Overview
- Early-mid 12th
- Religion: Hindu
- Patron: Suryavarman II
- Style: Angkor Wat
Purpose
Angkor Wat was the state temple and mausoleum of Suryavarman II. It was dedicated to the God Vishnu, which is the probable reason for its (unusual) orientation to the West. Today, it has lost its Hindu association in the minds of most, and has become an important place of pilgrimage for Buddhists.
Significance
Angkor Wat is without doubt the most important monument of the Khmer Empire. Its immense scale alone demands attention, but this coupled with its artistic precision and historic significance make it one of the great wonders of the world. Its image--to Cambodians and foreigners alike--is synonymous with the country today, and has graced every flag in Cambodia's history.
History
Nothing embodies Cambodia's history more than Angkor Wat, which was built by Suryavarman II. Construction--which took thirty years--was not completed until after his death, and the temple appears to have been both his state temple and mausoleum. It was also the capital of the Khmer Empire, which reached its height under his rule.
Description
Almost nine centuries after its construction, Angkor Wat remains one of the world's largest religious monuments. Like so many of the Khmer temples, it is a representation of Mt. Meru. Unlike most of the temples at Angkor, however, it is oriented towards the west, probably due to its association with Vishnu. Its outer perimeter is marked by a moat 200 m wide that stretches a kilometer and a half north to south, and nearly that distance east to west. A stone causeway crosses this moat on the western side, the principal entrance, meeting the outer laterite enclosure wall in a grand gopura. Another stone causeway leads from this gopura to the temple itself, which is effectually a pyramid of three levels, each with a concentric gallery, four corner towers, and four gopuras at the cardinal points. The summit is crowned with five towers, each meant to imitate the silhouette of a lotus bud. The sheer size of the monument makes the layout difficult to discern from the ground. The central tower of Angkor Wat reaches a height of 65 meters, dwarfing the cathedrals being at the same time in Europe.