Angkor Wat

This is a Theravada Buddhist temple complex & the largest religious complex in the world. It means “Temple City” or “City of Temples” in the Khmer language. It is located on a site measuring 162.6 hectares (401.8 acres; 1.6 km squared) within the ancient capital of Angkor. It was built between 1113 & 1150 during the reign of the Khmer King Suryavarman II. It originally was dedicated to the Hindu god, Vishnu.

From the late 13th century forward, the complex was/is a Buddhist temple & has remained an active center of Buddhist worship for centuries, specifically Theravada Buddhism. It’s a national symbol of Cambodia & shows up on the Cambodian flag. It’s also a UNESCO World Heritage Site, in 1992.

The temple’s architecture is a literal map of the Hindu universe. It’s commonly interpreted as a symbolic representation of Mount Meru. The 5 central towers represent the peaks of Mount Meru, the home of gods. While the massive moat represents the cosmic ocean surrounding the world.

Most Khmer temples face east. Angkor Wat faces the opposite way: west. In Hindu iconography, west is the direction associated with Vishnu. But it’s also the direction of the setting sun & death.

By the end of the 12th century, King Jayavarman VII was at the helm. Angkor Wat was then dedicated to Buddhism. Because the queen, Indradevi, was a devout Mahayana Buddhist. She encouraged the king to convert.

In the 20th century, a considerable effort was launched to clear the plant overgrowth & restore the Temple following centuries of disrepair. Conservation d’Angkor (Angkor Conservancy) was established by the Ecole Francaise d’Extreme-Orient (EFEO) in 1908. This organization was disbanded in 1975.

The Conservation d’Angkor was responsible for the research, conservation, & restoration carried out at Angkor until the early 1970s. Major restoration works were undertaken in the 1960s.

Cambodia gained independence from France on November 9, 1853 & has controlled the Angkor Wat site ever since.

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