Angkor Wat

The temple

Angkor Wat was built as a Hindu temple for Vishnu

Angkor Wat was commissioned by the Khmer king Suryavarman II in the early 12th century as the king's state temple. It was dedicated to the Hindu god Vishnu and is generally considered to have been intended as his mausoleum.

Facing west

Most Angkor temples face east, but this one faces west

Unlike most Angkorian temples, it is oriented toward the west. The layout is commonly interpreted as a symbolic representation of Mount Meru, and the whole complex is surrounded by a broad moat.

162.6 hectaresthe size of the site within the medieval capital of Angkor

A new faith

Hindu sculptures were replaced as the temple became Buddhist

In 1178 Angkor was sacked by the Chams. Jayavarman VII then restored the empire and set up a new capital at Angkor Thom. Angkor Wat was gradually converted into a Buddhist site, with many Hindu sculptures replaced by Buddhist art.

Not abandoned

It was largely neglected after the 16th century but never abandoned

Angkor Wat is unusual among the Angkor temples in that, although it was largely neglected after the 16th century, it was never completely abandoned. Fourteen inscriptions from the 17th century tell of Japanese Buddhist pilgrims settling beside Khmer locals.

Fourteeninscriptions from the 17th century mention Japanese pilgrims

Rediscovery

A friar saw it in 1586, and Henri Mouhot wrote of it in 1860

One of the first recorded visitors was a Capuchin friar who explored the ruins in 1586. In 1860 the temple was effectively rediscovered by the French naturalist Henri Mouhot, who popularised the site in the West through his travel notes.