Friday, January 13, 2012

History of Kep

Posted by Unknown at 7:07 PM 0 comments
From the early 1900's until the 1960's, Kep was a thriving resort town for the rich French elite. Some time after Cambodian Independence from France, Kep became the most exclusive and prestigious beach town in Cambodia. Hundreds of large and luxurious villas lined the beach front and occupied several streets back. Today, the story behind the downfall of Kep is contested. Likely abandoned by the French when Cambodia claimed independence but then occupied by rich Khmer, it is alleged that the villas were destroyed during the Khmer Rouge, where the battle front with the Lon Nol army was a mere 8km west at "The White Horse Monument." Kep was possibly further damaged during The Vietnam War. You can still see the burnt out shells of villas and infrastructure, including public baths and change rooms, scattered around Kep city. KepCambodia.com visited the National Library in Phnom Penh and gathered these pictures.
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How to go to Kep..................


From Phnom Penh: The road from Phnom Penh to Kep is paved and smooth for the most part. Exit Phnom Penh on the airport road (Russian Blvd) heading west. At the large roundabout on the edge of town, follow the left exit which is national route 3 (the road to the right is national route 4 to Sihanoukville) - After 90mins drive you will come across the largest town since Kep. This is a good point for a rest stop and a bite to eat. Continue straight through the town, after 10km you will see a fork in the road. Follow the fork to the left (the right fork will take you to kampot) - The road will now be distinctly smoother - After another half hour and having taken two very sharp right turns, you will pass through another small township where will you cross a bridge. If you look to the right you will see spectacular views as the sun sets. After another 45mins the road quality will deteriorate suddenly - 15-20mins later you will see The White Horse monument to your left - you need to turn left at this monument (continue straight to go to Kampot.) You can either continue going straight when a road divider appears in the middle of the road, or turn left and take the beach front road past the crab market. A taxi will charge $35-45 one way. There is also a good airconditioned bus which departs from olympic stadium twice a day.



From Kampot: The road from Kampot to Kep is paved and smooth. The 25km drive will take you around 20 mins by car, or 45mins by tuk tuk. Simply follow the road which will not fork or split until you reach the White Horse Monument. Continue to the right side of the monument (Straight takes you to Kampong Trach.) This road will take you to Kep. You can either continue going straight when a road divider appears in the middle of the road, or turn left and take the beach front road past the crab market. Motodups charge about $2 - $3 one way and $6 round trip.

Cambodia, The world of travel

History of Angkor Empire

History of Cambodia : Angkor Empire
Cambodia is the temple hub of the world and Angkor is its heart and soul. The glorious Angkor civilization began around 800AD under Jayavarman II who drove the Javanese out and proclaimed himself the god-king, marking the birth of the Khmer kingdom of Angkor. It is said that he had lived in the Javanese kingdom as a youth and on his return, through strategic alliances and conquests, cobbled together a unified land.

Era of the God-King

This ushered in a span of history from the 9th century to the 13th century which saw the construction and expansion of the Angkor temples by several god-kings, each striving to outdo his predecessor by building a bigger and better temple. During this same period, the Khmer empire emerged as one of the strongest powers in Southeast Asia but was also troubled by a rise and fall of power and pesky incursions by aggressive neighbors in Thailand and Vietnam.

Athough a large number of kings ruled the Khmer empire, the most important among them are Jayavarman II, Indravarman, Suryavarman I and II, and Jayavarman VII. The word "varman' means "protector".


The First Angkor God-King

Jayavarman II, the first of the god-kings of the Khmer empire starting from 802 AD, built a "temple-mountain" at Phnom Kulen, to depict the dwelling place of the Hindu god, Shiva at his home in Mt, Meru, the holy mountain at the center of the Universe. This design of the temple-mountain became the dominant feature of architecture in Angkor. The Khmers adopted both Hindu and Buddhist beliefs, and in some cases, combined them. The Angkor complexes were really temples, built by each ruler to a patron saint to bring on the rain and prosperity to the kingdom. It is no surprise that religious shrines dedicated to Shiva, Vishnu and Buddha are scattered all over Cambodia.



Water, Water Everywhere

Water power was main reason for the prosperity and longevity of the Khmer kingdom. Through a sophisticated irrigation and drainage system, the Khmers could store flood water from the Mekong in the huge reservoirs such as the East and West Baray (reservoir). Water was then used to irrigate the farmlands during the dry period, allowing rice harvesting two or three times a year. At peak, this extensive irrigation system supported a population of around a million in Angkor.

The Angkor kings thus had a massive pool of people to draw on to construct the vast complex of megalithic temples and to man a large army. Indravarman I was thought to have built the first baray in Angkor, and fostered the blossoming of Angkorian art. It was under his rule that the Roulous temples, the most well known of which is Bakong, was built.

Suryavarman I reunited the Khmer kingdom, after a period of civil strife, expanded the kingdom into much of Laos and Thailand and stepped up trade with the outside world. Two kings later saw the rise to the throne of Suryavarman II, who once again unified Cambodia, and stretched the long arm of the Khmer kingdom to the then Malaya and Myanmar. He is best known for commissioning the majestic temple of Angkor Wat, the world's largest religious temple, dedicated to the Hindu god Vishnu. Angkor means city in Sanskrit, Angkor Wat means temple city and Angkor Thom refers to great city.

Angkor's Greatest Ruler

Jayavarman II, who came to power in 1181, is considered to be the greatest ruler of the ancient Khmer civilization. He had temples and structures built at a dizzying pace, numbering far more than that of any other ruler, and most of the temples in Angkor today were constructed during his reign. He was a follower of Mahayana Buddhism and surrounded his new city, Angkor Thom, with walls and moats.

The centerpiece of Angkor Thom is the Bayon Temple with its iconic and enigmatic giant stone faces in meditative repose. Other important temples during his reign were Ta Prohm (the Tomb Raider temple) and Preah Khan. Jayavarman VII also constructed major roads, schools and hospitals across the land, the remains of which can still be seen today, and abolished the caste system. After his death around 1219, the kingdom declined, a process accelerated by religious conflict as kings swayed between Hinduism and Buddhism, often defacing the temples of their predecessors.
 
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