Scenes of Angkor

These videos are designed to give you a sense of the sprawling scale of the city but also to open a window into daily life and routine. The below scenes are arranged in order from a top-down view of Angkor from 30,000 feet in the air all the way down to the ground level, showing the intimate day-to-day life of its residents.

Religious complex at Angkor Wat

The central religious complex of Angkor Wat. Current archaeological estimates suggest that at its peak, the Angkor Wat complex, was serviced by a workforce of over 20,000 that were in turn supported by a population of up to 125,000 people. Only a small proportion of this number – about 4,500 residents – would have lived within the temple enclosure. The rest would have journeyed to the temple from the densely populated settlements beyond the moat.

Residential Flyover A

Aerial camera over residences in Angkor Wat’s 4th enclosure.

Residential Flyover B

Aerial camera over residences in Angkor Wat’s 4th enclosure.

Village Flyover

A typical settlement on the periphery of Angkor. This is where the majority of the city’s residents lived.

Arrival

Agents enter Angkor Wat along the western causeway.

On the Road

A scene of daily life along a thoroughfare in the capital.

Official Business

An official on horseback talks to a village headman.

Construction

An architect inspects work underway on Angkor Wat’s third enclosure.

Into the Temple

A member of the royal family and his retinue proceed along the Angkor Wat causeway.

Bas Reliefs

An elite and his retinue walks past the famous bas relief galleries of Angkor Wat.

Paddies

Looking across the rice fields.

Convoy

An oxcart convoy travels along a forest road.

Sculpture Workshop

A 360° view of a workshop where Khmer stonemasons are hard at work crafting the sculptures that adorn the temple complex at Angkor.