The Khmer Empire

Book excerpt: At its height, the Khmer Empire stretched from Angkor as far west as Muang Singh on the border with present-day Burma and Thailand and as far north as Wat Phu on the banks of the Mekong river. Following on from the great success of Angkor: Cities and Temples , the renowned scholar and epigraphist, Claude Jacques, explores the achievements and developments of the Khmer people from the 5th to the 13th century. Beginning with the early pre-Angkorean site of Funan and ending with the reign of the great Khmer king, Jayavarman VII, the author journies behind the well-known temples of Angkor Wat, to reveal the marvels of many temples hitherto inaccessible to visitors. Thus the reader is taken a virtual tour of sites as varied as Preah Vihear perched on a steep cliff overlooking the Cambodian plain, the mysterious and extensive site of Preah Khan of Kompong Svay and the exquisitely carved temple in the forest of Beng Mealea, to mention but a few. The author speculates as to the origins and reasons behind each site and how the Khmer empire functioned over many hundreds of years. Superbly photographed by Philippe Lafond, the book includes site plans, old photographs, aerial shots of the ancient cities as well as detailed photographs showing the reliefs and other magnificent carvings. Never before has the richness and diversity of the Khmer Empire been captured so evocatively.