Banteay Srei Temple.

Consecrated in 967 A.D, Banteay Srei was speculated to have been known earlier as Banteay Serai, which literally means the Citadel of Victory, This was the only  major temple at Angkor  not built  by a monarch;  its construction is credited to a courtier named Yajnavaraha, who was a scholar and philanthropist and a counselor to king Rajendravarman. He was known to have helped those who suffered from illness, injustice or poverty.

Banteay  Srei  is built primarily in red sandstone, a medium that lends itself tothe elaborate decorative wall carvings which are still observable in fine details today. Measured by the standards of Angkorian construction, the buildings themselves are miniature in scale. It has been widely praised as a “precious gem”, or the “jewel of Khmer art”. Banteay Srei or Citadel of Women is probably related  to the intricacy of the bas relief carvings of devatas  found on the walls and the tiny dimensions of  the buildings themselves.

Ta Prohm.

Ta  Prohm,  a  Bayon style temple, is believed to be built in the late 12th andearly 13th centuries. It was founded by King Jayavarman VII as a Mahayana Buddhist   monastery   and   university.   Unlike   most  Angkorian  temples, Ta  Prohm  encroached  by  trees growing out of the ruins and the jungle hasbecome one of Angkor’s most popular temples with visitors.

Rajavihara (”royal temple”), as it was originally known, was one of the first temples  founded  pursuant to a massive program of construction and public works  after  the King’s ascension to the throne in 1811 A.D.. It was built in honor of his family. The temple’s main image, representing Prajnaparamita, the  personification  of  wisdom,  was  modeled  on  the  king’s mother.
The northern and southern satellite temples in the third enclosure were dedicated to  the  king’s  guru  and  his  elder brother respectively. As such, Ta Prohm formed  a  complementary pair with the temple of Preah Khan, dedicated in 1191 A.D.,  the main image representing Avelokitesvara, the Bodhisattva of compassion modeled on the king’s father.

The  site  was  home  to  more than 12,500 people (including 18 high priests and  615  dancers),  with  an  additional  80,000  people  in  the  surrounding villages working to provide services and supplies.

Bayon Temple.

The Bayon Temple was splendidly built in the center of the Capital AngkorThom by King Jayavarman VII between the late 12th century and the early 13th century. It was the last state temple

with its Mahayana Buddhist Shrinein  the  Angkorian  era.  Following  the death of King Jayavarman II, it was modified   and   augmented  by  Hindu  and  Theravada  Buddhist  kings  in accordance with their religious preferences.

The  Bayon’s  most  distinctive  feature  is  the  multitude  of  serene  and massive stone faces on the many towers that jut out from the upper terrace and cluster around its central peak. The similarity of the 216 gigantic faces to other statues of Jayavarman VII has led many scholars to the hypothesis
that  the  faces  are  representations of the king himself. Others believe that the faces belong to Avalokitesvara, the bodhisattva of compassion.

The  temple  is  also  popular  for two impressive sets of bas-reliefs, which present an unusual combination of mythological, historical, and mundane scenes. This is one of the many ‘must visit’ temples.

Angkor Thom.

Angkor  Thom  was  the last  and most enduring capital city of the Khmer empire. Established  in  the late  twelfth  century by king Jayavarman VII, Angkor  Thom  covers an  area  of 9 km,  within which are located severalmonuments  from  earlier  eras as well as those  established by Jayavarman and his
successors.

The  fortified  city  of  Angkor  Thom was built by Angkor’s greatest King, Jayavarman  VII  (ruled-1181-1219). Centered on Baphuon, Angkor Thomis enclosed by a square wall 8m high and 12km in length  and encircled by moat  100m  wide.  The  city  has  five  monumental  gates,  one each in the
north, west and south walls and two in the east wall.

In  front  of  each  gate  stands giant  statues  of 54 gods (to the left of the causeway)  and 54 demons
(to  the  right  of  the  causeway),  a  motif takenfrom the story of the Churning of the Ocean of Milk
illustrated in the famous bas-relief at Angkor Wat. In the center of the walled enclosure are the city’s
most  important  monuments,  including the Bayon, the Baphuon, the Royal Enclosure, Phimeanakas and the Terrace of Elephants.