Preah Khan temple

On September 28, 2017 / Cambodia, Preah Khan

Preah Khan, temple of the sacred sword

Preah Khan of Angkor, not to be mistaken with Preah Khan of Kompong Svay, is one of the most beautiful and underrated temple within the Angkor archaeological park. Although Angkor Wat is the most impressive in term of architecture and symmetry it lacks some atmosphere.

When you visit Preah Khan, you will have the feeling of being one of the first explorers wandering within the narrow corridors, courtyards and concealed chambers. The walls of this ancient site boast an extraordinary palette, adorned with various shades of green, black, and red, courtesy of the diverse lichen and moss species. Colors are changing also with the seasons making this temple an ever changing playground for photographers. It is one the rare temple in Angkor worth exploring with your camera under the rain

This temple, commissioned in 1191, is a Hindu-Buddhist temple complex built during the reign of Jayavarman VII, one of the most charismatic Khmer king who built also the famous temples of Ta Prohm and Bayon. It is also known as the temple of the sacred sword, and dedicated to the father of Jayavarman VII (divinity Jayavarmesvara). The temple was a monastic city dedicated to teaching and of course a place of devotion. A stele discovered in 1939 by Maurice Glaize gave away many information for example 100,000 people were living on site, including 1000 teachers. We also learned that the temple was built on the battle site where Jayavarman VII defeated the Cham army. 60 tons of gold inlays were believed to be in the temple making an unique treasure in the 12th century.

Preah Khan | Temple layout

The temple was built on a flat ground oriented East to West, with a naga bridge on both side (most visitors enter via the west entrance). There are also two other entrances on the north and south of the temple, the later one not been used. The temple complex spread on 56 hectares with 4 concentric enclosures. It has 72 garudas (mythical bird-man),holding two nagas, all spread around the outer wall. The 40 meters wide moat is full of water all year around although some sections are dry during the months of April and May.

Preah Khan temple map (Maurice Glaize)

Preah Khan temple central sanctuary under heavy rain

Lotus flowers and candles at the central sanctuary’s stupa

Preah Khan temple | Conservation work

Past

The first conservation work was carried out by Henri Marchal from the EFEO between 1927 and 1932. After the war, conservation works was resumed by the WMF (Word Monument Fund) with a series in missions in 1991,1992, 1993 and 1994. In the 90’s, archeologists described the temple as a partial ruin deep in the jungle. Beside the consolidation and the restoration of many structures, an important goal of all these missions was to train Khmer people in conservation.

Like many temples of Angkor, Preah Khan suffered from looting during the Khmer rouge regime. By looking at archive pictures and footage you can see that a lot of statues are missing now. For example the two guardians at the west gopura still had their head in 1968 and a lion was still standing before the platform.The naga bridge on the east side just have half of giant face left out of the original 108…. Not so long ago, in 1993 and 1996, thieves tried to steal stone heads of Asura but fortunately got stopped.

Current

In 1996, WMF launched the Adopt a Garuda program. With a donation of USD 25,000 a garuda can be completely restored. The program is quite successful as in 2009, 27 of the 72 have been restored so far. Preah Khan is actually part of a larger WMF program which includes also Angkor Wat and Phnom Bakheng.

The project of dismantlement and reconstruction of of a small building close to the central sanctuary which a had a dead tree on top of it is now over. Although it is small building several hundreds of number sandstone blocks are laying on the ground ready to be put together like a puzzle which gives an idea of the daunting task of the workers who worked in the temple in the 90’s.

The visitor center was completely dismantled in 2017 and a new one is under construction at the same location. The previous building hosted some interesting information panels about the restoration work of the 90’s as well as some large pictures.

A major conservation work is on pause on the east entrance by the Archaeological Survey of India for many years now aims at restoring two of the three towers.

Visit highlights

Preah Khan has many locations to explore, you should plan a 1 h 1/2 to 2 h to cross the temple from West to East especially if you are taking pictures. Among the highlights are the stupa at the central sanctuary, a linga with its yoni, the hall of dancers, the biggest strangler fig in Angkor beside the east gopura, the 2-story pavilion, the baray on the east leading to Neak Pean and Ta Som. If you want to see the secret chambers it is recommended to hire a guide as they are difficult to find.

