Few places in the world are as fascinating as Angkor, the heart of the immense Khmer empire that flourished in Indochina from the 9th to the 13th century and is today a magnificent archaeological park. The Khmers, who lived in present-day Cambodia exploited the special features of the Angkor plain and created an incredible hydraulic network of basins, canals and rice paddies that not only guaranteed subsistence for a million persons but also made it possible to accumulate a surplus used to finance innumerable constructions. The Khmer kings were skilful and warlike rulers who, drawing inspiration from the Indian concepts of regality and from the local cults of spirits and deified ancestors, built monumental pyramid temples as reproductions and representations of the mythical cosmic mountain, Meru. What is more, every temple was reflected in a large pool that served the practical purpose of a reservoir and the symbolic function of a representation of the primeval ocean. The result was a liquid checkerboard dotted with temples, wooden buildings and bamboo huts and swarming with markets, carts, dugout canoes, animals and people. The only remains of Angkor, the great capital city consisting of numerous urban areas that rose up over the centuries, are its temples, invaded by the luxuriant vegetation. The plant world has regained possession of what were once human settlements, bursting through the stones in a suffocating maze of branches and lianas; indeed, the presence of this greenery that adds to the ineffable artistic beauty of the Angkor temples a magical atmosphere of distant times and remote worlds. AUTHOR: Marilia Albanese a graduate in Sanskrit and Indology, with a diploma in Hindi Language and Indian Culture, is the director of the Lombardy Section of the Italian Institute for Africa and the Orient (I.A.O.) at the University of Milan. CONTENTS Introduction The Refinement of the Early Period Masterpieces of Carving The Royal Foundations The Heart of Angkor The Heritage of the Khmer Itineraries outside the Archaeological Park Travelwise Glossary Bibliography Index Photo credits ILLUSTRATIONS: 250 colour photos *
