All language subtitles for angkor.land.of.the.gods.s01e01.empire.rising.webrip.x264-underbelly[eztv]

af Afrikaans
ak Akan
sq Albanian
am Amharic
ar Arabic
hy Armenian
az Azerbaijani
eu Basque
be Belarusian
bem Bemba
bn Bengali
bh Bihari
bs Bosnian
br Breton
bg Bulgarian
km Cambodian
ca Catalan
chr Cherokee
ny Chichewa
zh-CN Chinese (Simplified)
zh-TW Chinese (Traditional)
co Corsican
hr Croatian
cs Czech
da Danish
nl Dutch
en English
eo Esperanto
et Estonian
ee Ewe
fo Faroese
tl Filipino
fi Finnish
fr French
fy Frisian
gaa Ga
gl Galician
ka Georgian
de German
el Greek
gn Guarani
gu Gujarati
ht Haitian Creole
ha Hausa
haw Hawaiian
iw Hebrew
hi Hindi
hu Hungarian
is Icelandic
ig Igbo
id Indonesian
ia Interlingua
ga Irish
it Italian
ja Japanese
jw Javanese
kn Kannada
kk Kazakh
rw Kinyarwanda
rn Kirundi
kg Kongo
ko Korean
kri Krio (Sierra Leone)
ku Kurdish
ckb Kurdish (Soranî)
ky Kyrgyz
lo Laothian
la Latin
lv Latvian
ln Lingala
lt Lithuanian
loz Lozi
lg Luganda
ach Luo
mk Macedonian
mg Malagasy
ms Malay
ml Malayalam
mt Maltese
mi Maori
mr Marathi
mfe Mauritian Creole
mo Moldavian
mn Mongolian
sr-ME Montenegrin
ne Nepali
pcm Nigerian Pidgin
nso Northern Sotho
no Norwegian
nn Norwegian (Nynorsk)
oc Occitan
or Oriya
om Oromo
ps Pashto
fa Persian
pl Polish
pt-BR Portuguese (Brazil)
pt-PT Portuguese (Portugal)
pa Punjabi
qu Quechua
ro Romanian
rm Romansh
nyn Runyakitara
ru Russian
gd Scots Gaelic
sr Serbian
sh Serbo-Croatian
st Sesotho
tn Setswana
crs Seychellois Creole
sn Shona
sd Sindhi
si Sinhalese
sk Slovak
sl Slovenian
so Somali
es Spanish
es-419 Spanish (Latin American)
su Sundanese
sw Swahili
sv Swedish
tg Tajik
ta Tamil
tt Tatar
te Telugu
th Thai
ti Tigrinya
to Tonga
lua Tshiluba
tum Tumbuka
tr Turkish Download
tk Turkmen
tw Twi
ug Uighur
uk Ukrainian
ur Urdu
uz Uzbek
vi Vietnamese
cy Welsh
wo Wolof
xh Xhosa
yi Yiddish
yo Yoruba
zu Zulu
Would you like to inspect the original subtitles? These are the user uploaded subtitles that are being translated: 1 00:00:04,750 --> 00:00:06,498 زیرنویس توسط HeyDL.site Narrator: It's the story of a young prince 2 00:00:06,499 --> 00:00:08,916 with great ambition, 3 00:00:08,917 --> 00:00:11,959 a king who took power by force. 4 00:00:14,792 --> 00:00:16,833 A ruler who built his legacy 5 00:00:16,834 --> 00:00:19,542 in the form of a spectacular temple... 6 00:00:21,499 --> 00:00:25,498 towering 100 feet above the Taj Mahal, 7 00:00:25,499 --> 00:00:30,498 and containing more stone than the great pyramid of Giza. 8 00:00:30,499 --> 00:00:32,749 It is the largest sacred structure 9 00:00:32,750 --> 00:00:35,459 anywhere on the face of the earth. 10 00:00:36,750 --> 00:00:40,750 Cambodia's extraordinary Angkor Wat. 11 00:00:43,834 --> 00:00:47,498 Early western visitors were so awestruck by the ancient temple, 12 00:00:47,499 --> 00:00:50,291 they believed it was built by Alexander the Great 13 00:00:50,292 --> 00:00:52,708 or the ancient Romans. 14 00:00:52,709 --> 00:00:55,167 Of course, they were wrong. 15 00:00:56,792 --> 00:00:59,498 The builders of Angkor Wat were the ancient Khmer, 16 00:00:59,499 --> 00:01:02,958 the great and mysterious civilization that dominated 17 00:01:02,959 --> 00:01:05,958 much of Southeast Asia for six centuries, 18 00:01:05,959 --> 00:01:09,498 and left behind one of the greatest architectural wonders 19 00:01:09,499 --> 00:01:12,376 ever created by human hands. 20 00:01:26,150 --> 00:01:27,858 On a lush plain, 21 00:01:27,859 --> 00:01:30,899 deep in the tropical forest Of northwestern Cambodia, 22 00:01:30,900 --> 00:01:34,359 lie the ruins of the ancient city of Angkor. 23 00:01:36,899 --> 00:01:42,942 Once the sprawling capital of the vast Khmer empire, 24 00:01:44,192 --> 00:01:47,650 today, Angkor is still a sweeping landscape-- 25 00:01:47,651 --> 00:01:49,191 400 square miles 26 00:01:49,192 --> 00:01:54,691 where more than 1,200 ancient temples still survive. 27 00:01:54,692 --> 00:01:57,898 Architectural masterpieces fantastically carved 28 00:01:57,899 --> 00:02:01,818 from tens of millions of tons of local sandstone. 29 00:02:05,899 --> 00:02:09,566 The famous temples were built over a span of five centuries. 30 00:02:09,567 --> 00:02:13,066 They endure today as one of the world's greatest treasure troves 31 00:02:13,067 --> 00:02:16,150 of art, archaeology and history. 32 00:02:18,651 --> 00:02:21,066 But the city of Angkor was eventually abandoned 33 00:02:21,067 --> 00:02:22,898 as the Khmer capital, 34 00:02:22,899 --> 00:02:25,400 and its temples were swallowed by the jungle, 35 00:02:25,401 --> 00:02:28,192 forgotten by the outside world. 36 00:02:35,899 --> 00:02:37,441 Not until the 19th century 37 00:02:37,442 --> 00:02:40,149 was the most famous of all the angkor structures 38 00:02:40,150 --> 00:02:42,526 brought to the attention of the west. 39 00:02:44,484 --> 00:02:46,691 In January of 1860, 40 00:02:46,692 --> 00:02:50,441 the French naturalist Henri Mouhot wrote, 41 00:02:50,442 --> 00:02:51,858 "One of these temples, 42 00:02:51,859 --> 00:02:53,608 a rival to that of Solomon, 43 00:02:53,609 --> 00:02:56,650 and erected by some ancient Michelangelo 44 00:02:56,651 --> 00:02:57,982 might take an honorable place 45 00:02:57,983 --> 00:03:00,734 beside our most beautiful buildings." 46 00:03:02,899 --> 00:03:07,109 "It is grander than anything left to us by Greece or Rome." 47 00:03:11,899 --> 00:03:15,567 He was describing the splendor of Angkor Wat. 48 00:03:23,609 --> 00:03:25,274 When Smithsonian magazine listed 49 00:03:25,275 --> 00:03:28,149 "28 places to see before you die," 50 00:03:28,150 --> 00:03:31,358 it called Angkor Wat a temple "so magnificent 51 00:03:31,359 --> 00:03:34,274 it could only have been built by divine inspiration." 52 00:03:34,275 --> 00:03:35,858 And so it was. 53 00:03:35,859 --> 00:03:37,400 Inspired by gods, 54 00:03:37,401 --> 00:03:39,898 built by a man you've probably never heard of, 55 00:03:39,899 --> 00:03:43,358 but whose story is one of the world's great legends. 56 00:03:43,359 --> 00:03:45,400 Hi, my name is Yul Kwon, 57 00:03:45,401 --> 00:03:48,483 and it's my honor to take you on a journey back in time 58 00:03:48,484 --> 00:03:50,775 to discover the secrets of Angkor 59 00:03:50,776 --> 00:03:53,024 and relive the adventures of its creator, 60 00:03:53,025 --> 00:03:55,982 a ruler called Suryavarman II. 61 00:03:55,983 --> 00:03:57,525 900 years ago, 62 00:03:57,526 --> 00:04:00,149 he led the Khmer empire in what is today Cambodia, 63 00:04:00,150 --> 00:04:03,691 and this temple is his legacy. 64 00:04:03,692 --> 00:04:06,024 More than a million people visit here every year, 65 00:04:06,025 --> 00:04:08,898 overcome by its size and grandeur. 66 00:04:08,899 --> 00:04:11,898 But if you think this place is beautiful now, 67 00:04:11,899 --> 00:04:14,775 just wait till you see it in its glory days. 68 00:04:14,776 --> 00:04:19,898 This is the story of Angkor Wat. 69 00:04:19,899 --> 00:04:21,898 In the 12th century A.D., 70 00:04:21,899 --> 00:04:24,691 a young man with royal blood was coming of age 71 00:04:24,692 --> 00:04:26,692 in the Khmer countryside. 