Angkor: Cambodia's Wondrous Khmer Temples (Sixth Edition) (Odyssey Illustrated Guides)

This long-awaited sixth edition, with an additional 180 pages of text and more than 80 new color photographs, offers detailed monument-by-monument itineraries and maps to the temple sites. Includes practical information on hip Siem Reap, plus historic Phnom Penh.

The great legacy of the ancient Khmer civilization, the temples of Angkor cover an area well over 200 square kilometers (77 square miles) in northwest Cambodia. These monuments, built between the ninth and 15th centuries—the classic period of Khmer art—are unrivaled in architectural greatness. They are, undoubtedly, one of the wonders of the world, astounding in their splendor and evoking a real sense of awe.

This beautifully illustrated book contains background information on Khmer history, religious beliefs and legends depicted on the bas-reliefs, as well as descriptions of architectural features. This detailed, monument-by-monument guide to the sites includes detailed maps and plans, plus information about temple complexes accessible by helicopter or four-wheel-drive vehicle.

Features:

• Written and updated by an art historian steeped in the region’s art and culture
• Extensive accounts of all temples and pre-Angkor sites
• Comprehensive background information on Khmer art, religion and cultural traditions
• Unique flora and fauna around the Great Lake, Tonlé Sap
• Profiles the Phnom Penh National Museum and other highlights of Cambodia’s capital
• The hip town of Siem Reap— the base for exploring Angkor
• Foreword by His Majesty King Norodom Sihamoni of Cambodia
• Over 40,000 copies in print

176 color photographs and 44 maps and plans