Sanctuary, Steve McCurry: The Temples of Angkor

Magnum photographer Steve McCurry (b.1950) has beautifully and evocatively photographed the temples of Angkor in Cambodia, among the world’s most impressive monuments. Over 100 of his images of the site are collected in this stunning book, which documents a magical world of carved gods, weathered masonry, tangled vegetation and orange-robed monks. Angkor was the capital of the Khmer rulers from the end of the ninth century until the mid-fifteenth. Each built a state temple at the capital, surrounded by walls, moats and embankments laid out in accordance with cosmological precepts. Designated a World Heritage site by UNESCO, the temples attract tourists, archaeologists and art historians, and are also a pilgrimage destination for Buddhist monks. McCurry first visited Angkor on assignment for National Geographic magazine, for whom he has photographed all over the world. He has made many return visits, capturing a sublime portrait of the buildings, sculpture and people of Angkor. Winner of numerous honours, including first prize in the World Press Awards and the Robert Capa Gold Medal, McCurry has previously published Portraits and South Southeast (both with Phaidon). The photographs are accompanied by an informative introduction on the history and meaning of Angkor by John Guy, a leading authority on the cultural history of Southeast Asia.