Angkor Thom South Gate

South Gate Angkor Thom

The word “Angkor” derives from a Sanskrit word “Nagara” meaning the “Holy City”, so Angkor Thom means “Big Holy City”. In the 12th and 13th centuries Angkor Thom was larger than any european city, with a total population over over a million people and domonated South East Asia.

Angkor Thom covers 12 square kilometers surrounded by laterite walls and moats. It was constructed in the late 12th century by King Jayavarman VII surrounding and encompassing some earlier temples of the 10th and 11th centuries.

All moats, in principle, represent the cosmic ocean, but the moat of Angkor Thom, apart from that, played a vital role of defense in the ancient time and was filled with thousands of crocodiles to protect the city. The walls functioned also for defense. The earthen embankments inside serve two functions: 1. They support the walls so that the walls could not be pushed inward 2. they were used for the King’s soldiers to walk on the top to safeguard the city.

There are five entrances (gates) to the city, each is decorated with four giant faces in cardinal point which first represent the face of Brahma, one of the three main gods in Hindu religion, second represent the face of Buddha, the face of the king, and also means compassion, sympathy, charity and tolerance that the king had for his people. Angkor Thom was built over an existing city called Yasodharapura of the 10th century.