Angkor Wat Temple

Angkor Wat is the most famous of the many Angkorian temples. Back in the twelfth century when it was built by King Suryavarman ll, it was a temple dedicated to the Hindu god.Vishnu and took an estimated 30 years to buid. It was later used as a Buddhist temple and is the only one of the Angkorian temples to remain in religious use throughout the centuries.

Unusually for a Khmer temple, it's oriented to the West, which has led experts to deduce that it was a funeral temple for king Suryvarman ll, because it faces the setting sun. Also, bas-reliefs are designed to be viewed from left to right in keeping with Hindu death rituals.

UNESCO has called Angkor Wat "One of the most important archaeological sites in South-East Asia" and it has been coined the 7th Wonder of the World, it truly deserves these epithets.

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Overview

Encompassing more than 160 Hectares, Angkor Wat is the largest religious site in the world. Its incredible architecture, and stunning location mark it out as unique on the world stage. It is a monument to the power and ingenuity of the mighty Khmer Empire, the logistics and determination required to build the complex, and feed and provide water for its citizens is unmatched elsewhere. Originally built as a Hindu temple dedicated to the God Vishnu it later became a Buddhist site.