Narrow passage between two chapels

Elderly nun ready to give blessing, she is 81 years old and a long time resident of the temple

Group of monks in with the double stories pavilion in the background

The two stories pavilion has an unique architecture in Angkor

Devata in a narrow corridor

Demon pulling the naga snake snake on the west causeway

strangler fig growing on a wall

REFLECTIONS

Flooded corridor during the monsoon season

Gopura with giant stone guardians

Apsara dancers ornements in the hall of dancers

Devata (Queen Indradevi)

Crumbling headless statue of an Asura

Hidden Devata (Queen Jayarajadevi)

Monk exiting a secret chamber

Buddha carving covered in moss

Hidden guardian with flowers offering

Preah Khan Jayatataka

One of the standing lion at the eastern gopura

Nature and sandstone intertwined

Beams of light of the forest

Hidden Devata

The biggest tree (Tetrameles nudiflora R.Br. Datiscaceae) in Preah Khan, facing west

The biggest tree of the temple growing on the eastern gopura

Unfortunately the beautiful tree above (Tetrameles nudiflora R.Br. Datiscaceae) has been cut in 2020 and now just a shadow if itself:(

Angkor Complete

Angkor Sunrise

Dragon Monks of Cambodia

On July 15, 2017 / buddhism, Cambodia, monks

While leading a photography tour with one of my guest in the Cambodian countryside, we unexpectedly stumbled upon a unusual Buddhist ceremony at a local pagoda: many families were there busy preparing offering and several young Cambodian boys with shaved heads were wearing colorful dresses and make-up. One of them was actually crying.

We learned later that this 2-day ceremony was inspired by the Dragon Monk Legend: a long time ago, a dragon (Neak in Khmer language) who took the form of a man was ordained monk by Buddha. While taking a nap, the monk changed back to dragon and the trick was discovered. The legend lived until this day as the ceremony of the dragon is taking place when a Cambodian man wants to become a monk either for few years or longer.

We were lucky to be the only outsiders taken pictures of this ceremony of the 9 monks to be ordained. Future monks had their head and eyebrows shaved and were dressed up with the with a colorful sampot (an ancient long traditional saron) and a lace top along with some jewellery. They also applied lipstick to make themselves more beautiful, something which can be seen in the temples of Angkor done by locals on some Buddha and Devata statues.

At one point of the ceremony, beautiful horses were brought in and monks rode them to take part of a procession going back to the city few miles away. Some women carried colorful boxes containing the robe of the monks that they will be wearing the next day.

When back from the city, a large crowd did a circumambulation (3 times) before entering the pagoda where the monks were been ordained by higher monks.

If you are visiting Siem Reap and want to document this special Buddhist ceremony please get in touch with us.

Dragon monks praying Buddha

Dragon monk in a colorful pagoda

A soon to be ordained monk adjusting his colorful sampot

Khmer family dressing session in pagoda

Dragon monk wearing a pink sampot

Young dragon monk wearing a lace top outfit

Dragon monk posing with his offerings

Dragon monk dressed with a sampot in the monastery

The nine to be ordained monks kneeling and praying

Elderly Cambodian women at the Dragon ceremony

Elderly Cambodian woman in front of a colorful pagoda mural

Colorful box containing the robe of a future monk

Procession going from the pagoda to the city on foot

Dragon monk riding a colorful horse on his way to the city

Dragon monk riding a colorful horse on his way to the city

Monk waiting by the pagoda’s entrance

Young Cambodian kid with colorful paint on his face

Crowd gathered in front of the pagoda for the final ceremony

The enigmatic temple of Preah Khan of Kompong Svay

On May 26, 2017 / blog, Cambodia

Preah Khan of Kompong Svay (not be mistaken with Preah Khan temple in Angkor), also called Prasat Bakan by the locals, is a remote archeological site located 100 km from Siem Reap as the crow flies in Preah Vihear province at the eastern end on the ancient royal road from Angkor.

Preah Khan is the single biggest temple complex built during the Khmer Empire occupying an impressive footprint of about 22 kilometers square, 11 times larger than Angkor Wat and 2 times larger than the city of Angkor Thom. Because of its remote location (more than 200 km one way from Siem Reap including about 70 km of unpaved road) it receives less than 10 visitors daily.

