The sprawling complex of Angkor was first founded by King Jayavarman II, who proclaimed himself the “universal monarch” during his reign from 802 to 850 CE. It was this powerful ruler who consolidated his kingdom and initiated large building projects for his new capital. Although few of his original buildings survive, it was Jayavarman II who put the unique stamp on Khmer religion and renamed the country “Kambuja,” an early version of “Kampuchea,” or “Cambodia.”
The Magnificent Angkor Wat in Northwestern Cambodia
Built over a 30-year period with sandstone and laterite (a dense, porous, ironbearing soil that can be quarried like stone), the rectangular structure (2,800 by 3,800 feet) faces west, in Hindu belief the direction taken by the dead when going to their next life. In what is regarded as the world’s largest temple complex, successive kings added their own monuments in and around Angkor.
Covering more than 135 square miles (220 sq. km), Angkor is a patchwork of sandstone temples, chapels, causeways, terraces and reservoirs. Adorning the temple walls are thousands of carvings depicting battles between gods, sensual dancing women, royal processions with kings riding elephants, and many scenes from classical Hindu mythology. Basically, each complex was built for and commemorates the god-king who commissioned its construction. Each temple complex of Angkor acted as the king’s capital during his lifetime — then his tomb upon death.
At the center of the complex stands a temple with five lotus-shaped towers, a larger central tower, and four smaller surrounding towers. They represent the five peaks of Mount Meru, the mountain where a pantheon of Hindu gods reside and from which, according to Hindu belief, all creation comes. Three square terraces surrounds the central tower. The entire complex is surrounded by a moat more than three miles long and rimmed by a causeway that leads to four gateways into the temple complex. Decorating the causeway are carvings that depict divine serpents, known as nagas.
Angkor Wat was taken by the Cham army from northern Cambodia in 1177, after which the complex began to fall into ruin. It was reclaimed, but not inhabited, in 1181. Pillaged by Thai invaders in the fifteenth century, the ruins were somewhat refurbished and expanded by later rulers of Cambodia. Angkor Wat was intermittently inhabited by Buddhist monks, and the former Hindu temple subsequently became a destination for Buddhist pilgrims from all over the world.
Sources :
The Gale Encyclopedia of the Unusual and Unexplained Vol.2; Sacred Places Around The World : 108 Destinations by Brad Olsen
Pic Source : Sacred Places Around The World : 108 Destinations by Brad Olsen page 107
The Magnificent Angkor Wat in Northwestern CambodiaBuilt over a 30-year period with sandstone and laterite (a dense, porous, ironbearing soil that can be quarried like stone), the rectangular structure (2,800 by 3,800 feet) faces west, in Hindu belief the direction taken by the dead when going to their next life. In what is regarded as the world’s largest temple complex, successive kings added their own monuments in and around Angkor.
Covering more than 135 square miles (220 sq. km), Angkor is a patchwork of sandstone temples, chapels, causeways, terraces and reservoirs. Adorning the temple walls are thousands of carvings depicting battles between gods, sensual dancing women, royal processions with kings riding elephants, and many scenes from classical Hindu mythology. Basically, each complex was built for and commemorates the god-king who commissioned its construction. Each temple complex of Angkor acted as the king’s capital during his lifetime — then his tomb upon death.
At the center of the complex stands a temple with five lotus-shaped towers, a larger central tower, and four smaller surrounding towers. They represent the five peaks of Mount Meru, the mountain where a pantheon of Hindu gods reside and from which, according to Hindu belief, all creation comes. Three square terraces surrounds the central tower. The entire complex is surrounded by a moat more than three miles long and rimmed by a causeway that leads to four gateways into the temple complex. Decorating the causeway are carvings that depict divine serpents, known as nagas.
Angkor Wat was taken by the Cham army from northern Cambodia in 1177, after which the complex began to fall into ruin. It was reclaimed, but not inhabited, in 1181. Pillaged by Thai invaders in the fifteenth century, the ruins were somewhat refurbished and expanded by later rulers of Cambodia. Angkor Wat was intermittently inhabited by Buddhist monks, and the former Hindu temple subsequently became a destination for Buddhist pilgrims from all over the world.
Sources :
The Gale Encyclopedia of the Unusual and Unexplained Vol.2; Sacred Places Around The World : 108 Destinations by Brad Olsen
Pic Source : Sacred Places Around The World : 108 Destinations by Brad Olsen page 107
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