Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
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Angkor Wat
The traveller's first glimpse of Angkor Wat, the ultimate expression of Khmer genius, is
simply staggering and is matched by only a few select spots on earth such as Machu Pic-
chu or Petra.
Angkor is, quite literally, heaven on earth: it is the earthly representation of Mt Meru,
the Mt Olympus of the Hindu faith and the abode of ancient gods. It's the perfect fusion of
creative ambition and spiritual devotion. The Cambodian 'god-kings' of old each strove to
better their ancestors in size, scale and symmetry, culminating in the world's largest reli-
gious building, Angkor Wat.
Angkor Wat is the heart and soul of Cambodia. It is the Khmers' national symbol, the
epicentre of their civilisation and a source of fierce national pride. Unlike the other
Angkor monuments, it was never abandoned to the elements and has been in virtually
continuous use since it was built.
The temple is surrounded by a moat, 190m wide, which forms a giant rectangle measur-
ing 1.5km by 1.3km. Stretching around the outside of the central temple complex is an
800m-long series of bas-reliefs, designed to be viewed in an anticlockwise direction.
Rising 31m above the third level is the central tower, which gives the whole ensemble its
sublime unity.
Angkor Wat was built by Suryavarman II (r 1113-52), who unified Cambodia and ex-
tended Khmer influence across much of mainland Southeast Asia. He also set himself
apart religiously from earlier kings by his devotion to the Hindu deity Vishnu, to whom he
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