The layout of the temple is unique compared to the other sites in Angkor as it is oriented northeast. It has been proposed that the temple is aligned with the raising sun during thee summer solstice.

A large baray of 3 km long lies on the east with a temple called Preah Thkol in the middle similar to the West Mebon in Angkor. It was built between the 10th and 13th centuries in different stages during the reigns of Kings Suryavarman I, II and Jayavarman VII. The influence of Jayarvaman VII is clearly visible in Prasat Preah Stun which has with a four-faced tower similar to the Bayon temple (see picture below).

Rediscovery

The rediscovery of Preah Khan is credited to French explorer and artist Louis Delaporte who lead a expedition there in 1873. At the end of their visit they took many statues which are now at the Guimet museum in Paris : among them, a naga garuda and an elephant statue from Preah Damrei (see picture below).

Because of its remote location and lack of security, the site was badly sacked during the 1980’s and 1990’s and even more recently in 2003. Even so, some beautiful pieces like doors and lintels are still there. The causeway crossing the moat (mostly dry like in Beng Mealea) has many garuda carvings on both sides.

Exploring the site can be quite difficult because of the dense vegetation there and the absence of clear paths.

Recent archeological missions

The Cambodian Archaeological Lidar Initiative (CALI) known for his groundbreaking discovery of the first Khmer empire city, Mahendravarpata, in Phnom Kulen and in 2014 did a survey of Preah Khan in 2015 and confirmed the previous layout of the temple. They confirmed that Preah Khan was an important iron smelting center at the height of the Khmer Empire. 90 structures were identified within the four enclosures of the temple.

Another project called The Two Buddhist Towers lead by a multidisciplinary team of researchers (UCLA, University of Illinois, University College London, EFEO,…) aims to study the transition from Mahāyāna to Theravāda Buddhism at Preah Khan did some excavations in 2015 and 2016. Three Chinese coins dating from the 10th and 11th century were found confirming the importance of his site during the Khmer Empire.

LIDAR image of Preah Khan of Kompong Svay

Main entrance of Preah Khan of Kompong Svay

Buddha niche at Preah Khan Kompong Svay

Atmospheric entrance in Preah Kompong Svay

Garudas below the main bridge of Preah Khan of Kompong Svay

The same garuda bridge by Louis Delaporte in 1873

Remain of a lion statue

preah khan kompong svay photography tour

Laterite towers in Preah Khan Kompong Svay

Beautiful door at the main temple of Preah Khan Kompong Svay

Temple ruin in preah khan kompong svay second enclosure

One of the two elephant statues remaining statue at Preah Damrei. Louis Delaporte took one back to France in 1873.

Bayon like temple in Preah Khan Kompong Svay

Beautiful Naga with Garuda at Preah Damrei

Tree growing on one of the temples of Preah Khan of Kompong Svay

Devata at Preah Damrei

Preah Stun , a surprising Bayon look alike temple in the jungle

Preah Khan of Kompong Svay is best visited during the dry season when the unpaved road is in fairly good condition. It is a 1-day trip from Siem Reap that can be combined with a visit to Koh Ker or Beng Mealea. A 2-day trip with a visit to Preah Vihear can also be arranged. If you like to do a private photography tour of this enigmatic and beautiful temple, please contact me.

Huawei P9 lite review for photographers

On February 9, 2017 / blog

I recently upgraded my smartphone to a Huawei P9 lite and took it with me in the temples of Angkor during my photography tours along with a 5D Mark II.

The P9 lite, released in April 2016, packs a 13M-Pixel (4160X3120pixels) CMOS Image Sensor (Sony IMX 214, 1.12µm pixels) with a f:2.0 front camera. It lacks the dual Leica lens system and raw capture from his counterpart the Huawei P9 plus. Focal length has a 35 mm equivalent focal length of a 27 mm.

