Siem Reap Through Time

Preah Ko is distinguished by its six brick towers, which sit on a common sandstone platform and are arranged in two neat rows of three. This temple, whose name translates to Sacred Bull, was completed in eight seventy-nine by King…

Phnom Bakheng rises as a stone-stepped pyramid, its silhouette distinct for the cluster of towers crowning the very summit of a natural hill. Built at the end of the ninth century by King Yasovarman the First, this structure was the…

Pre Rup is recognizable by the striking orange-red hue of its massive brick towers, which rise in a pyramid shape above the surrounding plains. Built in nine sixty-one AD, this temple was the state monument for King Rajendravarman the…

The Baphuon stands out as a massive, three-tiered temple mountain rising steeply within the ancient city of Angkor Thom. Built in the eleventh century, this sandstone structure served as the state temple for King Udayadityavarman the…

Angkor Wat is defined by five central stone towers that rise in a quincunx pattern, meant to mirror the peaks of Mount Meru, the mythical home of the gods. This massive complex is surrounded by a two-hundred-meter-wide moat, an…

The Bayon Temple stands at the dead center of Angkor Thom, instantly recognizable by its clusters of jagged stone towers, each carved with four colossal faces. Built in the late twelfth or early thirteenth century by King Jayavarman the…

Wat Bo is one of the oldest Buddhist monasteries in Siem Reap, with roots reaching back to the eighteenth century. You can identify the main temple building, or vihear, by its three-layered eaves and roof covered in red tiles. It serves as…

The Raffles Grand Hotel d’Angkor is identifiable by its long, low colonial facade, its white-painted concrete exterior, and the towering palms that frame the property. Designed by French architect Ernest Hébrard, it opened in nineteen…