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Angkor : celestial temples of the Khmer Text by Ian Mabbett ; Photographs by Jon Ortner Published by Abbeville Press Publishers (2002) |
Book description
Built between the ninth and the thirteenth
centuries by a succession of twelve Khmer kings, Angkor spreads over 120
square miles in Southeast Asia and includes scores of major architectural
sites. In 802, when construction began on Angkor Wat, financed by wealth
from rice and trade, Jayavarman II took the throne, initiating an unparalleled
period of artistic and architectural achievement, exemplified in the fabled
ruins of Angkor, center of the ancient empire. Among the amazing pyramid-and
mandala-shaped shrines preserved in the jungles of Cambodia is Angkor Wat,
the world's largest temple, an extraordinarily complex structure filled with
iconographic detail and religious symbolism. Perhaps because of the decline
of agricultural productivity and the expansion of the Thai Empire, Angkor
was abandoned in the fifteenth century and left to the ravages of time. Today
many countries are working to conserve and restore the temples, which have
been inaccessible until recently. Now that the civil war has ended, Angkor
is being reborn and is an increasingly popular tourist destination.
Undaunted by the difficulties of traveling through Cambodia and eastern Thailand,
Jon Ortner, accompanied by his wife, Martha, photographed fifty of the most
important and unique monuments of the Khmer Empire. His images include spectacular
views from the rooftops of its temples, glorious landscapes, and details of
inscriptions and art that few have ever seen. Beautifully reproduced in Angkor,
the photographs are accompanied by a fascinating text written by a team of
experts, providing historical, architectural, and religious analyses of Angkor
and the Khmer civilization. The appendix includes a glossary, a chronology
of construction, and a chart of the kings and their accomplishments. Black-and-white
floor plans and historic watercolors complete this breathtaking tribute.
About the Author
Dr. Ian Mabbett is a Reader in the School of Historical Studies, Faculty of Arts at Monash University.
Borrow it: Monash University Library members can borrow this book. View the catalogue record for details.
Buy it: This book can be purchased online from amazon.com
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