Built from 802 to 1220 AD by the Khmer civilization, the temples
at Angkor represent one of the most enduring and astonishing
architectural achievements of humankind. The more than 100 stone
structures that we see today are the surviving remnants of a grand
administrative, religious, and social metropolis. The other
buildings (public buildings, palaces, homes, etc.) were actually
built from wood and do not exist anymore.
Conventional theories assume that the land where Angkor is
located was chosen as the settlement spot due to its strategic
position for military purposes, as well as its agricultural
potential. However, other scholars think that the location and the
arrangement of Angkor was based on planet-spanning sacred land from
archaic periods.
Angkor Wat was built early in 1100s by Suryavarman over an
estimated 30 years and honors Vishnu, the Hindu god. The ruins are
a symbolic structure of Hindu cosmology. This is actually the
biggest monument in the group, as well as the best preserved. The
wonder is located about 4 miles to the north of Siem Reap and south
of Angkor Thom, and Angkor Wat is only accessible from its gate to
the west.
Angkor Wat consists of a huge temple that symbolizes Mt. Meru, a
mythic mountain, and its 5 walls and moats are a representation of
mountainous chains, as well as the cosmic ocean. This temple was a
funerary temple built for King Suryavarman II. The vast compound’s
short dimensions are aligned precisely along the north-south axis,
and the east to west axis was diverted deliberately 0.75° to give
its observers an anticipation of the equinox in spring for 3
days.