Camera operation

The camera has a quick access and when in standby it is very quick to start. By sweeping left one can access the menu to switch to pro photo. In this mode, shutter speed, ISO and white balance can be changed. When shutter speed is determined by the camera, exposure can be adjusted with the exposure compensation slide (-4 to +4 eV). Three focus mode are available: AF-S (spot), AF-C (continuous) and MF (manual focus). White balance can be changed to the usual values from tungsten to cloudy. Like in many DSLR, 3 metering modes are available: spot, center-weighted and evaluative. ISO can be set between 100 and 1600 ISO. In auto, the camera can set it as low as 50 ISO.

HDR mode

HDR can be useful to get more details in the shadow. The HDR mode of the P9 quite good , however there is no option to chose the strengh of the processing. It works particularly well with textures like on this 9th century temple strangled by a tree in the lost city of Koh Ker in Cambodia.

Macro

The P9 do not have a dedicated function for macro but the focusing distance of about 3 cm make up for it. The amount of details picked up by the camera is quite impressive. This macro shot of a praying mantis was shot in a very bright light and the details are in the same levels than a DSLR (the DSLR shot being slightly out of focus). For comparison you can see below a cropped version of the P9 and a Canon 750D side by side:

Panorama mode

Panorama mode is accessed from the camera by sweeping up the screen from the left. From there is an option to do either horizontal or vertical panorama.

Generally the stitching is quite good although errors can happen at low ambient light. One of the main drawback I have found is that it is not possible to lock the exposure before taking a panorama so it high contrasted scenes are difficult to capture.

Night Photography

Light painting on a pagoda. Pro photo mode 8 s pose, ISO 100

Swiping up the screen from the left let you choose two modes: night shot and light painting. In night shot mode, ISO can be set up between 100 and 1600 ISO and shutter speed up to 32 seconds. Using the 2-second timer (by swiping up screen from the right) helps to avoid blurry pictures.

The second mode available is Light painting and has 3 presets: Tail lights, Light graffiti, Silky water and Star track. They differentiate themselves by the ISO settings: Tail lights, Light graffiti: 64 ISO / Silky water: auto ISO / Star track: 800 ISO. All presets allow very long exposure time, the camera stays open until the shutter button is pressed again. Pro mode can be used for night photography but exposure time is limited to 8 seconds.

The Light graffiti preset was designed to write letters or paint shapes in the dark with a LED light but it can be used in more creative ways to create abstract backgrounds like this backlit laptop keyboard below.

Laptop keyboard backlit. Graffiti mode 7.2 seconds, ISO 64

Slow Motion

The Huawei P9 can record slow motion at 120 fps but be aware that the resolution is quite low at only 640X480 pixels (VGA). You can see on the video below of a lotus flower opening, both normal and slow motion sequences (4 times slower).

Conclusion

The Huawei P9 lite is the ideal companion for any travel photographer and has a good image quality. Of course it cannot be compared to a DSLR but in some situations it can the best camera as it can fit in your pocket. The different modes available allow you to produce some really creative images.

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The atmospheric temple jungle of Beng Mealea

12 Beautiful Pictures of the Cambodian Countryside

On August 29, 2016 / blog, Cambodia

Millions of tourists flock in Siem Reap every year to visit the famous UNESCO World Heritage temples of Angkor. While these temples are the highlight of every tourist visiting Cambodia, the countryside of Siem Reap tends to be overlooked and only a few chooses to explore off the beaten track and get to experience the beauty of Cambodia’s authentic rural lifestyle.
About five kilometers away from the busy Siem Reap downtown area, one can find picturesque and tranquil scenary of villages with small traditional houses scattered throughout the expanse of the countryside. People are warm and they are almost all the time happy to pose for photographs. Main photography themes would be landscape photography of the green paddy and lotus flower fields, farmers working in the plains, amazing sunsets, and portrait opportunities of kids from the village.
Angkor Photography Tours offers photography tours in Siem Reap to photography enthusiasts who wants to see and capture rural living.
These photographs were taken during our tours and will hopefully entice you to take a day or two of your visit in Siem Reap to explore the lovely Cambodian countryside.

