Popularity :
Angkor Wat
Angkor Wat is an ancient Khmer temple located in a vast archeological site near the city of Siem Reap in Cambodia. Commissioned by King Suryavarman II as part of his capital city of Yasodharapura, the temple was cleverly constructed from all four directions at once, in less than 40 years. It has since become the world’s largest religious monument, and retains its original form as a temple of Hinduism, despite being converted to Buddhism by the end of the 12th century. It is the best preserved of all the temples in the area, and the only one to remain a functioning religious center since it was built. It is a national symbol of Cambodia and the country’s most visited site.
Angkor Wat is distinguished by both classical Khmer architecture and Hindu idolatry. It is a "temple-mountain" built in a large rectangular-shaped form and surrounded by an exterior moat. Inside the moat are three concentric rectangular galleries, each with their own grouping of five spired towers at their shared center. Angkor Wat is unique amongst nearby temples for its western location that frames a significant symbolic purpose. While other temples are located to face the east, paying homage to the Hindu sun god, Surya, Angkor Wat is likely a memorial temple for the king himself, facing west in the same direction as the traditional funeral temples. It is admired for its splendour, harmonious arrangement, detailed bas-reliefs and many devata (minor Hindu gods) sculptures in its walls. Its modern name – Angkor Wat – is a combination of Angkor, which means “city” or “capital”, and Wat, which translates to “temple” in the Khmer language.
Angkor Wat is distinguished by both classical Khmer architecture and Hindu idolatry. It is a "temple-mountain" built in a large rectangular-shaped form and surrounded by an exterior moat. Inside the moat are three concentric rectangular galleries, each with their own grouping of five spired towers at their shared center. Angkor Wat is unique amongst nearby temples for its western location that frames a significant symbolic purpose. While other temples are located to face the east, paying homage to the Hindu sun god, Surya, Angkor Wat is likely a memorial temple for the king himself, facing west in the same direction as the traditional funeral temples. It is admired for its splendour, harmonious arrangement, detailed bas-reliefs and many devata (minor Hindu gods) sculptures in its walls. Its modern name – Angkor Wat – is a combination of Angkor, which means “city” or “capital”, and Wat, which translates to “temple” in the Khmer language.
The placeWikimedia Commons CC BY-SA
The placeWikimedia Commons CC BY-SA
Aerial ViewWikimedia Commons CC BY-SA
About
Angkor Wat, Hindu/Buddhist temple complex in Cambodia
Location: Siem Reap Province
Inception: 13 Century
Elevation above the sea: 65 m
Filters
Resources
« Angkor Wat - Hindu/Buddhist temple complex in Cambodia » is provided by Around Us (aroundus.com). Images and texts are derived from Wikimedia project under a Creative Commons license. You are allowed to copy, distribute, and modify copies of this page, under the conditions set by the license, as long as this note is clearly visible.