Angkor Wat

Angkor Wat is the largest religious monument in the world, originally constructed as a Hindu temple dedicated to Vishnu and later converted to Buddhist use. [1][3]

Built by King Suryavarman II in the early 12th century CE, Angkor Wat served as the state temple and capital of the Khmer Empire. By the late 13th century, the site had transitioned to Theravada Buddhist use. [1][2]

The temple's architecture represents Mount Meru, the cosmic mountain in Hindu and Buddhist cosmology. Its bas-reliefs depict scenes from Hindu epics including the Ramayana and Mahabharata. [1][2]

Angkor Wat is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and Cambodia's most visited tourist destination, receiving over 2 million visitors annually before 2020. [3][4]

Angkor Wat functions today both as an active Buddhist temple and as Cambodia's preeminent heritage destination, drawing monks, local worshippers, and large numbers of international visitors. Sunrise over the western entrance causeway, aligned with the temple's main axis, is a focal point of the visit. [1][3]

The temple is laid out as a vast quincunx of towers rising from concentric galleries within a moat more than five kilometers in perimeter, its silhouette evoking Mount Meru, the cosmic mountain of Hindu and Buddhist cosmology. Its galleries carry extensive bas-reliefs depicting episodes from the Ramayana and Mahabharata alongside scenes of Khmer history. [1][2]

Built under Suryavarman II in the early twelfth century as a Hindu temple to Vishnu, Angkor Wat was gradually adapted to Theravada Buddhist use as the religious landscape of the Khmer world shifted. It remains a national symbol, appearing on the flag of Cambodia, a country that is today overwhelmingly Theravada Buddhist. [1][2][3][4]