Angkor Thom, as you may recall from last week, was built by the Khmer King Jayavarman VIII sometime after A.D. 1181 following the looting of the capitol of Yasodharapura by the Champa people. Jayavarman, a devout Buddhist, started a building program that lasted through the 37 years of his reign.
At its height, Angkor Thom had a population of between 80,000 and 150,000. Access to the city was controlled by 5 gates, 4 set at the cardinal points (North, South, East, West) and another named The Victory Gate. About a quarter of a mile from the Siam Reap river, the city is surrounded by a moat. The walls of Angkor Thom stood 8 meters (26 ft) in their heyday.
The approach to the South Gate, the best preserved gate.
The moat is 100 m (328 ft) wide.
The moat is crossable via a causeway. Lining the causeway are statues of devas and asuras.
At the head of the causeway stands a naga (less the carved heads at this point).
The gate stands 20 m (65 ft) high.
Mounting the top of each gate are four faces facing four directions. They are believed to be either King Jayavarman or Brahma.
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