72 00:04:32,109 --> 00:04:35,233 At that time, the Khmer empire controlled large portions 73 00:04:35,234 --> 00:04:37,898 of modern Southeast Asia, 74 00:04:37,899 --> 00:04:41,983 including the prince's home of Lopburi, northwest of Angkor. 75 00:04:46,192 --> 00:04:49,108 The royal prince was said to be a skilled warrior, 76 00:04:49,109 --> 00:04:51,899 brave and wise beyond his years. 77 00:04:58,899 --> 00:05:02,525 He came to the attention of a prominent Hindu priest, 78 00:05:02,526 --> 00:05:06,149 Divakara Pandita, a religious leader with great influence 79 00:05:06,150 --> 00:05:08,025 in matters of state. 80 00:05:17,317 --> 00:05:20,483 Ambitious, royal and well-connected, 81 00:05:20,484 --> 00:05:25,650 Suryavarman II began to dream of becoming king 82 00:05:25,651 --> 00:05:28,734 and ruling the vast Khmer empire. 83 00:05:31,942 --> 00:05:34,316 Under the rule of Dharanindravarman, 84 00:05:34,317 --> 00:05:35,733 the turn of the 12th century 85 00:05:35,734 --> 00:05:40,691 was a time of chaos and fragmentation in the kingdom. 86 00:05:40,692 --> 00:05:43,942 His reign was marked by power struggles and turmoil. 87 00:05:47,899 --> 00:05:51,483 The aging Dharanindravarman was an ineffectual ruler 88 00:05:51,484 --> 00:05:53,400 who never succeeded in bringing order 89 00:05:53,401 --> 00:05:55,818 to his sprawling territories. 90 00:05:59,899 --> 00:06:03,358 Opposing factions arose throughout the empire. 91 00:06:03,359 --> 00:06:06,483 The young prince's clan gained influence in the north, 92 00:06:06,484 --> 00:06:09,484 while the older royal clans were pushed south. 93 00:06:13,692 --> 00:06:16,441 Divakara Pandita and other powerful priests 94 00:06:16,442 --> 00:06:19,733 backed the young prince, hoping he could unify the empire 95 00:06:19,734 --> 00:06:22,234 and bring harmony to the fractured kingdom. 96 00:06:26,983 --> 00:06:30,859 Civil war erupted as the forces vied for control. 97 00:06:32,442 --> 00:06:33,899 An inscription describes the moment 98 00:06:33,900 --> 00:06:35,733 the young prince took power, 99 00:06:35,734 --> 00:06:39,691 comparing him to a mythical bird. 100 00:06:39,692 --> 00:06:42,024 "Suryavarman bounded to the head of the elephant 101 00:06:42,025 --> 00:06:43,898 of the enemy king, 102 00:06:43,899 --> 00:06:46,942 and killed him as an eagle might kill a snake." 103 00:06:57,192 --> 00:06:59,898 Suryavarman II was only 17 years old 104 00:06:59,899 --> 00:07:04,525 when he seized control of the Khmer empire in 1113 A.D. 105 00:07:04,526 --> 00:07:06,191 This is him right here, 106 00:07:06,192 --> 00:07:08,898 easy to miss among the mile of gods and spirits 107 00:07:08,899 --> 00:07:11,233 carved into Angkor's walls. 108 00:07:11,234 --> 00:07:14,400 It wasn't unusual at the time for a rebel to become king. 109 00:07:14,401 --> 00:07:15,941 But for Suryavarman II, 110 00:07:15,942 --> 00:07:18,898 killing the former king was only the first stage. 111 00:07:18,899 --> 00:07:20,899 He still had to conquer the rest of an empire 112 00:07:20,900 --> 00:07:22,941 that was in utter disarray. 113 00:07:22,942 --> 00:07:24,733 The crown would only be his 114 00:07:24,734 --> 00:07:28,234 if he could end the turmoil and unify the land. 115 00:07:31,067 --> 00:07:33,941 It took six long years for Suryavarman II 116 00:07:33,942 --> 00:07:37,149 to solidify his control over the vast empire 117 00:07:37,150 --> 00:07:40,400 and conquer the southern factions. 118 00:07:40,401 --> 00:07:49,233 But now, at last, the entire Khmer empire was united 119 00:07:49,234 --> 00:07:52,566 Suryavarman's soldiers and subjects took an oath of loyalty 120 00:07:52,567 --> 00:07:55,608 that strengthened his realm. 121 00:07:55,609 --> 00:07:57,982 "We will serve no other king. 122 00:07:57,983 --> 00:08:02,191 We will sacrifice our lives for our king in the face of war. 123 00:08:02,192 --> 00:08:06,899 We will be reborn in the 32 hells if we break our oath." 124 00:08:11,192 --> 00:08:14,691 In 1119, at the royal palace of Angkor, 125 00:08:14,692 --> 00:08:18,108 Suryavarman II officially became the 18th king 126 00:08:18,109 --> 00:08:20,898 of the Khmer empire. 127 00:08:20,899 --> 00:08:24,149 He was given the royal title Suryavarman, 128 00:08:24,150 --> 00:08:26,024 "Protector of the sun," 129 00:08:26,025 --> 00:08:28,900 and was coronated alongside his queen. 130 00:08:31,317 --> 00:08:35,025 This moment ushered in the golden age of the Khmer empire. 131 00:08:37,484 --> 00:08:40,566 Suryavarman II was only 23 years old 132 00:08:40,567 --> 00:08:41,941 when we was crowned ruler 133 00:08:41,942 --> 00:08:44,899 of one of the greatest empires of Asia. 134 00:08:47,067 --> 00:08:49,566 Just as Khmer kings had done for centuries, 135 00:08:49,567 --> 00:08:52,191 Suryavarman II ruled from Angkor, 136 00:08:52,192 --> 00:08:54,941 the seat of the Khmer empire. 137 00:08:54,942 --> 00:08:59,149 But its soul resided in another place. 138 00:08:59,150 --> 00:09:01,775 Traditionally, newly crowned Khmer rulers 139 00:09:01,776 --> 00:09:05,191 would make a pilgrimage to the sacred Phnom Kulen, 140 00:09:05,192 --> 00:09:09,566 a mountain range 25 miles northeast of Angkor. 141 00:09:09,567 --> 00:09:12,024 Three centuries before Suryavarman II, 142 00:09:12,025 --> 00:09:15,566 the empire's first monarch, Jayavarman II, 143 00:09:15,567 --> 00:09:20,691 came to this same mountain on a similar spiritual journey. 144 00:09:20,692 --> 00:09:25,149 Here, a sacred ritual anointed him the first supreme ruler, 145 00:09:25,150 --> 00:09:28,567 an event that marked the founding of the Khmer empire. 146 00:09:31,484 --> 00:09:32,899 This hallowed spot 147 00:09:32,900 --> 00:09:37,274 had deep religious and political significance for the Khmer 148 00:09:37,275 --> 00:09:40,818 and is still considered holy by modern Cambodians. 149 00:09:42,359 --> 00:09:45,358 This river was a source of the ingenious water system 150 00:09:45,359 --> 00:09:49,359 that was key to the wealth and success of the entire region. 151 00:09:54,442 --> 00:09:58,274 The religion of the early Khmer empire was Hinduism. 152 00:09:58,275 --> 00:10:00,608 And this sacred mountain is richly carved 153 00:10:00,609 --> 00:10:04,859 with images of Hindu deities, including Vishnu. 154 00:10:12,776 --> 00:10:16,898 A thousand linga rise from the riverbed. 155 00:10:16,899 --> 00:10:19,775 carved over the centuries during the dry seasons, 156 00:10:19,776 --> 00:10:22,941 these stone phalluses are symbols of fertility 157 00:10:22,942 --> 00:10:24,899 and the male creative force. 158 00:10:29,899 --> 00:10:32,775 A corresponding female symbol is the yoni, 159 00:10:32,776 --> 00:10:37,066 a vessel shape that represents feminine creative energy. 160 00:10:37,067 --> 00:10:39,898 The linga is often placed upon the yoni. 161 00:10:39,899 --> 00:10:41,898 Together, the two forms symbolize 162 00:10:41,899 --> 00:10:45,898 the indivisible connection between male and female-- 163 00:10:45,899 --> 00:10:49,898 the union from which all life springs. 164 00:10:49,899 --> 00:10:52,817 Waters that washed over these sacred stone carvings 165 00:10:52,818 --> 00:10:55,066 were thought to carry fertility and abundance 166 00:10:55,067 --> 00:10:57,067 to the lands of the empire. 167 00:10:58,776 --> 00:11:00,898 Metaphorically, these waters also conveyed 168 00:11:00,899 --> 00:11:03,983 the power of the king throughout his kingdom. 