Angkor Wat temples is a number 1 tourist destination for visitors to South East Asia, the major reason is the amazing temples that were built here over 1000 years ago. The main Angkor Wat temple is the largest religious monument in the world and was originally built as a Hindu Temple dedicated the God Vishnu. Around the 12th century the temple complex became Buddhist and the art an Architecture style changed, to depict carvings of Buddha.
Bayon Temple was built in the late 12th to early 13th century and has giant Buddha faces the temple is an amazing artwork showing many carvings of Buddhist stories as well as depicting scenes of the battles for domination of the Khmer Empire over the region as they fought against the Siemese (Thai’s).
One of my major influences and inspirations as a Tattooist is the art and Architecture of Angkor Wat and I enjoy depicting these images in Tattoo Art. Many people wonder why Hindu and Buddhist images and this art style is so important to Siem Reap. This is Angkor Tattoo Style and helps define the Tattoo art here in this region. Sovannaphum Tattoo Studio has a Angkor Tattoo Style that is influenced by the art and Architecture of the Temples in Siem Reap. Sovannaphum actually is an ancient word that means “The Golden Land” this is the name of the Khmer Empire at it’s height.
The land here in Siem Reap is rich with ancient art, each piece of stone that the Ankhot Wat Temples is made of has been touched and carved by the hands of artists leaving their mark that can still be seen by us today when we visit Angkor Wat. So if you art a Traveller and plan to visit Angkor Wat take time to enjoy the amazing art and marvel at the time it must have taken for the artists to carve the stone and write the history of the Khmer Empire.