History of Indian and Eastern Architecture v2.c33.s16.3

v2.c33.s16.3

The principal remains existing are those of the great enclosure walls and the gates of Angkor Thom the capital, founded by Jayavarman II., the first king, but not completed or occupied till the reign of Yasovarman, the fourth king. The city measured close upon 10,000 ft. from east to west, and 9,600 ft. from north to south, giving a perimeter of 7½ miles to the enclosure walls. Those walls, about 22 ft. high, were surrounded by a moat 300 ft. wide and entered through five gates, one on the north, south and west sides, and two on the east, the most important, called the Gate of Victory, leading to the palace. Its plan, like those of the gopuras to which reference has been made, was cruciform, consisting of a central gateway 52 ft. square, with recessed angles and side wings. Three towers, the upper portions of which were sculptured on all four sides with the Brahmâ mask in stone similar to those in Woodcut No. 468, rose above the central gateway and the side wings. On each side of the gateway and in the recessed angles elephants' heads and trunks were carved, and above them numerous figures of Nâgas and other subjects. This is probably the entrance gateway described by the Chinese visitor in 1295, as he refers¹ to the great heads in stone above the gateways which he thought to be those of Buddha, to the figures of elephants on each side of the entrance gateway, and to the great bridge over the moat in front, on each side of which were fifty-four statues in stone of great height carrying a serpent with nine heads. The trunk of the serpent's body in this case formed the balustrade and at the entrance to the bridge were immense Nâga heads similar to those shown in Plate XLIV., Fig. 2. Portions of these figures still exist, as also traces of those in front of the other gates. Similar parapets have also been found at Bântèai Prah-khan, north of Angkor Thom. The other eastern gate led to the temple of Bayon, already referred to. The palace enclosure, situated nearly in the centre of the city, measured about 2,000 ft. by 800 ft., and was surrounded by a double wall, with moat between. The western portion of the enclosure was probably occupied by the King and his family, and with the exception of the pyramidal temple of Phimêanakas, a few towers and many stone banks, no architectural remains have been found. In front of the palace enclosure was a great terrace over 800 ft. long by 45 ft. wide, and 15 ft. high, the walls of which were sculptured with elephants; no traces of walls of any description have been found in front of this terrace, suggesting that it formed an open space where reviews took place before the King and his courtiers on the terrace. At the north end of this square is a cruciform structure about 30 ft. wide and 60 ft. long, richly decorated, with six bands of sculptured figures, and it was on the top of this that the French explorers found the supposed statue of the leprous king to whom the monument was ascribed.