Google Street View explores Angkor’s 1,000-year-old temples

By Trevor Mogg April 3, 2014

google street view explores angkor 1000 year old temples — Image used with permission by copyright holder

From student backpackers traveling on a shoestring to retirees crossing off another place on the bucket list, Angkor in Cambodia is on the itinerary of just about every keen globetrotter. And now it’s on Google Street View, too.

The historic location, famous for its prominent role in the nation’s ancient Khmer empire that once took in large parts of south-east Asia, as well as for its numerous 1,000-year-old temples, has been captured by the Street View team in more than 90,000 panoramic images, Google Maps’ Manik Gupta said in a blog post announcing the new content.

angkor on street view — Image used with permission by copyright holder

“The temples at Angkor each have a unique story – whether it’s the way they were built, the ancient Khmer cities they sit on, or the artwork they contain,” Gupta wrote in the post.

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To gather the material, which includes both the exteriors and interiors of Angkor’s many historic buildings, Gupta said the team used all available equipment, including Street View cars, body-based Trekker cameras, and good old-fashioned tripods.

“Whether it’s revisiting iconic sites such as Bayon Temple in time for the Khmer New Year or studying the Ramayana’s Battle of Lanka bas-relief carvings within Angkor Wat, Street View can help you more easily explore Angkor’s rich heritage,” Gupta wrote.

And once you’re done exploring the temples and surrounding area of this unique UNESCO World Heritage site, you can find out more about Angkor’s historical and artistic heritage by visiting the Google Cultural Institute, online of course, here. The bundle of material includes everything from images of 12th-century sculptures and mid-20th-century photography to modern-day renderings of medieval Angkor life, all of which offers an insight into Khmer culture through the ages.

Google’s Street View team has been rolling out a ton of new content for armchair explorers in the last couple of years, with recent additions including a gondola ride through the waterways of Venice, a stroll around the Galapagos Islands, a rafting trip through the Grand Canyon, and a visit to a Lamborghini museum in Milan. Last month the team even went polar bear spotting in Manitoba.

[Top image: Matt Ragen / Shutterstock]

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