After the Temple with Many Faces, our next stop in Angkor Thom was Baphuon, also known as the golden mountain. It is a three-tiered temple made to resemble a small mountain. Originally dedicated to Shiva, it now serves as a Buddhist temple.
Baphuon was a short walk north from the Bayan, along the large roads that connect the city of Angkor Thom. Small monkeys wander the roads and sit among the trees, comfortable with their human visitors.
We reach the temple and I can see why it is called a mountain. It’s no Everest, but even to get to the first level visitors will need to climb a decent number of stairs. My tour guide chose to skip the climb, telling me he would wait for me at the bottom.
Before doing so I decided to take a walk around the base of the temple to see how it looked from below. There are many smaller buildings surrounding the mountain, most of them consisting of only the doorframes and small segments of the walls. Piles of cut stone lay around the site, parts of the buildings that haven’t been restored to their original locations.
This tower was one of the most ruined of those discovered in the area, and restoration efforts made this place known as the “largest 3D jigsaw puzzle in the world.” I felt a sense of loss that we will never again see it how it once was, but seeing the temple from below made me appreciate how much time and effort has gone into restoring this ancient building.
It was time to climb the steps up to the first floor of the temple. You cannot climb the original steps to the temple. Instead there are wooden steps built on top of them. This helps to prevent any new damage to the original stone, and also ensures people wont get hurt walking on smooth, uneven stone that has been damaged by the rigours of time.
Walking around this level almost felt like walking along parapets. Although not meant to be a defensive position, the stone frames could provide protection, and you can see out in every direction. The view I enjoyed most was the view of the path leading up to the temple. I imagined ancient worshippers walking in procession, ready to dedicate themselves to Shiva.
Climbing up to the second floor I could see the base of the central structure. This once held a huge wooden tower, which has since rotted away. Only the stone door frames to access the central chamber remained. This would be the focal point of the temple, where many prayers will have been offered over the years.
There are wooden steps up to the central chamber on the third floor, but these have been closed. Either the climb is too dangerous, or conservationists are worried about damage to the central tower. Whatever the reason, I wouldn’t be getting a view from the top of the Mountain on this day.
After taking in the view one last time, I descended back down the steps to meet with my tour guide, eager to see where he would take me next.
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