View source for Angkor Wat

{{Short description|Temple complex in Cambodia}}
 
{{For2|the band|Angkor Wat (band)|the Yes song|Union (Yes album)}}
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{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2024}}
{{Use British English|date=March 2017}}
{{Infobox ancient site
| native_name      ={{lang|km|អង្គរវត្ត}} <br/> ângkôrvôtt
| image            =[[File:20171126 Angkor Wat 4712 DxO.jpg|270px]]
| alt               =
| caption          =Front side of the main complex
| map_type         =Cambodia
| map_caption      =Location in Cambodia
| coordinates      ={{coord|13|24|45|N|103|52|0|E|type:landmark_region:KH|display=inline,title}}
| location         =[[Siem Reap]], Cambodia
| altitude_m       =65
| architectural_styles=[[Khmer architecture|Khmer]]
| built            =1150
| builder          = [[Suryavarman II]]
| cultures         =[[Khmer Empire]]
| website           =
| embedded         ={{designation list |embed=yes
   |designation1=WHS
   |designation1_offname=Angkor
   |designation1_type=Cultural
   |designation1_criteria=i, ii, iii, iv
   |designation1_number=[https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/668 668]
   |designation1_date=1992 {{small|(16th [[World Heritage Committee|session]])}}
   |designation1_free1name=Region
   |designation1_free1value=[[List of World Heritage Sites in Asia|Asia and the Pacific]]
}}
}}

'''Angkor Wat''' ({{IPAc-en|ˌ|æ|ŋ|k|ɔːr|_|ˈ|w|ɒ|t}}; {{langx|km|អង្គរវត្ត}}, "City/Capital of [[Wat|Temples]]") is a [[Buddhism and Hinduism|Hindu-Buddhist]] temple complex in [[Cambodia]]. Located on a site measuring {{convert|162.6|ha|km2 acre|1}} within the ancient [[Khmer Empire|Khmer]] capital city of [[Angkor]], it was originally constructed in 1150 CE as a [[Hindu temple]] dedicated to the deity [[Vishnu]]. It was later gradually transformed into a [[Buddhist temple]] towards the end of the century. One of the [[List of largest Hindu temples|largest religious structures in the world]], it is regarded as one of the best examples of Khmer architecture and a symbol of Cambodia, depicted as a part of the [[Flag of Cambodia|Cambodian national flag]].

Angkor Wat was built at the behest of the Khmer king [[Suryavarman II]] in the early 12th century in [[Yaśodharapura]] (present-day Angkor), the capital of the Khmer Empire, as his state temple and eventual mausoleum. Angkor Wat combines two basic plans of Khmer temple architecture: the [[Khmer architecture#Temple mountain|temple-mountain]] and the later [[Khmer architecture#Gallery|galleried temple]]. It is designed to represent [[Mount Meru]], home of the [[Deva (Hinduism)|devas]] in [[Hindu mythology]] and is surrounded by a [[moat]] more than {{cvt|5|km}}. Enclosed within an outer wall {{convert|3.6|km|mi|1}} long are three rectangular galleries, each raised above the next. At the centre of the temple stands a [[quincunx]] of towers. Unlike most Angkorian temples, Angkor Wat is oriented to the west with scholars divided as to the significance of this. 

The temple complex fell into disuse before being restored in the 20th century with various international agencies involved in the project. The temple is admired for the grandeur and harmony of the architecture, its extensive [[Relief#Bas-relief or low relief|bas-reliefs]] and [[devata]]s adorning its walls. The Angkor area was designated as a [[UNESCO]] [[World Heritage Site]] in 1992. The Angkor Wat is a major tourist attraction and attracts more than 2.5 million visitors every year.