Paddy fields just before the storm

Farmer in paddy fields

Cows coming back from the fields

Mother and her kids near their house

flooded paddy fields siem reap photo tour

Young Cambodian kid working in the flooded paddy fields

Lotus flowers harvesting

Kids with lotus flowers

Cute Cambodian girl holding a lotus flower

Father and son coming back from harvesting

Flooded boat

fisherman on boat siem reap photography tours

Fisherman at sunrise

countryside siem reap sunset photography tour

Beautiful sunset in the countryside near Siem Reap Cambodia

Sanskrit Writings in Angkorian Temples

On March 5, 2016 / blog

Aside from the remarkable elaborate carvings of devatas, apsaras found in many Angkor temples, there are a number of writings carved on stones that one can find on their walls and pillars. Most of the inscriptions are in Sanskrit, which serves as a testimony to the Hindu origin of the temple.
Sanskrit is the classical language of Indian and the main language of Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism. One of the 22 official languages of India, Sanskrit is a standardized dialect of the Old Indo-Aryan, originating as Vedic Sanskrit with ancestry tracing back to Proto-Indo-Iranian and Proto-Indo-European. Vedic Sanskrit, comprising mainly of chants and hymns, is closely related to Avestan, the oldest preserved of the Iranian languages. Rigvedic Sanskrit, language of hymns of the Rigveda, is the oldest stage of the language. It is said that Vedic Sanskrit is one of the languages that couldn’t be accurately translated in this age.
During the classical period of Iron Age India at around 4th century B.C., the language evolved into Classical Sanskrit. According to scholars, Classical Sanskrit is a different dialect compared to Vedic Sanskrit. Although quite similar, there are distinct differences in phonology, vocabulary, syntax and grammar.
The word Sanskrit means “refined”, “consecrated” and “sanctified”. It continues to be used mainly as a language for Hindu and Buddhist religious ceremonies.

Below are the picture of few sanskrit writings found on pillars of Angkor Wat, Ta Nei, Kravan and Koh Ker temples.

Sanskrit writing on a pillar of Angkor Wat temple

Sanskrit writing on a pillar of Ta Nei temple

Sanskrit writing on a pillar of a temple in Koh Ker

sanskrit writing koh ker photography tours

Sanskrit writing on a pillar of a temple in Koh Ker

Sanskrit writing on a pillar of Angkor Wat temple

sanskrit prasat kravan photography tours

Sanskrit writing on a pillar of prasat kravan temple

Angkor Up Close

On January 30, 2016 / blog

bas relief bayon temple angkor photography tours

Visiting the temples of Angkor can be overwhelming. The structures are quite massive that most tourists focus their attention solely in watching the breathtaking grandeur of the fortresses against the picturesque landscapes. More often than not, the elaborate details of the temples are inevitably missed or neglected, for some reason.

But the beauty of Angkor is revealed on its exquisite elements: intricate carvings of Apsara dancers, Devatas, Buddhas, guardians and demons, bas-reliefs of battles or everyday life scenes. The minute details are actually the ones telling us fascinating stories of the bygone era.

Uncovering interesting details can be a challenge for most as quite a lot are hidden in the dark corners of the temples where only the curious dare go while others are covered with moss.

People who have visited Angkor temples for first time could not seem to get enough so they tend to come back for more. Even if they have been to the temples several times, each visit is just as stimulating as the first time. Every visit is an opportunity to find something new and unique.

If you want to see the awe-inspiring intricacies of Angkor temples with your very own eyes, please check our website at www.angkorphotographytours.com to know more about our photography tours. You might just spot an angel, on your lucky day.

sanskrit pillar angkor wat photography tours

Sanskrit writing on a pillar in Angkor

sanskrit writing angkor wat photography tours

Sanskrit writing in Prasat Kravan temple

angkor wat pillar angkor wat photography tours

Intricate details of a pillar in Angkor Wat temple

lintel close up koh ker angkor photography tours

Detail of a lintel in Koh Ker temple

demon carving in koh ker angkor photography tours

Detail of a demon carving in Koh Ker temple

Demon carving in Banteay Thom temple

apsara carving Bayon temple angkor photography tours

Beautiful Apsara dancers carving at Bayon temple

Bas relief detail in Bayon temple

aspsara dancers preah khan temple angkor photography tours

Apsara dancer carvings in Preah Khan temple

aspara hand banteay thom angkor photography tours

Detail of an aspara’s hand in Banteay Thom temple

Apsara feet Ta Prohm temple Angkor Photography Tours

Apsara feet close up in Ta Prohm temple

Buddha carving moss preah khan angkor photography tours

Buddha carving covered in moss in Preah Khan temple

bayon temple carving angkor photography tours

Carving in sandstone blocks in Bayon temple

carving preah khan angkor photography tours

Angel carving in Preah Khan temple

Openings – The Trees of Angkor Ouvertures – Les arbres d’Angkor

On January 25, 2016 / blog

This a guest post from Pascal who I had the pleasure to guide in the temples of Angkor last December. Fascinated by the giant trees of Angkor, Pascal captured them in a very special way through openings. Enjoy his selection of pictures below taken mainly in Ta Prohm and Preah Khan temples.

