Deep in the Cambodian jungle lie the remains of a vast medieval city, which was HIDDEN
for centuries. New archaeological techniques are now revealing its secrets - including an elaborate network of temples and boulevards, and sophisticated engineering.
for centuries. New archaeological techniques are now revealing its secrets - including an elaborate network of temples and boulevards, and sophisticated engineering.
In April 1858 a young French explorer, Henri Mouhot, sailed from London to south-east Asia. For the next three years he travelled widely, discovering exotic jungle insects that still bear his name.
Today he would be all but forgotten were it not for his journal, published in 1863, two years after he died of fever in Laos, aged just 35.
Mouhot's ACCOUNT captured the public imagination, but not because of the beetles and spiders he found.
captured the public imagination, but not because of the beetles and spiders he found.
Readers were gripped by his vivid descriptions of vast temples consumed by the jungle: Mouhot introduced the world to the lost medieval city of Angkor in Cambodia and its romantic, awe-inspiring splendour.
"One of these temples, a rival to that of Solomon, and erected by some ancient Michelangelo, might take an honourable place beside our most beautiful buildings. It is grander than anything left to us by Greece or ROME," he wrote. Read the full article and see more beautiful pictures here.
," he wrote. Read the full article and see more beautiful pictures here.
8 comments:
Would you rather have a large powerful Khmer empire (country) in today world or being in a small land w/beautiful temples complex of Angkor as we are here today? While I am so proud of our heritage & the world class wonder of Angkor, I do believe we would all rather choose the first option. I do believe weather as a decisive factor while our Kings continued to push building the city w/inadequate water supply system, along with slavery, converting to Buddhism as a state religion in a way of sending boys to temple at the young ages, slavery, not developing any major ports on the coast in the time of naval power/trade during the 15-16th centuries, time of when shipping was prospered.
Ultimately, anytime one is sitting on top for too long, going on the defensive while pushing for divided among classes (slavery discontent, internal power struggle within the nobles, human resources, money), one will end up as our Khmer empire. It's hard to maintain power to be on top for the long time.
We have no one but ourselves to be blame. The Thai & Cham did sack our city w/Thai taking away our most talented back to Thai to make it their owns.
I am very proud of Angkor but it should not be used by some Khmer as something that others neighboring countries do not have while it was the very reason we became slaves to them!
There's no need to boast about this to the yuon because they don't have it when we are dirt poor because of it. I strongly believe that without building the temples, we would not be where we are today. I do agree with the poster above about the lack of development of major ports contributed to the decline of the empire & the lost of Khmer Krom & Koh Tral. Our people were really never sea people much. Any village/town along the coast back in the old days are dismal at best with a small scatter population.
Absolutely agree! But history had been written.
I agree with you all, but keep in mind empires rise and fall. The mightiest Roman Empire was doomed just as much as the Great Khmer Empire. You have to be a visionary leader to chart your courses to prolong your empire.
Totally agree. I do think that building Angkor taking a toll on the people. Sitting around & doing nothing while the slaves worked hard on building, kept digging the canals.. led to what we are today. Lost, confused, angry but still doing nothing!
And what have you been doing any differently to mitigate that, 26 September 2014 11:01 am?
I love some insightful info & debate here. No name calling. Just stop it 11:07am.
So peaceful here, where's the hell are the ultra nationalist?
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