to Zieger ):

• Baphuon, huge Temple Mount, mid 11th century
• Bayon, State Temple faces with numerous towers, early 13th century
• Khleang, two hall-like buildings, early 11th century
• " Small Temple ", Ruin, mid 10th century
• Mangalartha, the latest stone in Angkor, late 13th century
• "Monument 486 ", three towers, Late Period
• Phimeanakas, steep pyramid temple, late 10th, early 11th century
• Prasat Suor Prat, twelve towers, late 12th, early 13th century
• Preah Palilay, an atmospheric Buddhist temple, first half 12th century or 13th to 14th century
• Preah Pithu, a group of temple ruins, 12th to 13th century
• Tep Pranam, a terrace with later Buddha statue
• Terrace of the Elephants, late 12th century
• Terrace of the Leper King, late 12th century
• Vihear Prampil loveng, a terrace, on which now stands the restored central Buddha statue from the Bayon

Each district was divided by a network of trails in 6 times 6 fields. Moreover served channels of circulation - but also the water supply and sanitation. Of the water management capabilities of the Khmer still bear witness to the wastewater plants preserved in the southwest corner of the city, its deepest point, and not far away Baray ( reservoir ).

Like a Temple Mount, so is Angkor Thom, a model of the world according to former idea: harmoniously aligned in the cardinal directions, surrounded by water and with the gods Mount Meru in the center, which is symbolized by the Bayon. Its feet as Jambudvipa the city. The Buddhist cosmology is reflected in a ring wall and moat resist, because according to her the world is surrounded by a rock wall, beyond which lies the primeval ocean.

Dams, gates and turrets

From the surrounding area can be reached via five dams by five gate towers in the city. The dams are covered about 15 m wide, with sandstone; they cross the moats. As a side balustrades serve each 54 deities, left Devas, Asuras right, carrying a Naga, a snake-like beings. The devas of the south gate correspond to the Asuras of the north gate, and vice versa. The same applies to the West and the East Gate. This dynamic between gods and demons with the Bayon as a pivot point and a symbol of Mount Meru and the Nagabalustrade as Vasuki corresponds to the creation myth of the churning of the milk ocean.

As the balustrades, so are the Gopuram, the gate towers, made ​​of sandstone. On cruciform they rise to each 22 m, the door openings are 7 m high. Each gate tower bears side by side three tower structures with large faces: From high average structure, a face looks out of town, one towards the city; looking from the lower framing constructions ever a face sideways. These are " the smile of Angkor " pointing towers, so Zieger, " sculptures of the highest quality, comparable to the finest works of the ancient Greeks ." Maybe the Torturmgesichter portraits of the King Jayarvaman VII, perhaps representations Lokeshvaras ( a manifestation of the Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara ), or four Maharajikkas ( the protection of the kings of the compass ). Are also conceivable combinations of these possibilities. On the sides of the gates is a guardian figure in each of the three -headed elephant Airavata.

At the same time erected small shrines in the corners of the walls: the Prasat Chrung ( " turrets " ), four Prasat with four vestibules.