169 00:11:05,275 --> 00:11:07,483 A king's power was also expressed 170 00:11:07,484 --> 00:11:11,898 by monumental architectural structures. 171 00:11:11,899 --> 00:11:14,066 It was customary for a Khmer ruler 172 00:11:14,067 --> 00:11:17,525 to build one or more temples during his reign, 173 00:11:17,526 --> 00:11:21,191 usually dedicated to the god Vishnu. 174 00:11:21,192 --> 00:11:23,608 The third Khmer king, Indravarman, 175 00:11:23,609 --> 00:11:27,608 built this red brick temple in 879 A.D. 176 00:11:27,609 --> 00:11:29,149 It's called Preah Ko, 177 00:11:29,150 --> 00:11:31,899 and he built it in honor of his ancestors. 178 00:11:36,067 --> 00:11:41,066 Banteay Srei temple was built more than a century later. 179 00:11:41,067 --> 00:11:43,899 Its name means "Citadel of beauty." 180 00:11:45,609 --> 00:11:47,525 Its famous carvings are still considered 181 00:11:47,526 --> 00:11:50,359 among the highest achievements of Khmer art. 182 00:11:53,942 --> 00:11:57,691 The 9th century Bakong temple with its massive moat 183 00:11:57,692 --> 00:12:00,818 may have inspired Suryavarman II. 184 00:12:03,899 --> 00:12:06,191 When it came time for the newly crowned king 185 00:12:06,192 --> 00:12:08,566 to begin planning for his temple, 186 00:12:08,567 --> 00:12:10,817 he decided to create a structure 187 00:12:10,818 --> 00:12:12,941 that would exceed all other temples 188 00:12:12,942 --> 00:12:15,484 in both size and grandeur. 189 00:12:19,567 --> 00:12:21,898 He entrusted this ambitious undertaking 190 00:12:21,899 --> 00:12:26,858 to the same Brahmin priest who helped him take the throne. 191 00:12:26,859 --> 00:12:30,024 Divakara Pandita would oversee the planning and construction 192 00:12:30,025 --> 00:12:32,067 of Angkor Wat. 193 00:12:38,150 --> 00:12:39,817 Within the city of Angkor, 194 00:12:39,818 --> 00:12:42,898 Suryavarman's temple would follow the customary structure 195 00:12:42,899 --> 00:12:44,899 of other khmer shrines. 196 00:12:46,150 --> 00:12:49,441 Khmer temples represent the mythical mount Meru, 197 00:12:49,442 --> 00:12:52,316 the center of the universe and home of the gods, 198 00:12:52,317 --> 00:12:54,317 According to Hindu cosmology. 199 00:12:57,692 --> 00:12:59,316 But the temple Suryavarman planned 200 00:12:59,317 --> 00:13:02,733 was on a scale that would dwarf all other temples 201 00:13:02,734 --> 00:13:04,526 anywhere in the world. 202 00:13:05,899 --> 00:13:08,898 A scale that would tax every ounce of skill, 203 00:13:08,899 --> 00:13:12,899 ingenuity and technology of his entire empire. 204 00:13:16,067 --> 00:13:17,525 Think about this-- 205 00:13:17,526 --> 00:13:19,898 In medieval Europe at around the same time, 206 00:13:19,899 --> 00:13:23,898 people were building cathedrals that took centuries to complete. 207 00:13:23,899 --> 00:13:25,691 Meanwhile, here in Asia, 208 00:13:25,692 --> 00:13:28,400 the builders of Angkor Wat somehow created a temple 209 00:13:28,401 --> 00:13:29,898 that was far larger, 210 00:13:29,899 --> 00:13:31,898 and in some ways more complicated, 211 00:13:31,899 --> 00:13:34,024 in less than four decades. 212 00:13:34,025 --> 00:13:35,898 So how did they do it? 213 00:13:35,899 --> 00:13:38,233 Well, archaeologists and engineers have been trying 214 00:13:38,234 --> 00:13:40,525 to solve the mysteries of Angkor Wat's construction 215 00:13:40,526 --> 00:13:42,316 since the 19th century. 216 00:13:42,317 --> 00:13:44,274 And they've managed to uncover some, 217 00:13:44,275 --> 00:13:46,817 but not all of its secrets. 218 00:13:46,818 --> 00:13:49,483 It was around the year 1120 A.D. 219 00:13:49,484 --> 00:13:51,441 when an army of construction workers took on 220 00:13:51,442 --> 00:13:54,608 what must have seemed like mission impossible. 221 00:13:54,609 --> 00:13:56,441 On a swampy forest plain, 222 00:13:56,442 --> 00:13:58,898 they would build the largest sacred structure 223 00:13:58,899 --> 00:14:00,734 in the known world. 224 00:14:13,067 --> 00:14:16,898 Using only simple tools, workers prepare the site, 225 00:14:16,899 --> 00:14:20,692 digging the foundation in the midst of a dense jungle. 226 00:14:26,484 --> 00:14:29,566 One clue to exactly how they prepared the foundation 227 00:14:29,567 --> 00:14:32,650 was discovered in the nearby bayon temple, 228 00:14:32,651 --> 00:14:36,358 built several decades after Angkor Wat. 229 00:14:36,359 --> 00:14:39,898 In this carving, laborers work side by side, 230 00:14:39,899 --> 00:14:42,859 beating the ground with long wooden poles. 231 00:14:44,275 --> 00:14:46,358 It's believed the relief illustrates 232 00:14:46,359 --> 00:14:49,274 how the builders solved one of the most vexing problems 233 00:14:49,275 --> 00:14:51,484 of Angkor Wat's construction. 234 00:14:54,942 --> 00:14:58,898 Workers used sticks to tamp down and compact the wet soil, 235 00:14:58,899 --> 00:15:01,859 creating a more suitable foundation. 236 00:15:04,942 --> 00:15:08,858 They dug a massive hole in the ground 33 feet deep, 237 00:15:08,859 --> 00:15:12,066 filled it with layers of sand, pebbles and clay, 238 00:15:12,067 --> 00:15:15,108 and compacted it until it was hard. 239 00:15:15,109 --> 00:15:17,191 This allowed excess water to drain 240 00:15:17,192 --> 00:15:19,734 and also stabilized the surface. 241 00:15:21,067 --> 00:15:23,733 It was only after the foundation was laid 242 00:15:23,734 --> 00:15:27,898 that the structure's elaborate design was finalized. 243 00:15:27,899 --> 00:15:31,274 The massive compound would be almost a square mile, 244 00:15:31,275 --> 00:15:35,651 and would be surrounded by a moat 660 feet wide. 245 00:15:39,692 --> 00:15:42,525 Only a ruler with Suryavarman II's might, 246 00:15:42,526 --> 00:15:45,191 power and vision could have imagined a building 247 00:15:45,192 --> 00:15:47,899 constructed on this grand a scale. 248 00:15:49,234 --> 00:15:50,898 It is estimated the building required 249 00:15:50,899 --> 00:15:55,898 more than five million tons of raw materials. 250 00:15:55,899 --> 00:15:57,899 Where did the ancient temple builders mine 251 00:15:57,900 --> 00:16:01,150 such a tremendous amount of stone? 252 00:16:10,067 --> 00:16:11,899 Etsuo Uchida [translated]: Gray sandstone was used 253 00:16:11,900 --> 00:16:13,858 to build Angkor Wat. 254 00:16:13,859 --> 00:16:15,858 It was quarried from Phnom Kulen, 255 00:16:15,859 --> 00:16:19,651 A mountain over 24 miles northeast of the site. 256 00:16:22,842 --> 00:16:25,008 Kwon: The sacred mountain of Phnom Kulen proved 257 00:16:25,009 --> 00:16:29,298 a great resource for the builders of Angkor Wat. 258 00:16:29,299 --> 00:16:30,466 The mountain's base is 259 00:16:30,467 --> 00:16:34,217 a massive, 22-mile-long belt of sandstone, 260 00:16:34,218 --> 00:16:37,342 a plentiful source of high quality building material. 261 00:16:39,299 --> 00:16:42,884 But how did the ancient workers excavate all that rock? 262 00:16:46,967 --> 00:16:49,299 Uchida: They used iron rods with sharp ends 263 00:16:49,300 --> 00:16:54,424 and dug a groove the size of the block they wanted to remove. 