Angkor
Wat (Khmer: អង្គរវត្ត or "Capital Temple") is
an Indianized temple complex
in Cambodia and the largest
religious monument in the world, with the site measuring 162.6 hectares
(1,626,000 m2; 402 acres).[1] It was
originally constructed as a Hindu temple of god Vishnu for the Khmer Empire, gradually
transforming into a Buddhist temple towards
the end of the 12th century. It was built by the Khmer King Suryavarman II in the early
12th century in Yaśodharapura (Khmer: យសោធរបុរៈ, present-day Angkor), the capital of the Khmer Empire, as his state temple
and eventual mausoleum. Breaking from the Shaivatradition of previous kings, Angkor Wat was
instead dedicated to Vishnu. As the
best-preserved temple at the site, it is the only one to have remained a
significant religious centre since its foundation. The temple is at the top of
the high classical style of Khmer architecture. It has become a
symbol of Cambodia, appearing
on its national flag, and it is the
country's prime attraction for visitors.
Angkor Wat combines two basic plans of Khmer temple
architecture: the temple-mountain and the later galleried temple. It is designed to represent Mount
Meru, home of the devas in Hindu mythology: within
a moat and
an outer wall 3.6 kilometres (2.2 mi) long are three rectangular
galleries, each raised above the next. At the centre of the temple stands
a quincunx of
towers. Unlike most Angkorian temples, Angkor Wat is oriented to the west;
scholars are divided as to the significance of this. The temple is admired for
the grandeur and harmony of the architecture, its extensive bas-reliefs,
and for the numerous devatas adorning
its walls.