Angkor Wat temple, architectural masterpiece of the Khmer Empire, situated near Siem Reap in North-western Cambodia is one of the most visited temple in the world (more than 2 million visitors in 2016). Here are 10 fun facts below about Angkor Wat temple.
1. The central tower of Angkor Wat is aligned with sunrise twice a year in March and September during the winter and spring equinox.
Angkor Wat sunrise Spring equinox (March 2016)
2. The artificial moat surrounding the temple provides stability to the structure by keeping constant the humidity of the sandy ground below.
3. Contrary to the other Angkorian temples, Angkor Wat is facing West.
4. Angkor Wat counts about 1700 delicate carvings of topless celestial dancers called Devatas.
5. The first pictures of Angkor Wat were taken in 1866 by John Thomson.
6. Angkor Wat was during the 12th century the largest city on Earth with an estimated population of nearly 1,000,000.
7. Angkor Wat has four entrances but only the west and the east are accessible.
8. Angkor Wat was built as heaven on earth with its fives towers representing Mont Meru and its moat the ocean.
9. Since 2013, you can visit the entire temple complex of Angkor Wat from your smartphone using Google Street View.
10. Angkor Wat central sanctuary is made of an iron core (coming from laterite, a porous stone containing iron oxide).
🌅 Angkor Wat sunrise offers breathtaking beauty throughout the year, with each month providing a unique perspective.
⏰ Sunrise time at Angkor Wat varies from 5.30 am to 6.30 am.
🌄 Remarkable astronomical events occur during the equinoxes in March and September.
🎨 The colors of the sky at dawn are unpredictable, ranging from pale red to delicate pink or even blue.
📸 Photographers should arrive early to secure a spot, especially if using a tripod, and the best time for night photography is December and January.
☁️ The monsoon season adds dramatic and awe-inspiring skies.
📍 There are various vantage points to witness the sunrise at Angkor Wat, with reflecting ponds being the most sought-after location for stunning compositions.
If you are planning a trip to Cambodia, make sure to add Angkor Wat sunrise to your agenda. Photographers, in particular, won’t want to miss out on capturing the breathtaking beauty of this natural wonder throughout the year. Each month offers a unique perspective on this inspiring event, from clear skies and stunning red sunrises during the early months of the year, to the dramatic impact of the monsoon season, with rain clouds adding a mesmerizing depth to the photographs. Particularly in the months of March, April, and May, the sun appears as a massive red ball amidst the haze, perfect for capturing unforgettable images.
ANGKOR WAT SUNRISE TIME
Sunrise at Angkor Wat varies from about 5.30 am to 6.30 am depending of the time of the year. As Angkor Wat opens at 5 am all year around you can arrive sometime less than one hour before sunrise. This will have a lot of consequence on your pictures so if you want to get pictures of Angkor Wat at night, you should plan your trip accordingly.
Enchanting Sunrise at Angkor Wat’s Reflection Pond (January 2016)
Angkor Wat Sunrise | When the sun rises behind the temple
Two remarkable astronomical events occur each year in March and September at Angkor Wat Temple, highlighting the ingenuity of its ancient architects. During the vernal and autumnal equinoxes, the sun rises perfectly aligned with the base of Angkor temple and slowly rise just beside the central tower, creating a stunning visual effect. This remarkable phenomenon is a testament to the advanced astronomical knowledge possessed by the architects who built Angkor Wat 900 years ago
Majestic Sunrise Behind Angkor Wat’s main Tower During the Spring Equinox (March 2016)
The Enchanting Dance of the Sun During Sunrise
If you are standing at Angkor Wat facing east towards the rising sun in different seasons, you will notice that the position of the sun changes dramatically throughout the year. During the month of December, the sun rises at the far right side of the temple (south), while in June, it rises at the far left (north). Additionally, during the periods around the two equinoxes of March and September, the sun rises behind the towers of Angkor, creating a breathtaking sight. This celestial dance offers photographers and visitors alike a chance to witness the majestic beauty of Angkor Wat in a variety of perspectives and lighting conditions throughout the year.
Angkor Wat temple taken from central causeway just after the spring equinox (March 2022)
Spectacular Sunburst behind Angkor Wat Temple silhouette (June 2015)
Angkor Wat reflective pool after with the silhouettes few tourists (November 2017)
From Blue to Pink | Capturing the Ever-changing Hues of Angkor Wat Sunrise
At Angkor temple, the colors of dawn can be quite unpredictable. The sky may transform from a pale red to a delicate shade of pink, or even capture the elusive “blue hour” just before sunrise. Each morning is a unique experience, with the colors of the sky constantly changing throughout the year.
Blue hour with stormy sky (April 2023)
Captivating Angkor Wat: May Sunrise at the Blue Hour (May 2016)
Hues of pink with Angkor Wat reflection (February 2023)
Angkor Wat Sunrise | Tips for Photographers
For photographers, it is recommended to arrive as early as possible on location as soon as possible to secure a spot in front of the pond especially if you plan to use a tripod. Sunrise can be as early as 5.37 am in the month of June and a bit late at 6.32 am in the month of January. December and january are also best time of the year to capture photos of Angkor Wat at night with star trails as a backdrop. The opening hours are strictly enforced and Angkor Wat opens at 5 am sharp.
Angkor Wat at daybreak with golden colors (April 2016)
Nature’s Canvas: Angkor Wat Sunrise Against the Drama of Clouds
The moonson season brings hues of green to the temples of Angkor by also dramatic and awe-inspiring skies. This without any doubt gives another dimension to photographs compared to the clear skies.
