- According to a recent study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), the city of Angkor underwent a gradual decline in occupation rather than an abrupt collapse. The study has pointed out that Angkor demise was not caused by the Ayutthayan (Siamese kingdom located in present day-Thailand) invasion or by infrastructural failure, but a gradual demographic shift by the urban elite
- Angkor is located in Cambodia’s northern province of Siem Reap. It was the capital of the Khmer Kingdom. The Khmer empire was a powerful state in South East Asia, lasting from 802 CE to 1431 CE. It was a Hindu-Buddhist empire.
- Two important monuments in Angkor are a) Angkor Wat, a temple complex built by King Suryavarman II and b) Angkor Thom, a temple complex built by King Jayavarman VII. Angkor is an UNESCO World Heritage Site.
- World heritage Site is a natural or man-made site, area, or structure inscribed on the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage List. The sites are designated as having “outstanding universal value” under the Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage, 1972. The convention provides a framework for international cooperation in preserving and protecting cultural treasures and natural areas throughout the world.
