Angkor Wat, Cambodia
Angkor Wat, Kampuchea, Cambodia
North of Kampuchea’s Tonle Sap (roughly translated as the great lake) one finds the temple ruins of Angkor. The huge temples in this region were built over a period of 300 years and the prominent Wat (temple) of Angkor of considered one of the world’s most magnificent architectural achievements and spiritual centers. Built between 1112 and 1115 AD, Angkor Wat is 850 meter by 1000 meter in area.
There are over 100 temples remaining in the area mark the legacy of a huge ancient metropolis. In 1431 the site was attacked and the residents defeated by Siam (now Thailand). The abandoned city of Angkor Wat was claimed by the jungle and lost for several centuries until it was discovered by wandering Buddhist monks. The monks knew nothing of the original builders and based on the sacred nature of the site they invented fables that the city had been built by the gods.
The mystic city of the gods drew pilgrims, explorers and scholars from as far as Europe. Whilst the temples have fallen into some disrepair at Angkor Wat remains an important Buddhist pilgrimage focus.
