Angkor Thom South Gate

The South Gate is the best-preserved and most frequently visited of the five monumental gates that once guarded the ancient walled city of Angkor Thom. Built under Jayavarman VII in the late 12th century, the gate tower rises over 23 meters and is crowned by four giant stone faces. Its celebrated causeway stretches across a wide moat, flanked on both sides by a row of 54 stone giants on the left representing gods and 54 demons on the right, engaged in the mythological churning of the ocean of milk. Elephant carvings decorate the base of the gate tower, and the entire structure remains one of the most photographed Angkor landmarks.