Start here
The Ancient City of Angkor Wat: A Testament to Khmer Civilization
Angkor Wat was built in the early 12th century under Suryavarman II. This overview covers its religion, kingship, design and craft, and its long afterlife.
Persia and Asia
Angkor and the Khmer
The temples and royal city of Angkor in Cambodia and the Khmer builders behind them.
Exploring the Ruins of Angkor Wat: A Journey Through Time
A practical walk through visiting Angkor ruins: the Archaeological Park, ticketing, the main gates, the sunrise approach, circuits and etiquette at the temples.
The Ancient City of Angkor Thom: A Marvel of Khmer Architecture
Angkor Thom was the walled royal city of Jayavarman VII. Learn about its gates, causeways and the Bayon, famous for its carved face towers and its reliefs.
The Ancient City of Angkor Wat: A Journey Through Time
A dated sequence for Angkor Wat, from its construction under Suryavarman II in the early 12th century to its shift from Hindu to Buddhist use and later restoration.
The Ancient City of Angkor Wat: A Marvel of Engineering
How Angkor Wat was built: sandstone quarried in the Kulen hills and moved by water, laterite cores, sand-filled foundations, the moat and Angkor's water network.
The Ancient City of Angkor Wat: A Temple Complex Like No Other
Angkor Wat's layout as a temple-mountain: concentric galleries, five towers, a west-facing orientation, and how it compares with other Khmer temples.
The Ancient City of Angkor Wat: A Temple of Wonder
The carved galleries of Angkor Wat tell stories in stone: the Ramayana, the Churning of the Sea of Milk, a royal procession, heaven and hell, and the apsara figures.
The Forgotten City of Angkor Wat: A Treasure Trove of Ancient History
Angkor was never truly forgotten. This article explains why it lost its role as capital in the 15th century and how Henri Mouhot's 1860 rediscovery is overstated.
The Mysterious City of Angkor Wat: A Journey Through Time
Angkor was a sprawling city, not just a temple. Survey its moats, barays, canals and road network, and what mapping and LiDAR have revealed about its size.
The Rise of the Khmer Empire: A Story of Southeast Asian Power and Politics
The political history of the Khmer kingdom from Jayavarman II in 802 through the Angkorian peak under Suryavarman II and Jayavarman VII to its later contraction.
Related topics
More in persia and asia
Persian and Arabian Crossroads Susa, Ctesiphon and the Sabaean incense kingdom. Central Asian Kingdoms The Kushan Empire and the Tarim Basin mummies. Petra and the Nabataeans The rock-cut capital of the Nabataeans in Jordan, its builders and its rediscovery. Phoenician People and Seafaring The city-states of the Levant coast, their ships, trade, colonies and alphabet. Chinese Thought and Arts Daoist ideas, balance, the five phases and the brush arts of early China. Chinese Dynasties and Inventions Early Chinese dynasties, the Qin unification, its monuments and the inventions that followed. The Silk Road The overland trade routes linking China, Central Asia and the west, and the people who travelled them. Mohenjo-Daro and Indus Cities The planned cities of the Indus Valley, led by Mohenjo-Daro. Harappans and Vedic India The Harappan culture of the Indus plains and the Vedic traditions that came after. Persepolis and Achaemenid Persia The Achaemenid Persian rulers and their ceremonial capital at Persepolis. Qin and the Terracotta Army The First Emperor, his buried army and the walls of the north. Imperial China The Han, Tang, Song, Ming and Qing dynasties. Mongols and Steppe Peoples Mongols, Yuan, Timurids, Huns and Xiongnu on the steppe. Caliphates and Ottomans The Umayyad and Abbasid caliphates and the rise of the Ottomans. Shambhala and Lost Cities The Shambhala legend and cities said to be lost to history. Scythians of the Steppe Nomadic horse peoples north of the Black Sea and across the steppe. Gobekli Tepe and Early Monuments Carved pillars and enclosures built before farming villages. Trade, Money and Markets How coins, merchants, weights and sea routes tied the ancient world together. Early Korea, Japan and Southeast Asia Early states and cultures on the eastern and southern edges of Asia.