== Etymology==
The modern name ''Angkor Wat'', means "Temple City" or "City of Temples" in [[Khmer language]].<ref>{{cite book|title=Khmer dictionary|publisher=Buddhist institute of Cambodia|page=1424|year=2007}}</ref> ''Angkor'' ({{lang|km|អង្គរ}} {{transliteration|km|ângkôr}}), meaning "city" or "capital city", is a vernacular form of the word ''nokor'' ({{lang|km|នគរ}} {{transliteration|km|nôkôr}}), which comes from the [[Sanskrit]]/[[Pali]] word ''nagara'' ([[Devanāgarī]]: नगर).<ref>{{cite book|title=Khmer Dictionary|first=Chuon|last=Nath|year=1966|publisher=Buddhist Institute|location=[[Phnom Penh]]}}</ref> ''[[Wat]]'' ({{lang|km|វត្ត}} {{transliteration|km|vôtt}}) is the word for "temple grounds", also derived from Sanskrit/Pali ''vāṭa'' ([[Devanāgarī]]: वाट), meaning "enclosure".<ref>{{cite book|title=Cambodian-English Dictionary|author1=Robert K. Headley|author2=Kylin Chhor|author3=Lam Kheng Lim|author4=Lim Hak Kheang|author5=Chen Chun|year=1977|publisher=Catholic University Press}}</ref> The original name of the temple was ''Vrah Viṣṇuloka'' or ''Parama Viṣṇuloka'' meaning "the sacred dwelling of Vishnu".<ref name="Falser">{{cite book|last=Falser|first=Michael|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wjrEDwAAQBAJ&q=Vrah+Visnuloka+Parama+Visnuloka&pg=PA12|title=Angkor Wat – A Transcultural History of Heritage: Volume 1: Angkor in France. From Plaster Casts to Exhibition Pavilions. Volume 2: Angkor in Cambodia. From Jungle Find to Global Icon|date=16 December 2019|publisher=Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co KG|isbn=978-3-11033-584-2|page=12|access-date=8 November 2020|archive-date=31 October 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231031080402/https://books.google.com/books?id=wjrEDwAAQBAJ&q=Vrah+Visnuloka+Parama+Visnuloka&pg=PA12#v=onepage&q=Vrah%20Visnuloka%20Parama%20Visnuloka&f=false|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Apsara">{{cite web|title=Angkor Wat|url=https://apsaraauthority.gov.kh/2021/06/14/angkor-wat/|access-date=7 February 2024|work=Apsara, [[Government of Cambodia]]|date=13 June 2021 }}</ref> The term might also mean "The king who has gone to the supreme world of Vishnu", referring to Suryavarman II posthumously and intended to venerate his glory and memory.<ref name="Falser"/>

== History==
=== Construction===
Angkor Wat was commissioned by the [[Khmer Empire|Khmer]] king [[Suryavarman II]] (ruled 1113–{{circa|1150}}) in the early 12th century in [[Yaśodharapura]] (present-day Angkor), the capital of the Khmer Empire. The construction of the temple commenced in 1122 CE and was completed in 1150 CE.<ref name="Ancient Southeast Asia">{{cite book |last1=Miksic |first1=John |last2=Yian |first2=Goh |title=Ancient Southeast Asia |date=14 October 2016 |publisher=Routledge |page=378 |isbn=978-1-31727-904-4 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zjklDwAAQBAJ&dq=suryavarman+chola+mother&pg=PA376 |access-date=4 July 2022 |archive-date=11 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230411141146/https://books.google.com/books?id=zjklDwAAQBAJ&dq=suryavarman+chola+mother&pg=PA376 |url-status=live }}</ref> The temple complex was constructed on the suggestion of Divākarapaṇḍita (1040–{{circa|1120}}).<ref>{{cite encyclopedia|title=Divākarapaṇḍita|encyclopedia=Encyclopedia Britannica|access-date=19 March 2022|url=https://www.britannica.com/biography/Divakarapandita}}</ref> The temple was dedicated to [[Hindu]] god [[Vishnu]] and the original religious motifs were derived from [[Hinduism]].<ref name="Brit">{{cite encyclopedia|title=Angkor Wat {{!}} Description, Location, History, Restoration, & Facts|url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/Angkor-Wat|access-date=7 February 2021|encyclopedia=Encyclopedia Britannica|archive-date=10 August 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230810081546/https://www.britannica.com/topic/Angkor-Wat|url-status=live}}</ref> It was built as the king's state temple in the capital city. As there are no foundation [[Stele|stela]] or any contemporary inscriptions referring to the temple's name that have been found, its original name is unknown and it may have been known as ''Vrah Viṣṇuloka'' after the presiding deity.<ref name="Falser"/> The work on the temple ceased after the king's death, leaving some of the [[Relief#Bas-relief or low relief|bas-relief]] decoration unfinished.<ref name="Ohio">{{cite web |url=http://huntingtonarchive.osu.edu/seasia/angkor.html |title=Angkor Wat, 1113–1150 |access-date=27 April 2008 |publisher=College of the Arts, The Ohio State University |work=The Huntington Archive of Buddhist and Related Art |archive-date=6 January 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060106041557/http://huntingtonarchive.osu.edu/seasia/angkor.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

=== Buddhist temple===
In 1177, approximately 27 years after the death of Suryavarman II, Angkor was sacked by the [[Champa|Chams]], the traditional enemies of the Khmer.<ref>{{cite book|last= Coedès|first= George|author-link= George Coedès|editor= Walter F. Vella|others= trans.Susan Brown Cowing|title= The Indianized States of Southeast Asia|date= 1968|publisher= University of Hawaii Press|isbn= 978-0-8248-0368-1 |page=164}}</ref> Thereafter, the Khmer empire was restored by [[Jayavarman VII]], who established a new capital at [[Angkor Thom]] and the [[Bayon]] as the state temple, situated to the north. The temple was dedicated to [[Buddhism]] as the king's wife [[Indradevi]] was a devout [[Mahayana Buddhism|Mahayana Buddhist]] who encouraged him to convert. Angkor Wat was therefore also gradually converted into a Buddhist site with many Hindu sculptures replaced by Buddhist art.<ref name="Brit"/><ref>{{cite book|title=Atlas of the World's Religions|page=93|publisher=Oxford university press|year=2007|isbn=978-0-19533-401-2}}</ref><ref name="cyark">{{cite web|url=http://www.cyark.org/news/recycling-monuments-the-hinduismbuddhism-switch-at-angkor|title=Recycling Monuments: The Hinduism/Buddhism Switch at Angkor|author=Ashley M. Richter|date=8 September 2009|publisher=[[CyArk]]|access-date=7 June 2015|archive-date=30 June 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190630094240/https://www.cyark.org/news/recycling-monuments-the-hinduismbuddhism-switch-at-angkor|url-status=live}}</ref>

