Independence Hotel :

The Independence Hotel was built in 1960 and completed in 1963. Back then, it used to be Sihanoukville's most luxurious and elitist accommodation. While the 7 floors building was the work of renowned French architects of that epoch, the interior was designed by no other than King Sihanouk, the ruler of the Kingdom of Cambodia during that era. The Independence Hotel was definitely one of Cambodia's most reputable hotels and perhaps the tallest architecture of that period, playing host to the finest people and Grand Events.

Pictures to form the hotel, which is amid the trees :

 

 The Independence Hotel was designed by French architect M. Mondet of the partnership Leroy & Mondet. They were also responsible for many more important constructions in Phnom Penh and the provinces built during the fifties and sixties.

  swimming-pool for Independence Hotel :

 

Today, fully restored to its former beauty and glory, the Independence Hotel offers the discerning traveler superior, deluxe or suite rooms, all with breathtaking views overlooking the sparkling pristine waters of the ocean. Simple but refined, elegant but welcoming, the design of the Independence Hotel has succeeded in combining modernity with history.

 Independence Hotel in angkor :

 

 Hotel description " Independence Hotel " :

 The Independence Hotel is a historic hotel located 5 km outside of Sihanoukville, Cambodia. The original hotel, completed in 1964, was designed by French architects Leroy and Mondet as a conscious landmark to demonstrate the country's optimism following independence from France. A large white edifice perched above the sea, the building was known locally as bprahm-bpel jawn, or "seven storeys", as it was by far the tallest in the country. During this time the hotel's guests included Catherine Deneuve and Jacqueline Kennedy, and the hotel served as a "show piece" for the Royal Family, with King Norodom Sihanouk taking responsibility for the hotel's original interior design.

Seat of the Khmer Empire

Seat of the Khmer Empire  :

Angkor, the ancient city in Cambodia that was the seat of the Khmer empire, flourished from the 9th to the 15th century. Today, tourists still appreciate the remnants of its architecture and sophisticated hydro-engineering systems, composed of canals, moats and large reservoirs known as barays.

 A museum of art abroad magnificence :

 

 

 Angkor in Cambodia was the seat of the Khmer Empire, which flourished from approximately the 9th to 15th centuries.

 

 The Angkorian period may be said to have begun shortly after 800 AD, when the Khmer King Jayavarman II announced the independence of Kambujadesa (Cambodia) fromJava and established his capital of Hariharalaya(now known as Roluos) at the northern end ofTonlé Sap. Through a program of military campaigns, alliances, marriages and land grants, he achieved a unification of the country bordered by China to the north, Champa (now Central Vietnam) to the east, the ocean to the south and a place identified by a stone inscription as "the land of cardamoms and mangoes" to the west. In 802, Jayavarman articulated his new status by declaring himself "universal monarch" (chakravartin) and, in a move that was to be imitated by his successors and that linked him to the cult of Siva, taking on the epithet of "god-king" (devaraja) Before Jayavarman, Cambodia had consisted of a number of politically independent principalities collectively known to the Chinese by the names Funan andChenla.

  Jayavarman VII :

 

Following the death of Suryavarman around 1150 AD, the kingdom fell into a period of internal strife. Its neighbors to the east, the Cham of what is now southern Vietnam, took advantage of the situation in 1177 to launch a seaborne invasion up the Mekong River and across Tonlé Sap. The Cham forces were successful in sacking the Khmer capital of Yasodharapura and in killing the reigning king. However, a Khmer prince who was to become King Jayavarman VII rallied his people and defeated the Cham in battles on the lake and on the land. In 1181, Jayavarman assumed the throne. He was to be the greatest of the Angkorian kings. Over the ruins of Yasodharapura, Jayavarman constructed the walled city of Angkor Thom, as well as its geographic and spiritual center, the temple known as theBayon. Bas-reliefs at the Bayon depict not only the king's battles with the Cham, but also scenes from the life of Khmer villagers and courtiers. In addition, Jayavarman constructed the well-known temples of Ta Prohm and Preah Khan, dedicating them to his parents. This massive program of construction coincided with a transition in the state religion from Hinduism to Mahayana Buddhism, since Jayavarman himself had adopted the latter as his personal faith. During Jayavarman's reign, Hindu temples were altered to display images of the Buddha, and Angkor Wat briefly became a Buddhist shrine. Following his death, a Hindu revival included a large-scale campaign of desecrating Buddhist images, until Theravada Buddhism became established as the land's dominant religion from the 14th century.

 The fall of the Great Khmer Empire :