264 00:16:54,425 --> 00:16:58,091 Then, they would place a wedge between the sedimentary layers 265 00:16:58,092 --> 00:17:02,133 where it's easy to break the rock. 266 00:17:02,134 --> 00:17:05,050 Or in some cases, several men worked together, 267 00:17:05,051 --> 00:17:06,591 pounding the rock and breaking it 268 00:17:06,592 --> 00:17:09,009 in order to pry it loose. 269 00:17:14,342 --> 00:17:15,966 Kwon: With only hand tools, 270 00:17:15,967 --> 00:17:19,425 workers removed vast amounts of rock from the mountain. 271 00:17:22,299 --> 00:17:26,217 It is estimated that it took a stone cutter at least 10 days 272 00:17:26,218 --> 00:17:28,758 Just to carve a groove around one block of stone 273 00:17:28,759 --> 00:17:31,298 Weighing more than a ton. 274 00:17:31,299 --> 00:17:34,382 After the groove was carved, a wedge was placed in the groove 275 00:17:34,383 --> 00:17:36,967 So the rock could be separated. 276 00:17:40,300 --> 00:17:42,258 It took a workforce of thousands 277 00:17:42,259 --> 00:17:46,051 to cut just a few hundred blocks of stone each day. 278 00:17:48,884 --> 00:17:52,883 More than 600,000 high quality sandstone blocks were used 279 00:17:52,884 --> 00:17:55,549 in the construction of Angkor Wat-- 280 00:17:55,550 --> 00:17:59,092 five million tons of sandstone. 281 00:18:01,467 --> 00:18:03,883 Because the builders used no mortar, 282 00:18:03,884 --> 00:18:08,717 Blocks had to be precisely cut with utterly smooth surfaces. 283 00:18:12,009 --> 00:18:14,217 Olivier Cunin [translated]: A system lifted a stone block 284 00:18:14,218 --> 00:18:16,591 just slightly above another stone, 285 00:18:16,592 --> 00:18:19,298 and then workers pushed it back and forth 286 00:18:19,299 --> 00:18:25,008 in order to grind the two surfaces and make it smooth. 287 00:18:25,009 --> 00:18:26,758 Kwon: Another relief in Bayon temple 288 00:18:26,759 --> 00:18:30,424 has a detailed depiction of how this method worked. 289 00:18:30,425 --> 00:18:32,298 Workers used poles and ropes 290 00:18:32,299 --> 00:18:35,298 to lift one stone just above another, 291 00:18:35,299 --> 00:18:37,800 then the top stone was rubbed back and forth 292 00:18:37,801 --> 00:18:40,050 against the stone below. 293 00:18:40,051 --> 00:18:42,175 After thousands of repetitions, 294 00:18:42,176 --> 00:18:44,842 the block obtained a smooth surface. 295 00:18:50,218 --> 00:18:53,298 Exactly which Phnom Kulen quarry the stones came from 296 00:18:53,299 --> 00:18:55,009 remains a mystery. 297 00:18:56,425 --> 00:18:59,341 But a Japanese research team from Waseda University 298 00:18:59,342 --> 00:19:03,424 recently tested the stone's magnetic properties. 299 00:19:03,425 --> 00:19:06,133 Their findings reveal each stone's approximate age 300 00:19:06,134 --> 00:19:09,298 and geological distribution. 301 00:19:09,299 --> 00:19:12,466 But matching the stones back to a particular place or quarry 302 00:19:12,467 --> 00:19:16,967 in this mountainous belt is not simple or safe. 303 00:19:19,299 --> 00:19:20,966 Uchida: Magnetic susceptibility 304 00:19:20,967 --> 00:19:24,633 is the inclination of rock to be drawn to a magnet. 305 00:19:24,634 --> 00:19:26,298 By measuring this, 306 00:19:26,299 --> 00:19:28,298 we can tell that they used seven different quarries 307 00:19:28,299 --> 00:19:30,925 during the various different ages. 308 00:19:30,926 --> 00:19:33,758 Unfortunately, it's impossible to conduct research 309 00:19:33,759 --> 00:19:37,299 to find the exact location of the quarries in Phnom Kulen, 310 00:19:37,300 --> 00:19:41,050 because the place is littered with mines. 311 00:19:41,051 --> 00:19:42,298 But according to research 312 00:19:42,299 --> 00:19:44,716 conducted by the French School of the Far East, 313 00:19:44,717 --> 00:19:47,634 there were numerous quarries at Phnom Kulen. 314 00:19:50,299 --> 00:19:53,758 Kwon: Landmines left from Cambodia's 20th century civil war 315 00:19:53,759 --> 00:19:57,926 still litter the countryside, making research dangerous. 316 00:20:00,801 --> 00:20:04,008 Although the exact quarry locations are unknown, 317 00:20:04,009 --> 00:20:08,298 testing reveals that stone used in 30 Angkor area temples 318 00:20:08,299 --> 00:20:12,382 came from seven different Phnom Kulen quarries. 319 00:20:12,383 --> 00:20:16,175 However, nearly all of the stones of the Angkor Wat temple 320 00:20:16,176 --> 00:20:19,298 have magnetic levels of around three. 321 00:20:19,299 --> 00:20:22,716 This means that the stones used to build the Angkor Wat temple 322 00:20:22,717 --> 00:20:25,175 almost certainly came from a single quarry 323 00:20:25,176 --> 00:20:27,092 in the Mount Kulen region. 324 00:20:33,634 --> 00:20:37,298 The massive cut stones were transported over 25 miles 325 00:20:37,299 --> 00:20:41,299 to Angkor using elephants as well as slave labor. 326 00:20:43,299 --> 00:20:45,298 Rods were drilled into the huge blocks, 327 00:20:45,299 --> 00:20:47,675 so they could be pushed and pulled. 328 00:20:49,299 --> 00:20:51,341 Laborers also used bamboo rafts 329 00:20:51,342 --> 00:20:55,009 to float the stone on a labyrinth of canals and rivers. 330 00:20:59,299 --> 00:21:01,091 A river called the Siem Reap 331 00:21:01,092 --> 00:21:03,382 flows most of the way to the building site 332 00:21:03,383 --> 00:21:05,883 and then connects to a large natural lake 333 00:21:05,884 --> 00:21:07,675 just south of Angkor. 334 00:21:10,299 --> 00:21:12,008 After a journey of several weeks, 335 00:21:12,009 --> 00:21:13,758 they enter the last canal, 336 00:21:13,759 --> 00:21:18,298 and the rafts reach their final destination at Angkor Wat. 337 00:21:18,299 --> 00:21:21,508 Over the 37 years it took to build the temple, 338 00:21:21,509 --> 00:21:27,298 experts estimate that at least 20,000 people a day were needed. 339 00:21:27,299 --> 00:21:32,298 A throng of people who had to be transported, housed and fed. 340 00:21:32,299 --> 00:21:36,674 It was a huge workforce by 12th century standards. 341 00:21:36,675 --> 00:21:39,633 This great labor force suggests the city as a whole 342 00:21:39,634 --> 00:21:42,298 also had a large population. 343 00:21:42,299 --> 00:21:44,716 But how large? 344 00:21:44,717 --> 00:21:46,758 One clue comes from a nearby temple, 345 00:21:46,759 --> 00:21:49,966 built later in the same century. 346 00:21:49,967 --> 00:21:52,298 According to an inscription in Preah Khan, 347 00:21:52,299 --> 00:21:58,382 97,480 village personnel were assigned to this smaller temple, 348 00:21:58,383 --> 00:22:00,841 while 100,000 farmers and slaves 349 00:22:00,842 --> 00:22:03,675 contributed to the temple's maintenance. 350 00:22:05,899 --> 00:22:07,898 Based on this, experts estimate 351 00:22:07,899 --> 00:22:13,858 that the population of the Khmer capital was at least 700,000. 352 00:22:13,859 --> 00:22:16,650 This means Angkor's population probably exceeded that 353 00:22:16,651 --> 00:22:19,566 of all 12th century cities. 354 00:22:19,567 --> 00:22:22,898 Paris had only 100,000 people at the time, 355 00:22:22,899 --> 00:22:25,275 and London had just 70,000. 356 00:22:26,942 --> 00:22:30,899 Only China's Kaifeng city was similar in size. 357 00:22:33,899 --> 00:22:37,316 One secret to how Angkor supported this large population 358 00:22:37,317 --> 00:22:40,484 lies in an ingenious system of waterways. 