Les grands arbres multi-centenaires de la jungle ( même maitrisée aujourd’hui ) ont pris le pouvoir sur les majestueux ouvrages bâtis par les hommes… Les temples d’ANGKOR, par les ouvertures béantes du temps, regardent le ciel à travers la nature qui précipite, chaque jour, sa perte et reprends ses droits ! ..

The large three century-old trees from the jungle (although controlled today) overtook the majestic masterpieces built by man… The temples of Angkor, with their opening in the sky through time, are looking at the nature which, day after day, takes inexorably back its territory.

Apsaras and Devatas in the Temples of Angkor

On January 19, 2016 / blog

Apsaras are the ethereal, elegant and youthful beings dancing in celestial palaces while Devatas are beautiful standing young goddesses in elegant outfits. Images of Devatas and Apsaras are delicately carved in the sandstone of many Angkorian temples. If some of them did not stand the test of time and others were defaced (some of them can be seen in Preah Khan) many are still today beautifully preserved in Angkor Wat where about 1800 have been counted.

Apsaras and Devatas are fantastic photography subjects as they always look different in the direct sunlight of midday or the warmer light of sunrise and sunset. They can be seen in groups or alone so photographers can play with the depth of field to isolate one.

Pictures taken with wide or ultra wide angle also can give interesting perspectives as they come together in the frame even if far apart. In the first two photos below you can count 17 and 8 devatas respectively.

Close up shots reveal the intricate details and the true beauty of the carvings: devatas holding hands, touching their hairs, smiling showing their teeth or holding a bird.

There are still so many interesting details of apsaras and devatas waiting to be uncovered. If you want to see more , check out www.angkorphotographytours.com and book a photo discovery tour with us.

Group of devatas in Angkor Wat temple

Devatas at sunrise in Angkor Wat temple

Devatas holding hands in Angkor Wat temple

Devatas in Angkor Wat with early morning light

Devatas in Angkor Wat corridor

Devatas in Angkor Wat temple

Devatas in Banteay Kdei temple

Devata at sunrise at Angkor Wat temple

Devata in Angkor Wat temple

Devatas in Ta Prohm temple

Devata in Bayon temple

Apsara dancers at Bayon temple

Devatas in Ta Prohm temple

Devata behind crumbling stones in Preah Khan temple

Devata behind a tree in Ta Prohm temple

Devata close up in Ta Prohm temple

Hidden Devata in Preah Khan temple

Devata close up in Ta Prohm temple

Devata close up in Angkor Wat temple

Devata close up in Ta Prohm temple

Angkor Wat Documentary Videos

On January 9, 2016 / Uncategorized

Your flight ticket and hotel are booked and you are a now a few days away from your trip to Siem Reap. Like many you probably did not have the time to read about the temples of Angkor. Do not worry!
To help you out, we compiled a list of the best Angkor Wat documentary videos available online. Most of them are in English, some others in French only. If you have other movies to suggest or want to report broken links, please feel free to let us know.

THE KHMER EMPIRE: FALL OF THE GOD KINGS (2020, Fall of Civilizations MMXX, in English)

Watch online: Complete (98 min)

Combining footage from various sources: video stock agencies, digital work from Monash University, work from Chandara Ung of SensiLab, this documentary gives a very good overview about the rise and the fall of the Khmer Empire.

LOST WORLDS: CITY OF THE GOD KINGS (2002, Channel 4, in English)

Watch online: Complete (49 min)

This documentary gives a good overview about the history of the temples of Angkor. In this film, you will learn about the first images of the 1994’s Spaceborne Imaging Radar survey from NASA, the accounts of Zhou Daguan’s visit in Angkor in the 13th century, the first impressions of Henri Mouhot from 1860. Several leading archaeologists are interviewed and gave any interesting insights about their research on Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom and Phnom Kulen.

