Angkor Wat - Angkor, Cambodia
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denben
N 13° 24.748 E 103° 51.939
48P E 377188 N 1483031
The principal temple of the Angkorian region, Angkor Wat, was built between 1113 and 1150 under King Suryavarman II.
Waymark Code: WMFVKD
Location: Cambodia
Date Posted: 12/04/2012
Views: 17
Angkor Wat is visually, architecturally and artistically breathtaking. It is a massive three-tiered pyramid crowned by five lotus-like towers rising 65 meters from ground level. Angkor Wat is the centerpiece of any visit to the temples of Angkor.
At the apex of Khmer political and military dominance in the region, Suryavarman II constructed Angkor Wat in the form of a massive "temple-mountain" dedicated to the Hindu god, Vishnu. It served as his state temple, though the temple’s uncommon westward orientation has led some to suggest that it was constructed as Suryavarman II’s funerary temple.
The temple is surrounded by a moat and an exterior wall measuring 1300 meters x 1500 meters. Angkor Wat itself is 1 km square and consists of three levels surmounted by a central tower. The walls of the temple are covered inside and out with bas-reliefs and carvings. Nearly 2000 distinctively rendered apsara carvings adorn the walls throughout the temple and represent some of the finest examples of apsara carvings in Angkorian era art. But it is the exterior walls of the lower level that display the most extraordinary bas-reliefs, depicting stories and characters from Hindu mythology and the historical wars of Suryavarman II. It is in the viewing of the bas-reliefs that a tour guide can be very helpful.
Angkor Wat is the main tourist attraction in Cambodia. It has become a symbol of the country, appearing on its national flag.
Admission fees: Passes are sold in one-day ($20), three-day ($40) and seven-day ($60) blocks. 1 US$ = 4,048 riels.
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