359 00:22:42,359 --> 00:22:45,316 Then, as now, agriculture centered on rice 360 00:22:45,317 --> 00:22:47,899 grown on the Angkor plain. 361 00:22:50,067 --> 00:22:54,108 In addition to rice, other grains, fruits and vegetables 362 00:22:54,109 --> 00:22:57,776 were also cultivated, just as they are today. 363 00:23:02,484 --> 00:23:03,898 The success of this economy 364 00:23:03,899 --> 00:23:06,899 depended on the huge Lake Tonle Sap, 365 00:23:06,900 --> 00:23:08,899 just south of ancient Angkor. 366 00:23:12,067 --> 00:23:15,066 Irrigation canals assured one or more harvests, 367 00:23:15,067 --> 00:23:17,025 even in drought years. 368 00:23:18,899 --> 00:23:23,149 The lake was also a rich source of food. 369 00:23:23,150 --> 00:23:25,233 A 13th century visitor wrote, 370 00:23:25,234 --> 00:23:27,608 "The lake waters are so full of fish, 371 00:23:27,609 --> 00:23:29,899 it is difficult to row your boat." 372 00:23:32,317 --> 00:23:35,525 Suryavarman's kingdom was strong and wealthy. 373 00:23:35,526 --> 00:23:38,274 But could it really build so massive a temple 374 00:23:38,275 --> 00:23:40,942 on a scale never before seen? 375 00:23:42,651 --> 00:23:45,898 The young king was determined to see angkor wat completed 376 00:23:45,899 --> 00:23:47,692 in his lifetime. 377 00:23:54,876 --> 00:23:58,291 He also sought to extend his kingdom's borders. 378 00:23:58,292 --> 00:24:00,998 He was drawn to the eastern edge of the empire, 379 00:24:00,999 --> 00:24:02,998 where an invasion and conquest 380 00:24:02,999 --> 00:24:05,584 would have been a political asset. 381 00:24:07,250 --> 00:24:09,791 Occupying what is now South Vietnam, 382 00:24:09,792 --> 00:24:13,082 the powerful Champa kingdom controlled the coast 383 00:24:13,083 --> 00:24:15,999 and trade routes long coveted by the Khmer. 384 00:24:19,000 --> 00:24:20,791 Beginning early in his reign, 385 00:24:20,792 --> 00:24:23,791 Suryavarman II led a series of invasions 386 00:24:23,792 --> 00:24:25,918 into neighboring territories. 387 00:24:28,999 --> 00:24:31,416 According to inscriptions, in one battle, 388 00:24:31,417 --> 00:24:36,250 the king led a force of 700 ships and 20,000 soldiers. 389 00:24:44,501 --> 00:24:47,791 Armed only with bows, arrows and spears, 390 00:24:47,792 --> 00:24:50,959 the warriors fought their enemies hand to hand. 391 00:24:59,876 --> 00:25:02,249 Another inscription describes a different invasion 392 00:25:02,250 --> 00:25:04,334 in Suryavarman's career. 393 00:25:06,626 --> 00:25:09,458 "The ruler of Angkor turned his ambitions for conquest 394 00:25:09,459 --> 00:25:11,208 towards the Cham people. 395 00:25:11,209 --> 00:25:13,750 He invaded, taking the capital city 396 00:25:13,751 --> 00:25:17,541 and becoming the ruler of the territory." 397 00:25:17,542 --> 00:25:19,917 The Khmer kingdom solidified its control 398 00:25:19,918 --> 00:25:21,998 of most of the Indochina peninsula, 399 00:25:21,999 --> 00:25:25,959 including much of modern day Thailand, Laos and Vietnam. 400 00:25:27,334 --> 00:25:28,999 The Khmer armies took prisoners, 401 00:25:29,000 --> 00:25:31,583 and together with other slaves in the empire, 402 00:25:31,584 --> 00:25:35,542 they were likely used as forced labor to construct Angkor Wat. 403 00:25:38,584 --> 00:25:41,041 The huge construction project was made possible 404 00:25:41,042 --> 00:25:43,291 by slave labor. 405 00:25:43,292 --> 00:25:45,541 But it couldn't solve an unanticipated 406 00:25:45,542 --> 00:25:47,959 and alarming engineering problem. 407 00:25:50,042 --> 00:25:53,249 The first stone structures built on the site collapsed. 408 00:25:53,250 --> 00:25:56,416 And the human cost was high. 409 00:25:56,417 --> 00:26:00,209 The success of the entire project was at stake. 410 00:26:03,209 --> 00:26:05,625 No amount of slave labor could overcome 411 00:26:05,626 --> 00:26:08,333 the most serious challenge the builders faced. 412 00:26:08,334 --> 00:26:12,041 The site itself was a swamp and seemed completely unsuitable 413 00:26:12,042 --> 00:26:15,875 for a building the size and weight of the proposed temple. 414 00:26:15,876 --> 00:26:18,500 The soil was spongy and hard to work with, 415 00:26:18,501 --> 00:26:20,291 and water would flood in one season, 416 00:26:20,292 --> 00:26:22,333 then drain away the next. 417 00:26:22,334 --> 00:26:25,333 These days, engineers would use heavy machinery 418 00:26:25,334 --> 00:26:28,791 and reinforced concrete to tame nature's fury, 419 00:26:28,792 --> 00:26:31,416 but the Khmer builders had to be a bit more creative. 420 00:26:31,417 --> 00:26:32,998 And their solution became 421 00:26:32,999 --> 00:26:36,459 one of the ancient world's greatest feats of engineering. 422 00:26:38,542 --> 00:26:41,999 Angkor Wat is surrounded by a gigantic moat. 423 00:26:42,000 --> 00:26:43,998 More than 600 feet wide, 424 00:26:43,999 --> 00:26:47,958 it contains tens of millions of gallons of water. 425 00:26:47,959 --> 00:26:50,999 To the Hindu, the original designers of the temple, 426 00:26:51,000 --> 00:26:54,458 the moat symbolized the cosmic ocean. 427 00:26:54,459 --> 00:26:56,666 But besides its religious significance, 428 00:26:56,667 --> 00:27:00,083 it turns out the moat also has a practical purpose. 429 00:27:01,709 --> 00:27:04,291 Because this is swampland, without the moat, 430 00:27:04,292 --> 00:27:06,917 the monsoon rains would seep into the earth 431 00:27:06,918 --> 00:27:09,166 and push the buildings up. 432 00:27:09,167 --> 00:27:10,998 Then, in the dry season, 433 00:27:10,999 --> 00:27:12,998 the water would drain out of the land, 434 00:27:12,999 --> 00:27:15,000 making the buildings crumble. 435 00:27:16,918 --> 00:27:18,998 The huge moat surrounding the complex 436 00:27:18,999 --> 00:27:21,998 actually stabilizes the water content of the earth 437 00:27:21,999 --> 00:27:23,583 under the temple, 438 00:27:23,584 --> 00:27:28,166 keeping it consistent year round so the earth doesn't heave. 439 00:27:28,167 --> 00:27:30,666 And they found other remarkable solutions 440 00:27:30,667 --> 00:27:35,374 to the challenges of pre-industrial construction. 441 00:27:35,375 --> 00:27:37,999 Hans Leisen: We have an artificial mountain. 442 00:27:38,000 --> 00:27:40,998 And we are sitting on the first floor. 443 00:27:40,999 --> 00:27:44,750 They built case from stone, 444 00:27:44,751 --> 00:27:49,625 and then they filled with sands and densified very much. 445 00:27:49,626 --> 00:27:51,666 And then, the next case. 446 00:27:51,667 --> 00:27:56,958 And so, step by step, they got the mountain. 447 00:27:56,959 --> 00:28:01,291 And we can see inside the sand, and there's laterite, 448 00:28:01,292 --> 00:28:06,958 which is this specific brownish stone in tropic countries, 449 00:28:06,959 --> 00:28:11,374 and then outside there's the sandstone. 450 00:28:11,375 --> 00:28:12,998 Kwon: The central tower of Angkor Wat 451 00:28:12,999 --> 00:28:16,250 reaches 213 feet into the sky. 452 00:28:17,999 --> 00:28:19,708 The ancient architects had to figure out 453 00:28:19,709 --> 00:28:23,209 how to stack the massive stones without machinery. 454 00:28:25,999 --> 00:28:29,833 First, they built earthen ramps. 