JUNGLE ATLANTIS BBC

(2014, in English)

Watch online: Part 1 (59 min) Part 2 (59 min)

Jungle Atlantis by the BBC is about the latest findings from the LIDAR, a groundbreaking laser technology which gave archaeologists new insights about the temples, the sacred mountain of Phnom Kulen and revealed new archaeological sites hidden beneath the dense jungle.
In this documentary are also presented some new research evidences about the sophisticated Angkorian water irrigation system believed to be at the origin of the rise and fall of the Khmer Empire.

AUX SOURCES D’ANGKOR ARTE

(2015, Science Grand Format, in French)

A documentary about the first capital of the Khmer Empire, Mahendraparvata, and its discovery in 2000 by Jean-Baptiste Chevance on the top of Kulen mountain. The map of the ancient city is confirmed by the LIDAR survey of 2012.

Watch online: Complete (53 min)

ANGKOR REDECOUVERT ARTE

(2013, in French)

Watch online: Complete (86 min)

Angkor redécouvert is an Angkor documentary about the latest findings of the LIDAR project and some archaeological research led by French and German teams in the temples of Koh Ker. Also presented, the groundbreaking documentary work of the French explorer and artist Louis Delaporte, at the end of the 19th century.

ACCESS 360 WORLD HERITAGE ANGKOR WAT

(2013, NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC, in English)

Watch online: Complete (44 min)

A documentary about the LIDAR technology which helped scientists to get a better understanding of the layout of the city of Angkor Wat. A large part of the documentary is about the restoration and conservation efforts that took place in the temples over the years.

VISUALISING ANGKOR

(2009, MONASH UNIVERSITY, in English)

Watch online: Complete (3 min)

An amazing short animation film produced by Monash University depicting the landscapes and daily life during the golden age of Angkor Wat.

ANGKOR THE LAND OF THE GODS

(2011 SMITHSONIAN CHANNEL, in English)

Watch online: Part 1 (55 min) Part 2 (55 min)

The first part of this documentary focuses on the rise of the Khmer empire and the legacy of Suryavarman II: Angkor Wat temple. Is explained also the connection between the temples and the quarries in the Kulen mountain. The second part is about Jayavarman VII well known for his extensive temple building program. Also presented, the last findings about Angkor Thom and the Bayon temple. Both part feature beautifully designed 3D and movie sequences.

ANGKOR: LA CIVILISATION ENGLOUTIE

(2012, ARTE, in French)

A documentary which highlights the works of the EFEO about the history of the consecutive capitals of the Khmer empire. New research is been presented about the temples of Beng Melea, Phnom Kulen, Preah Khan and the West Baray water reservoir. Presented also, the new archaeological evidences uncovered by the LIDAR technology.

Watch online: Complete (52 min)

A LA POURSUITE DES PILLEURS DE TEMPLES

(2016, ARTE, in French)

A documentary about the controversial topic of antiquities trafficking and in particular about the looting of the statues of the statues of Koh Ker in Cambodia. Tess David a lawyer successfully executed a lawsuit against Sotheby’s for the sale of the unique statue of Duryodhana bondissant which was stolen in 1972 at Prasat Chen temple and which was part of a unique 3 dimensional Hindu fighting scene composed of 9 statues.

Watch online: Complete (52 min)

ANCIENT MEGASTRUCTURES ANGKOR WAT

(2008, NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC, in English)

This documentary focuses exclusively on the construction of Angkor Wat temple under the reign of Suryavarman II.

Watch online: Complete (47 min)

DIGGING FOR THE TRUTH ANGKOR WAT

(HISTORY CHANNEL, in English)

A fast-paced documentary about Angkor Wat temple.

Watch online: Complete (45 min)

PHOTOGRAPHY TOURS

If you are a passionate photographer who wants to get the best pictures of Angkor and wants to improve your photo skills you can join our Angkor Wat sunrise tour or our countryside tour. We run also photography tours in the capital city of Phnom Penh.

Posts Tagged Angkor