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Buildings and Structures

Angkor Wat

Religious and Sacred Buildings

Angkor Wat is a Vaishnava Hindu and Theravada Buddhist temple complex in Siem Reap, Cambodia, and the largest religious complex in the world, covering a site of 162.6 hectares within the ancient Khmer capital of Angkor. It was built between 1113 and 1150 CE under the reign of King Suryavarman II as a Hindu temple dedicated to Vishnu, and from the late thirteenth century it was gradually transformed into a Buddhist temple, remaining an active center of Buddhist worship ever since. Unlike most other Angkorian temples it is oriented toward the west, and it is renowned for its monumental scale, extensive bas reliefs and architectural unity, qualities that have made it a national symbol of Cambodia and the central image on the Cambodian flag.

Facts
Building Type
Temple Complex 1
Location
Siem Reap, Cambodia 1
Completed Year
1150 1
Construction spanned 1113 to 1150 under the reign of Khmer king Suryavarman II.
Completed Year
1200 2
Completed Year
802 2
Height (m)
65 1
Height of the tower above the central shrine, measured from ground level; the tower itself rises 43 meters above its own base.
Classification
Standing Status
Standing 1
Building Type
Building Type (category)
Temple / Shrine 2
FAQs

Why does Angkor Wat face west when most Khmer temples face east?

Unlike most Khmer temples it faces west; scholars have hypothesized a funerary purpose for Suryavarman.

Unlike most Khmer temples, Angkor Wat is oriented to the west rather than the east. Scholars including Maurice Glaize and George Coedès have hypothesized that Suryavarman intended it to serve as his funerary temple. This is a hypothesis about his intent, not a settled fact.
Connections

Associated With

Completion of Angkor Wat, Milestones

Has Building Type

Temple, Concepts

In Style

Khmer Architecture, Styles and Movements

The largest religious monument in the world, the defining masterwork of Khmer architecture.

Uses Element

Sandstone, Architectural Materials

Built almost entirely of sandstone blocks quarried from the Kulen hills and floated to the site by canal.

In the Other Atlases

Located In

Cambodia

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is located.

Sources
1. Wikipedia: Angkor Wat
Wikipedia
  • Lead section
    Angkor Wat (; Khmer: អង្គរវត្ត, 'City/Capital of Temples') is a Theravada Buddhist temple complex, originally built as a Vaishnava Hindu temple, in Siem Reap, Cambodia. It is the largest religious complex in the world.
  • Lead paragraph, sentence on construction dates 1113 to 1150 CE
    it was constructed between 1113 and 1150 CE during the reign of the Khmer king Suryavarman II
  • Architecture section, sentence giving central tower height of 65 meters above ground
    The tower above the central shrine rises 43 m (141 ft) to a height of 65 m (213 ft) above the ground
  • Architecture
    Angkor Wat is a Buddhist temple complex. Located on a site measuring 162.6 ha (1,626,000 m2; 402 acres) within the ancient Khmer capital city of Angkor, it is considered as the largest religious structure in the world by Guinness World Records.
View the Source
2. Wikidata: Angkor Wat
  • Wikidata Q43473, class allow-list match (w-wdresolver-0926)
  • Wikidata Q43473, P571 claim (w-bbfill-artsarchag-0926)
View the Source
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