455 00:28:29,834 --> 00:28:34,998 Then, laborers and elephants dragged the stones up the ramps. 456 00:28:34,999 --> 00:28:37,583 Finally, it's believed they erected scaffolding 457 00:28:37,584 --> 00:28:40,042 and lifted each stone to the top. 458 00:28:42,292 --> 00:28:46,292 Remarkably, the temple was built from the inside out. 459 00:28:50,999 --> 00:28:53,751 The tallest central tower was erected first. 460 00:28:54,999 --> 00:28:57,833 Then, the surrounding towers were built. 461 00:28:57,834 --> 00:29:01,998 And finally, the outer galleries and walls were added. 462 00:29:01,999 --> 00:29:03,416 The builders raised these columns 463 00:29:03,417 --> 00:29:07,167 made from single blocks weighing a much as seven tons. 464 00:29:08,999 --> 00:29:10,998 They used a simple but brilliant method 465 00:29:10,999 --> 00:29:16,334 for setting up the 1,532 columns around the temple complex. 466 00:29:17,999 --> 00:29:20,500 Angkor Wat has survived, fairly intact, 467 00:29:20,501 --> 00:29:22,500 for nearly 900 years-- 468 00:29:22,501 --> 00:29:26,166 An achievement that surely would have pleased its builders. 469 00:29:26,167 --> 00:29:29,791 But the swampy site and Cambodia's tropical climate 470 00:29:29,792 --> 00:29:33,082 have definitely taken a toll on these buildings. 471 00:29:33,083 --> 00:29:36,249 Although some intricate sandstone features 472 00:29:36,250 --> 00:29:37,998 show few signs of their age, 473 00:29:37,999 --> 00:29:40,875 others have worn away and decayed. 474 00:29:40,876 --> 00:29:43,791 Certain original features, like the gold leaf ornamentation 475 00:29:43,792 --> 00:29:45,998 that would have awed early visitors, 476 00:29:45,999 --> 00:29:50,333 are gone forever, looted after the Khmer empire's decline. 477 00:29:50,334 --> 00:29:52,998 When it was completed around 1150 A.D., 478 00:29:52,999 --> 00:29:55,875 Angkor Wat was the biggest building in the world-- 479 00:29:55,876 --> 00:29:58,998 about the size of 11 football fields. 480 00:29:58,999 --> 00:30:02,291 Now, teams of scientists and archaeologists have spent years 481 00:30:02,292 --> 00:30:03,958 trying to figure out 482 00:30:03,959 --> 00:30:06,625 what the temple might have looked like in its heyday. 483 00:30:06,626 --> 00:30:08,500 And they've pieced together the puzzle, 484 00:30:08,501 --> 00:30:10,458 data point by data point. 485 00:30:10,459 --> 00:30:13,998 And now, with the help of 21st century technology, 486 00:30:13,999 --> 00:30:17,999 we can finally get a glimpse of Angkor Wat's original splendor. 487 00:30:30,876 --> 00:30:33,166 Cunin: Many of the structures were close to white. 488 00:30:33,167 --> 00:30:37,374 But some of the sculptures were glazed in many colors. 489 00:30:37,375 --> 00:30:41,292 Most of the surviving colors are a yellowish brown or red. 490 00:30:43,167 --> 00:30:45,999 That's because the pigments had an iron oxide base, 491 00:30:46,000 --> 00:30:49,124 which lasts for a long time. 492 00:30:49,125 --> 00:30:51,998 But the other colors such as blue, yellow and green 493 00:30:51,999 --> 00:30:54,292 have all disappeared. 494 00:31:02,918 --> 00:31:06,082 Kwon: The exterior walls and columns were most likely white 495 00:31:06,083 --> 00:31:08,750 from a coating of lime. 496 00:31:08,751 --> 00:31:10,208 But it was the roofing material 497 00:31:10,209 --> 00:31:12,625 that dominated the look of the temple. 498 00:31:12,626 --> 00:31:15,249 The towers were most likely covered in gold, 499 00:31:15,250 --> 00:31:17,124 which deteriorated over the centuries 500 00:31:17,125 --> 00:31:19,333 after Angkor Wat was built. 501 00:31:19,334 --> 00:31:20,750 Some historians believe that 502 00:31:20,751 --> 00:31:23,041 the towers may have even been regilded 503 00:31:23,042 --> 00:31:28,082 by one or more of the rulers who followed Suryavarman II. 504 00:31:28,083 --> 00:31:31,416 It is easy to imagine that the plaster on all of the towers 505 00:31:31,417 --> 00:31:34,374 was used as a base layer for the gilding, 506 00:31:34,375 --> 00:31:37,374 which made the entire structure extremely ornate 507 00:31:37,375 --> 00:31:39,998 and visually striking. 508 00:31:39,999 --> 00:31:42,998 This computer image was created based on the opinions 509 00:31:42,999 --> 00:31:45,875 and research of scholars. 510 00:31:45,876 --> 00:31:47,998 White plastered walls contrast 511 00:31:47,999 --> 00:31:50,500 with the golden lintels and towers. 512 00:31:50,601 --> 00:31:51,933 On a bright day, 513 00:31:51,934 --> 00:31:54,976 the entire temple would have sparkled in the sun. 514 00:31:57,183 --> 00:31:59,098 Suryavarman II didn't live 515 00:31:59,099 --> 00:32:03,098 to see his fantastic temple completed. 516 00:32:03,099 --> 00:32:07,224 But he probably saw it in the later stages of construction. 517 00:32:07,225 --> 00:32:08,600 What did the king feel 518 00:32:08,601 --> 00:32:12,266 as he saw this magnificent structure taking shape? 519 00:32:12,267 --> 00:32:15,309 It was a palace fit for a god. 520 00:32:19,601 --> 00:32:22,767 And he must have known it would also become his tomb. 521 00:32:25,059 --> 00:32:26,516 Only fragments of the wood 522 00:32:26,517 --> 00:32:30,350 that once covered the interior stone walls still remain. 523 00:32:32,851 --> 00:32:35,099 It's believed the wood was highly decorated, 524 00:32:35,100 --> 00:32:39,683 inlaid and ornamented with a wide variety of patterns. 525 00:32:39,684 --> 00:32:42,766 Gilded doors divided the chambers. 526 00:32:42,767 --> 00:32:44,558 and the gallery walls and ceilings 527 00:32:44,559 --> 00:32:47,059 would have been lavishly adorned. 528 00:32:49,142 --> 00:32:52,266 Since the king first set eyes on these galleries, 529 00:32:52,267 --> 00:32:56,809 millions more have journeyed to admire these dramatic scenes. 530 00:32:58,517 --> 00:33:01,266 The carvings encircle the entire outer gallery, 531 00:33:01,267 --> 00:33:03,100 from floor to ceiling. 532 00:33:05,684 --> 00:33:08,182 Measuring 2,600 feet, 533 00:33:08,183 --> 00:33:11,767 it is the longest continuous bas relief in the world. 534 00:33:16,350 --> 00:33:18,098 In the north gallery, 535 00:33:18,099 --> 00:33:21,098 this famous relief called the Battle of Kurushetra 536 00:33:21,099 --> 00:33:24,433 depicts an ancient combat scene from Indian history 537 00:33:24,434 --> 00:33:27,851 retold in the epic work, the Mahabharata. 538 00:33:30,559 --> 00:33:32,098 Angkor Wat's walls are covered 539 00:33:32,099 --> 00:33:36,808 with 12,900 square feet of bas relief carvings. 540 00:33:36,809 --> 00:33:40,182 Executed with great skill and artistic sophistication, 541 00:33:40,183 --> 00:33:43,851 the reliefs are considered a masterpiece in their own right. 542 00:33:46,018 --> 00:33:49,099 These carvings cover multiple blocks of sandstone 543 00:33:49,100 --> 00:33:51,349 and are so perfectly fitted together 544 00:33:51,350 --> 00:33:54,099 that the seams are almost invisible. 545 00:33:56,099 --> 00:33:59,098 Even the detailed lintels at the top of the walls 546 00:33:59,099 --> 00:34:02,225 are carved from the same stone blocks. 547 00:34:04,350 --> 00:34:08,017 Each artist would cut away layers of the wall 548 00:34:08,018 --> 00:34:11,309 and then carve the reliefs directly into the stone. 