View outward over walled complex from top of central tower at Angkor Wat

View outward over walled complex from top of central tower at Angkor Wat

This view looks outward over walled complex from the top of the central tower at Angkor Wat. Stone reliefs, visitors, the causeway entrance, and bright green forest in the distance are visible from this vantage point.

This elevated image over the stone roofs, moat, and high walls towards the tropical forest suggests how awesome the sight of this temple complex must have been for rural Southeast Asians (or other foreign visitors) living around the tenth century A.D., a time when Europe was in its Medieval period, or “Dark Ages.”