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World's Most Endangered Sites
Angkor, Cambodia
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Vocabulary Quiz | Suggested Activities | Kids Corner
Angkor - photo Vocabulary Quiz
Read the paragraph below to learn about the history of Angkor, and test yourself on the vocabulary and questions below.

Angkor was once a thriving metropolis in northwestern Cambodia, but today it is a large archaeological site. Angkor was once part of a large kingdom ruled by the Khmer kings. When Angkor was settled, the people of the city practiced Hinduism. Hinduism is a religion that believes in many gods including Brahma the Creator, Vishnu the Preserver and Shiva the Destroyer. Hindus also believe in reincarnation and karma, which means that a person's actions and behavior will determine their destiny. In the twelfth century, the religion of Buddhism gained strength in Angkor. Buddhism is a religion that began in the sixth century B.C. and was founded by Siddhartha Gautama in India. Buddhists also believe in karma, and in physical and spiritual discipline. Angkor contains buildings, statues, and bas-reliefs. Angkor once had a highly developed irrigation system that controlled and directed the flow of water. Irrigation provides a constant supply of water for both people and agriculture. Angkor is important to the history of Cambodia as well as to a larger shared cultural heritage. Today, Angkor must be protected against the effects of nature and destruction or illegal removing of art works. Through preservation, buildings and statues can be repaired and studied. We can learn more about the history of Angkor and the people who lived there and we can preserve the buildings and art works for future generations.

Angkor - photo Vocabulary
Bas-relief: carving of figures that project only slightly from the background

Brahma: Hindu god of creation

Buddhism: a religion of eastern and central Asia growing out of the teaching of Gautama Buddha that emphasizes physical and spiritual discipline as means of liberation from the physical world

Hinduism: the dominant religion of India; characterized by a caste system and belief in reincarnation and worship of many gods especially the Trimurti composed of Brahma the Creator; Vishnu the Preserver; and Shiva the Destroyer

Irrigation: artificial watering of land to sustain plant growth

Metropolis: chief or capital city

Shiva: Hindu god of destruction and regeneration

Vishnu: Hindu god believed to be the preserver of the universe

Angkor - photo

Photo credits:
(top to bottom)
1, 2. UNESCO/B. Bruguier
3. UNESCO

Suggested Activities
1. Imagine that you are going to design a city. What are the five most important things that you would include and why? What would the city look like?

2. The temples of Angkor have many beautiful bas-reliefs, or carved images, on their walls. The images include scenes of the king, of the gods, and of ordinary people. What images would you carve or paint that would represent you and your community?

3. If you were an archaeologist or a conservator, what would you do to preserve Angkor? How would you discourage people from harming and desecrating the site?

4. Art is often removed from archaeological sites and displayed in another place. What do you think are some of the benefits and the problems of this practice?

5. Why is it important to preserve Angkor? How is Angkor important to Cambodia and to the international community?

6. Can you identify places in your neighborhood or your country that are threatened? How are they threatened? By natural elements, vandalism, neglect? What about unplanned development?

7. Choose a site in your neighborhood that you think needs to be preserved. Take pictures, make drawings, and write about the site and what it means to you. Describe in writing and in drawings what you would do to the site. What would it look like if it were preserved?

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