549 00:34:14,767 --> 00:34:18,308 Hundreds of highly skilled carvers worked side by side 550 00:34:18,309 --> 00:34:22,224 to complete the work in only decades. 551 00:34:22,225 --> 00:34:23,975 Experts admire not only 552 00:34:23,976 --> 00:34:26,558 the expressive human figures in the carvings, 553 00:34:26,559 --> 00:34:29,098 but also the remarkable perspective 554 00:34:29,099 --> 00:34:32,099 these early artists were able to achieve. 555 00:34:35,726 --> 00:34:38,098 Continuing along to the southern gallery, 556 00:34:38,099 --> 00:34:41,141 visitors encounter a 260-foot depiction 557 00:34:41,142 --> 00:34:46,098 of Suryavarman II's full royal procession. 558 00:34:46,099 --> 00:34:50,141 Military leaders, priests, musicians, standard bearers, 559 00:34:50,142 --> 00:34:54,225 servants, and royalty all take their place in this carving. 560 00:34:55,642 --> 00:34:57,933 The carving's centerpiece is the famous portrait 561 00:34:57,934 --> 00:35:01,098 of Suryavarman II himself. 562 00:35:01,099 --> 00:35:05,018 Lingering traces of gold hint at its former splendor. 563 00:35:06,726 --> 00:35:09,725 Leisen: Maybe the king was partly gilded. 564 00:35:09,726 --> 00:35:15,349 We can see some of the gildings on the relief of Suryavarman II. 565 00:35:15,350 --> 00:35:17,474 Kwon: The famous portrait of the king was gilded 566 00:35:17,475 --> 00:35:19,391 and surrounded by red-- 567 00:35:19,392 --> 00:35:22,767 the color symbolizing protection and strength. 568 00:35:24,976 --> 00:35:27,349 Continuing to the east side gallery, 569 00:35:27,350 --> 00:35:30,558 a visitor finds perhaps the most famous and revered 570 00:35:30,559 --> 00:35:32,099 of all the reliefs-- 571 00:35:32,100 --> 00:35:35,098 the churning of the sea of milk. 572 00:35:35,099 --> 00:35:37,182 It depicts Vishnu and Devas, 573 00:35:37,183 --> 00:35:39,058 the benevolent Hindu gods, 574 00:35:39,059 --> 00:35:41,516 and the Ashuras, the evil gods, 575 00:35:41,517 --> 00:35:43,098 all pulling on a great snake 576 00:35:43,099 --> 00:35:46,851 to churn the cosmic sea in search of eternal life. 577 00:35:48,809 --> 00:35:51,099 Their struggle released countless deities, 578 00:35:51,100 --> 00:35:54,350 including the beautiful nymphs called Apsaras. 579 00:35:58,809 --> 00:36:02,350 In the northern gallery is a battle of the gods and demons. 580 00:36:04,225 --> 00:36:06,099 This epic battle scene illustrates 581 00:36:06,100 --> 00:36:08,600 the pantheon of 21 Hindu gods 582 00:36:08,601 --> 00:36:11,099 battling alongside human warriors. 583 00:36:14,642 --> 00:36:18,309 Led by Vishnu, the gods of good defeat the evil gods. 584 00:36:20,517 --> 00:36:22,516 And as Suryavarman II was considered 585 00:36:22,517 --> 00:36:25,017 an earthly avatar of Vishnu, 586 00:36:25,018 --> 00:36:27,517 the scene celebrates his reign as well. 587 00:36:33,018 --> 00:36:35,266 It could be said that the entire temple of Angkor Wat 588 00:36:35,267 --> 00:36:37,266 is a single work of art. 589 00:36:37,267 --> 00:36:39,850 The artifacts and engraved scenes aren't simply ornaments 590 00:36:39,851 --> 00:36:41,266 installed in the temple, 591 00:36:41,267 --> 00:36:44,641 They're carved into the very structure itself. 592 00:36:44,642 --> 00:36:46,182 Once the enormous blocks were in place, 593 00:36:46,183 --> 00:36:48,933 artists chiseled symbols, figures and deities 594 00:36:48,934 --> 00:36:52,058 into virtually every surface of the sandstone. 595 00:36:52,059 --> 00:36:53,224 All of this dazzling creation 596 00:36:53,225 --> 00:36:57,516 forged into one extraordinary and sacred sculpture. 597 00:36:57,517 --> 00:37:01,017 Of all the carvings, these are some of the most popular. 598 00:37:01,018 --> 00:37:04,683 They're called Apsaras, or in English, celestial nymphs-- 599 00:37:04,684 --> 00:37:08,266 supernatural women who were said to dance for the gods. 600 00:37:08,267 --> 00:37:10,975 They supposedly had the power to change their shapes 601 00:37:10,976 --> 00:37:13,933 or influence whether a gambler won or lost. 602 00:37:13,934 --> 00:37:15,891 But someone wasn't taking any chances. 603 00:37:15,892 --> 00:37:19,601 There are nearly 1,800 of them depicted all around the temple. 604 00:37:25,142 --> 00:37:30,224 1,796 full body sculptures of divine women 605 00:37:30,225 --> 00:37:32,309 were carved at Angkor Wat. 606 00:37:34,099 --> 00:37:36,141 With a wide variety of facial features, 607 00:37:36,142 --> 00:37:40,392 hairstyles and headdresses, no two are exactly alike. 608 00:37:43,100 --> 00:37:45,224 These temple guardians and dancers 609 00:37:45,225 --> 00:37:47,683 were probably based on actual women 610 00:37:47,684 --> 00:37:51,058 residing near the temple in the 12th century. 611 00:37:51,059 --> 00:37:53,725 Apsaras are everywhere you look in the temple, 612 00:37:53,726 --> 00:37:58,225 standing alone in meditation or sometimes in pairs or groups. 613 00:37:58,517 --> 00:38:00,975 Each pose of these dancers has a meaning, 614 00:38:00,976 --> 00:38:04,475 and together, the movements of the dance tell a story. 615 00:38:07,099 --> 00:38:11,309 It's a form of dance still very much alive in modern Cambodia. 616 00:38:14,100 --> 00:38:16,098 Called the Apsara dance, 617 00:38:16,099 --> 00:38:19,433 this art form has passed from generation to generation 618 00:38:19,434 --> 00:38:20,933 in an unbroken line 619 00:38:20,934 --> 00:38:24,475 from the time of Suryavarman II and before. 620 00:38:27,267 --> 00:38:29,141 According to hindu mythology, 621 00:38:29,142 --> 00:38:31,933 the gods made 600 million Apsaras 622 00:38:31,934 --> 00:38:34,098 when they created the universe. 623 00:38:34,099 --> 00:38:36,975 And these celestial nymphs were released to the world 624 00:38:36,976 --> 00:38:40,309 when the deities churned the cosmic sea of milk. 625 00:38:44,018 --> 00:38:47,017 The temple of Angkor Wat probably had 3,000 or more 626 00:38:47,018 --> 00:38:49,098 Apsara dancers assigned to it, 627 00:38:49,099 --> 00:38:53,099 to entertain the king and his visitors, as well as the gods. 628 00:38:58,601 --> 00:39:01,516 The Apsara dance almost died out in the 1970s 629 00:39:01,517 --> 00:39:04,683 during Cambodia's Khmer Rouge regime. 630 00:39:04,684 --> 00:39:06,433 Dancers at the time were targeted 631 00:39:06,434 --> 00:39:10,018 as intellectuals and elitist, and they were killed. 632 00:39:12,018 --> 00:39:14,433 Today, this ancient dance is once again 633 00:39:14,434 --> 00:39:17,099 a visible part of Cambodian culture. 634 00:39:19,684 --> 00:39:23,683 It has been recently revived by dancers studying apsara carvings 635 00:39:23,684 --> 00:39:25,099 at Angkor Wat. 636 00:39:28,099 --> 00:39:29,933 Leaving behind the outer galleries, 637 00:39:29,934 --> 00:39:33,683 a visitor would next reach the second level of Angkor Wat. 638 00:39:33,684 --> 00:39:37,098 Here, columns border a cross-shaped gallery 639 00:39:37,099 --> 00:39:40,183 that mimics the layout of the temple's central level. 640 00:39:41,767 --> 00:39:44,558 These galleries lead the way to a large pool 641 00:39:44,559 --> 00:39:47,098 where the king and the brahmins purified themselves 642 00:39:47,099 --> 00:39:51,098 before performing rituals to the gods. 643 00:39:51,099 --> 00:39:55,098 Here, lingering traces of colors that covered the surfaces 644 00:39:55,099 --> 00:39:58,059 suggest how the temple once looked. 