Siem Reap, north of Tonle Sap Lake, is a province in North Western Cambodia. The name, if translated literally, means "Siam defeated".

During a war in the 16th century, the Siam was defeated by Khmers and thereafter the province in which the war was battled is named after the event "Siam defeated". Siem Reap is home to hundreds of Khmer temples ruins, scattering in the area of 401 square kilometers, dating from the 9th century to 13th century.

During Angkor period between 9th and 15th century, the Khmer Empire ruled by Khmer kings stretched over a vast territory of South East Asia from the tip of southern Vietnam to the Bay of Bengal.