Angkor Thom Archaeological Site

Angkor Thom is a vast archaeological site located in Siem Reap Province, Cambodia. It was the last and most enduring capital city of the Khmer Empire, which ruled a large part of Southeast Asia from the 9th to the 15th centuries. Angkor Thom was built by King Jayavarman VII in the late 12th century, and it covers an area of approximately 9 square kilometers.

The city is surrounded by a moat and a wall that is over 8 meters high and 12 kilometers long. There are five monumental gates, each decorated with large stone faces, leading into the city. The most famous of these gates is the south gate, which is adorned with over 200 smiling stone faces.

Within the walls of Angkor Thom are many notable structures, including the Bayon Temple, Baphuon Temple, Phimeanakas Temple, Terrace of the Elephants, and Terrace of the Leper King. The Bayon Temple is particularly famous for its many large stone faces, which are believed to represent the bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara or King Jayavarman VII himself.

Angkor Thom was abandoned by the Khmer Empire in the 15th century, and it was largely forgotten by the outside world until the French explorer Henri Mouhot visited the site in the mid-19th century. Since then, Angkor Thom has become a major tourist destination and is widely regarded as one of the most important archaeological sites in Southeast Asia.