645 00:40:01,350 --> 00:40:03,266 Uchida: At the center of the cruciform gallery 646 00:40:03,267 --> 00:40:06,433 is a column which is colored in five layers of paint 647 00:40:06,434 --> 00:40:09,516 that alternates Between white and red. 648 00:40:09,517 --> 00:40:13,017 First, they used red pigment on a white background. 649 00:40:13,018 --> 00:40:14,308 In the next generation, 650 00:40:14,309 --> 00:40:18,098 they painted using red pigment on a white background again. 651 00:40:18,099 --> 00:40:19,641 Although we don't know why, 652 00:40:19,642 --> 00:40:21,516 they finally covered everything in white, 653 00:40:21,517 --> 00:40:23,934 so it currently looks pink. 654 00:40:27,099 --> 00:40:29,516 Kwon: Every trace of ancient residue adds clues 655 00:40:29,517 --> 00:40:33,642 to Angkor Wat's glory as its royal patron once saw it. 656 00:40:36,517 --> 00:40:38,098 As in many Hindu temples, 657 00:40:38,099 --> 00:40:41,098 the five towers of Angkor Wat represent the five peaks 658 00:40:41,099 --> 00:40:42,766 of sacred Mount Meru, 659 00:40:42,767 --> 00:40:46,099 the residence of the gods in the ancient tradition. 660 00:40:47,726 --> 00:40:52,391 The highest tower soars as high as Notre Dame Cathedral. 661 00:40:52,392 --> 00:40:56,098 In all, 10 stairways lead to the central tower-- 662 00:40:56,099 --> 00:40:58,349 a deviation from temples built earlier, 663 00:40:58,350 --> 00:41:01,099 such as the 11th century Baphuon. 664 00:41:04,976 --> 00:41:06,433 Pascal Royere [translated]: In the case of Baphuon, 665 00:41:06,434 --> 00:41:09,098 the four stairways on the four sides were added later on 666 00:41:09,099 --> 00:41:11,098 because of safety issues. 667 00:41:11,099 --> 00:41:13,850 The stairways were added in order to solve problems 668 00:41:13,851 --> 00:41:16,891 which arose during the construction of Baphuon. 669 00:41:16,892 --> 00:41:19,099 But in Angkor Wat, they were included in the plans 670 00:41:19,100 --> 00:41:22,017 from the very beginning of construction. 671 00:41:22,018 --> 00:41:25,098 As a result, a new and very special style of architecture 672 00:41:25,099 --> 00:41:26,767 was created. 673 00:41:29,099 --> 00:41:32,058 Kwon: All the stairways except those in the central corridor 674 00:41:32,059 --> 00:41:35,516 are too steep to climb with ease. 675 00:41:35,517 --> 00:41:37,766 These features are thought to be a reminder 676 00:41:37,767 --> 00:41:40,684 that the path to enlightenment is not easy. 677 00:41:48,642 --> 00:41:51,182 The moat symbolizing the great cosmic sea 678 00:41:51,183 --> 00:41:53,850 encloses 500 acres of land 679 00:41:53,851 --> 00:41:57,976 where the temple of Angkor Wat sits at its majestic center. 680 00:42:01,934 --> 00:42:04,098 Although it is now a Buddhist sanctuary, 681 00:42:04,099 --> 00:42:07,683 Angkor Wat was built as a Hindu temple honoring Vishnu, 682 00:42:07,684 --> 00:42:12,099 the Hindu god Suryavarman II was closely associated with. 683 00:42:17,475 --> 00:42:20,182 As impressive and inspiring as they are now, 684 00:42:20,183 --> 00:42:23,182 the towers were surely once even more so, 685 00:42:23,183 --> 00:42:25,892 when their gold gleamed in the sun. 686 00:42:28,099 --> 00:42:31,308 Inside the highest tower was a central sanctuary, 687 00:42:31,309 --> 00:42:34,142 where the king built a shrine to Vishnu. 688 00:42:37,434 --> 00:42:40,891 A golden statue of Vishnu reigned over the entire temple 689 00:42:40,892 --> 00:42:43,099 from this place of honor. 690 00:42:46,100 --> 00:42:48,725 Long after the reign of Suryavarman II, 691 00:42:48,726 --> 00:42:51,850 when the Khmer empire became a Buddhist nation, 692 00:42:51,851 --> 00:42:53,474 the statue of Vishnu was replaced 693 00:42:53,475 --> 00:42:57,309 with a likeness of Buddha, which remains to this day. 694 00:43:00,099 --> 00:43:01,433 In the mid 12th century, 695 00:43:01,434 --> 00:43:05,224 when Suryavarman II visited his nearly completed masterpiece, 696 00:43:05,225 --> 00:43:08,559 he was nearing the end of his life and his reign. 697 00:43:12,225 --> 00:43:14,558 Suryavarman II's rule is considered 698 00:43:14,559 --> 00:43:16,933 the golden age of the Khmer empire, 699 00:43:16,934 --> 00:43:21,098 and Angkor Wat is the ultimate symbol of his dynasty. 700 00:43:21,099 --> 00:43:24,017 It's not known exactly when the king died. 701 00:43:24,018 --> 00:43:26,766 It was probably around the year 1150 A.D., 702 00:43:26,767 --> 00:43:29,391 not long after the completion of the temple. 703 00:43:29,392 --> 00:43:31,266 What happened next is unclear, 704 00:43:31,267 --> 00:43:35,141 because there are no records for the period after his death. 705 00:43:35,142 --> 00:43:39,017 But what we do know is that it was a time of great turmoil. 706 00:43:39,018 --> 00:43:40,433 The next king reigned only briefly 707 00:43:40,434 --> 00:43:43,558 before war and discord began sapping the empire 708 00:43:43,559 --> 00:43:45,683 of its strength. 709 00:43:45,684 --> 00:43:48,683 Suryavarman had conquered his part of the world, 710 00:43:48,684 --> 00:43:51,725 expanded his empire and successfully created 711 00:43:51,726 --> 00:43:54,141 one of the world's greatest monuments. 712 00:43:54,142 --> 00:43:56,891 But of all his achievements, 713 00:43:56,892 --> 00:44:01,017 only Angkor Wat would stand the test of time. 714 00:44:01,018 --> 00:44:03,308 The image of Angkor Wat has graced the Cambodian flag 715 00:44:03,309 --> 00:44:08,098 since 1953, and it remains a source of great pride 716 00:44:08,099 --> 00:44:10,018 for modern Cambodians. 717 00:44:12,142 --> 00:44:14,558 Over the course of his four-decade rule, 718 00:44:14,559 --> 00:44:17,391 Suryavarman II increased the Khmer empire 719 00:44:17,392 --> 00:44:20,266 by more than 100,000 square miles, 720 00:44:20,267 --> 00:44:25,017 establishing himself as a great warrior king. 721 00:44:25,018 --> 00:44:27,975 When he was entombed in his own greatest creation, 722 00:44:27,976 --> 00:44:31,391 he was given the posthumous name Paramavishnuloka, 723 00:44:31,392 --> 00:44:35,099 or "He who has entered the heavenly world of Vishnu." 724 00:44:39,100 --> 00:44:44,058 After he died, the Khmer empire fell into disarray. 725 00:44:44,059 --> 00:44:46,349 Opposing factions vied for power, 726 00:44:46,350 --> 00:44:50,099 and the country suffered invasions by neighboring forces. 727 00:44:52,099 --> 00:44:55,058 Today Angkor Wat is a cherished reminder 728 00:44:55,059 --> 00:44:57,850 of the khmer empire's past glory 729 00:44:57,851 --> 00:45:02,098 and a source of great pride in modern Cambodia. 730 00:45:02,099 --> 00:45:04,224 A UNESCO world heritage site, 731 00:45:04,225 --> 00:45:08,099 it draws a million visitors per year from around the globe. 732 00:45:09,267 --> 00:45:14,098 Symbol, temple, tomb, and treasure, 733 00:45:14,099 --> 00:45:19,098 Angkor Wat is a masterpiece of ancient monumental architecture. 734 00:45:19,099 --> 00:45:22,809 It has few rivals anywhere on earth. 60171

Can't find what you're looking for?
Get subtitles in any language from opensubtitles.com, and translate them here.