ANGKOR WAT

Fast Facts:

Located 310 km northwest from Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia
Constructed in the 12th century over 30 years, from 879 to 1191 AD
First discovered by French in 1860
Highest achievement of Khmer architecture
Covers an area of 1,500 by 1,300 m

Angkor Wat, is a temple dedicated to the Hindu god Vishnu and is one of the most beautiful historical sites in the world. It is located over 192 miles northwest off Cambodia's capital Phnom Penh. The temples of Angkor were buitlt during the reign of King Suryavarman II from 879 - 1191AD, when the Khmer civilization was at the height of its development.

Angkor was the great Capital City of the Khmer Empire from the city's founding in AD 880 until about 1225. Angkor Wat has been sheltered from tourists and visitors for many years, causing it to be well-preserved and totally isolated from the Western World. Large, thick jungles covered the area. French missionaries first discovered it in 1860.

Angkor Wat is the highest achievement of Khmer temple architecture. The temple is a huge pyramid structure. The compound at Angkor Wat covers an area of 1,500 by 1,300 m (4,920 by 4,265 ft) and is surrounded by a vast moat 180 m (590 ft) wide. The temple consists of a towering complex of terraces and small buildings that are arranged in a series of three diminishing stories and surmounted by five towers. The roofed and unroofed structures are covered with bands of finely carved stone sculptures. The walls are covered with carved reliefs that illustrate Hindu mythology, principally scenes relating to the god Vishnu, to whom the temple was dedicated. The "mass of bas-relief carving is of the highest quality and the most beautifully executed in Angkor." All the temple mountains of Angkor were filled with three-dimensional images and every inch of the walls is covered by sculptures.

With the decline of the Ancient Khmer Empire, Angkor Wat was turned into a Buddhist Temple and was continuously
maintained, which helped its preservation.