A row of asuras, or demons, at Angkor Thom South Gate. The South Gate of Angkor Thom is one of the five gateways into the ancient Khmer city of Angkor Thom. The South Gate is the most visited of the five Angkor Thom gates, as it is the one nearest to Angkor Wat. The South Gate of Angkor Thom is also the best preserved and restored. Angkor Thom, Cambodia, contains the remains of the different capitals of the Khmer Empire, ranging in time from the 9th to the 15th centuries. The Khmer rulers saw themselves as god kings. The temple mountains they built symbolized the holy mountain at the center of the universe.