These pictures can be taken between June until sometime Decembre depending on the moosoon season .
A Dramatic Angkor Wat Skyline Amidst the Clouds (August 2022)
Beautiful sunrise just after the rain (december 2015)
Golden sunrise at Angkor Wat (August 2014)
Angkor Wat at Sunrise: A Majestic Scene with Red Clouds in June
Angkor Wat with dramatic red clouds (October)
Angkor Wat with dramatic red clouds (October)
Angkor Wat in October with Vibrant Red Clouds (2017)
At Angkor Wat, the sunrise spots are plentiful, regardless of whether you face east or west. Whether you seek a dramatic backlight or wish to observe the golden rays illuminating the sandstone carvings, there are many vantage points to choose. The reflecting ponds at Angkor Wat are undoubtedly the most sought-after location for capturing the perfect Instagram shot. As the sun rises, the water create a mirror-like reflection, offering a stunning composition for photographers. Consequently, these areas tend to be quite crowded, as the area is quite small
The short answer would be yes. if you do not want to be shoulder to hundred of tousist at the reflective pools, they are other view points during sunrise where it can be relatively quiet. Note that the busiest season is from November to February but it not necessarily the best months for photographers looking to explore the temples of Angkor and get the most spectacular shots. If you can, we recommend to hire a photography guide.
The quite elusive phenomenon, known as the blue hour, unveils itself approximately sixty minutes before the break of dawn, it can give a intense blue tone to your pictures even if your camera is set to a warm white balance.
Angkor Wat temple’s popularity at sunrise comes from its stunning sunrises. The temple’s silhouette against the colorful sky creates a picturesque setting that has become iconic. especially viewed from the reflecting ponds.Although the same breathtaking effect cannot be replicated at sunset, the evening golden light sunset can be a blessing for photographers especially in areas rich with carvings.
Equinox, an astronomical event that marks a change in season, is the time in which the sun passes over the celestial equator causing the length of night and day to be roughly equal. In the northern hemisphere vernal equinox marks the beginning of spring while autumnal equinox marks the beginning of autumn. Vernal equinox is usually celebrated in March while autumnal equinox in September. In the southern hemisphere, it is the other way around.
Spring equinox is not just any ordinary season celebration. In most cultures, it is a religious observance embracing a symbolic sense of spirituality. It has been celebrated for thousands of years in many countries with different traditions with almost similar themes, the start of new beginnings. For Christians, spring equinox plays a vital role in determining the Christian Easter and the same goes for the Jewish celebration of the Passover. While a tradition from ancient Chinese calls for balancing of eggs to bring good fortune and abundance. For Iranians, spring equinox marks their New Year or Nowruz established from the Zoroastrianism beliefs. St. Patrick’s day in Ireland is also an observance related to the spring equinox.
In Pagan traditions, spring equinox is a celebration in honor of the gods and goddesses. Ancient Romans celebrate in honor of the mother goddess of Rome, Cybele, who with some divine intervention and help from Zeus, resurrected her lover, Attis after he castrated and killed himself. Germanic tribes celebrate Ostara, originally from the word Eostre, the Germanic goddess of spring; while Ancient Egypt celebrate the Festival of Isis, the goddess of spring and rebirth.
The native Mayan people in Central America celebrates spring equinox for ten centuries in the Mayan sacrificial ritual pyramid, El Castillo or the Kukulcan Pyramid, in Chichen Itza, Mexico. The pyramid has four staircases and at the base of the stairs stands the carved head of a snake deity, Kukulkan. The pyramid is designed with quite an impressive precision that during the equinox, as the sun sets, shadows and sunlight plays an illusion of a snake sliding down the staircase. They call this occurrence as “The Return of the Sun Serpent”. At present, El Castillo is also one of the famous venue for equinox observance.
Stonehenge, a celebrated tourist attraction in England is another well-known venue for the equinox. One function of the Stonehenge’s blueprint is to serve as an astronomical observatory to forecast and calculate celestial occurrences. During the equinox, Druids and Pagans gather early in the morning to witness the sun rising above the stones. This structure has become a very prominent venue for those seeking some kind of an extraordinary spiritual encounter during the equinox.
Another remarkable site to experience the equinox is the Grianan of Aileach, a group of ancient structures on top of a hill in Count Donegal, Ireland, with structures believed to have been built in the 6th or 7th century AD. During the equinox, the beam of the rising sun is dividing the inside of the stone ring-fort which is the main structure, into a northern and southern part.
Mnajdra, a temple complex in the the island of Malta, is considered as one of the most ancient religious sites on earth. The structure is believed to have been built during the 4th Millenium B.C. During the equinox, a ray of sun pass thru the temple and lights up its main axis.
Finally, being considered as one of the shrines of the ancient world, Angkor Wat near Siem Reap Cambodia is the most popular venue in Southeast Asia to celebrate the spring equinox. The structure, aside from its magnificent design is also drafted to forecast celestial phenomenons. Angkor Wat temple features a very distinctive and spectacular sunrise during the equinox; the sun rises exactly behind the pinnacle of the central tower, the most sacred point of the temple rising 65 meters above the ground.
For this upcoming Spring Equinox we are doing a special photography tour, please visit this page for more details. Here are few pictures below of sunrise at the equinox in Angkor Wat temple.
Angkor Wat spring equinox sunrise
Angkor Wat sunrise during the equinox
Sunlight behind the central tower of Angkor Wat temple
Sunrise over Angkor Wat temple during Equinox
Crowd waiting for sunrise during the equinox at Angkor Wat temple
