Angkor Wat
The principal temple of Angkor is the mighty Angkor Wat. Many have seen pictures
of the temple in magazines and on websites but trust us - nothing prepares you for
the real thing! Angkor Wat was built in the early 12th century by King Suryavarman
II. The King intended the temple to be used as his tomb and was built in dedication
to Vishnu, the supreme god of Hinduism.
The main structure, surrounded with a thick retaining wall and an imposing moat,
contains three storeys of libraries, galleries, towers and a grand statue of Vishnu.
The temple walls are covered in carved scenes depicting the king’s great battle
victories, pictures of Hindu deities and images of mythological events. Angkor Wat
portrays the idea behind Hindu cosmology with the central towers portraying Mount
Meru, the home of the gods. The outer walls represent the mountains surrounding
the earth and the moat represents the oceans beyond these.
It is very hard to comprehend the size of Angkor Wat without seeing its beauty yourself.
With walls nearly half a mile long on each side it really is the very grandest way
to pay homage to the Hindu gods.
The three main towers of Angkor Wat are featured on the Cambodian flag.