Verified13.4125° N · 103.8667° E · 65 m
Angkor Wat
Prasat Angkor Wat · Temple City
Khmer Empire, early Angkor period 1113–1150 CE·Khmer (Hindu then Theravada Buddhist)·🇰🇭 Siem Reap Province, Cambodia
About
About Angkor Wat
Vishnuite then Buddhist temple-mountain and world's largest religious monument (162.6 ha), built early 12th century by Suryavarman II as state temple and center of Khmer Empire; oriented west with 3-tier pyramidal quincunx of sandstone towers surrounded by 5 km moat and bas-reliefs of Churning of Ocean of Milk.
Open questions
Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 01How sandstone blocks quarried 40 km at Phnom Kulen and transported via canals
- 02West orientation vs typical east-facing Khmer temples
Theories
- 01Solar alignment for equinox viewing from western causeway
- 02Mortuary temple theory explains west: realm of Vishnu / death
Theories are interpretations, not findings. The seal above tells you how much scholarly weight the place carries.
History
How it came to be
- Built
- c.1113–1150 under Suryavarman II
- Period
- Khmer Empire, early Angkor period 1113–1150 CE
- Culture
- Khmer (Hindu then Theravada Buddhist)
- Purpose
- State temple and symbolic Mount Meru / cosmological center and later royal funerary temple
- Excavation
- Excavation ongoing
c.1113–1150 under Suryavarman II
Initial construction
c. 1675 CE
Major expansion
On the ground
Structures & features
13.4125° N · 103.8667° E · 65 m · 3 mapped features
- 13.4118° N · 103.8645° E
Central Sanctuary (Bakan)
sanctuary - 13.4121° N · 103.8660° E
Churning of the Ocean of Milk bas-relief
bas relief - 13.4150° N · 103.8680° E
Western Causeway and Moat
causeway