After the transformation from a Hindu centre of worship to Buddhism towards the end of the 12th century, Angkor Wat continues to be a Buddhist center till the present day.<ref name="cyark"/> Historical records show that Chinese envoy [[Zhou Daguan]] and traveller [[Zheng He]] visited the Angkor Wat in the 13–14th centuries. Zheng He studied the temple architecture which was later incorporated in the Dabaoen Temple and Glazed Pagoda.<ref>{{cite report|url=https://www.iseas.edu.sg/wp-content/uploads/pdfs/ISEAS_Perspective_2017_48.pdf|title=Cambodia Embraces China's Belt and Road Initiative|author=Vannarith Chheang|year=2018}}</ref> Angkor Wat is unusual among the Angkor temples in that although it was largely neglected after the 16th century, it was never completely abandoned.{{sfn|Glaize|1944|p=59}} Fourteen inscriptions dated from the 17th century, discovered in the Angkor area, state that [[Japanese people|Japanese]] Buddhist pilgrims had established small settlements alongside Khmer locals.<ref>{{cite web |title=Japanese Diaspora – Cambodia |author1=Masako Fukawa |author2=Stan Fukawa |date=6 November 2014 |work=Discover Nikkei |url=http://www.discovernikkei.org/en/journal/2014/11/6/japanese-diaspora-cambodia/ |access-date=18 October 2015 |archive-date=15 May 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200515040929/http://www.discovernikkei.org/en/journal/2014/11/6/japanese-diaspora-cambodia/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The inscription also tells of [[Ukondayu Kazufusa]], who celebrated the [[Khmer New Year]] at Angkor Wat in 1632.<ref>{{cite web |title=History of Cambodia, Post-Angkor Era (1431 – present day) |work=Cambodia Travel |url=http://www.cambodia-travel.com/khmer/post-angkor.htm |access-date=18 October 2015 |archive-date=11 September 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190911082903/http://www.cambodia-travel.com/khmer/post-angkor.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref>

=== European rediscovery ===
[[File:Angkor1866.jpg|thumb|Photograph of Angkor Wat by [[Emile Gsell]], c. 1866]]
[[File:View of the West Entrance of Angkor Wat by Delaporte 1873.jpg|thumb|View of the West Entrance of Angkor Wat by Delaporte 1873]]
In the 16th century, Portuguese traders and missionaries discovered a vast stone city hidden in the northern Cambodian forests, abandoned for over 150 years. This city contained temples, including Angkor Wat—the largest religious monument—which dominated the site. One of the first recorded visitors was António da Madalena, a [[Capuchin friar]] who explored the ruins in 1586. Three years later, he relayed his observations to Diogo do Couto, the official historian of the Portuguese Indies. Do Couto documented the friar’s account in his historical writings as follows:{{sfn|Higham|2001|p=1}}

{{Quote|text=Half a league from this city is a temple called Angar. It is of such extraordinary construction that it is not possible to describe it with a pen, particularly since it is like no other building in the world. It has towers and decoration and all the refinements which the human genius can conceive of. There are many smaller towers of similar style, in the same stone, which are gilded. The temple is surrounded by a moat, and access is by a single bridge, protected by two stone tigers so grand and fearsome as to strike terror into the visitor.|author=Diogo do Couto}}

In 1860, the temple was effectively rediscovered by French naturalist and explorer [[Henri Mouhot]] with the help of French missionary Father Charles-Émile Bouillevaux. Mouhot popularised the site in the West through the publication of travel notes, in which he wrote:{{cquote|One of these temples, a rival to  [[Solomon's Temple|that of Solomon]], and erected by some ancient [[Michelangelo]], might take an honorable place beside our most beautiful buildings. It is grander than anything left to us by [[Ancient Greece|Greece]] or [[Ancient Rome|Rome]], and presents a sad contrast to the state of barbarism in which the nation is now plunged.<ref>{{cite report|url=http://www.cambodianview.com/documents/articles/Brief_Presentation.pdf|title=Brief Presentation by Venerable Vodano Sophan Seng|author=Sophan Seng|access-date=23 August 2006}}</ref>}}

[[File:AngkorWat_Delaporte1880.jpg|thumb|Sketch of Angkor Wat, a drawing by [[Louis Delaporte]], c. 1880]]

Mouhot's work was published posthumously in 1864 through the [[Royal Geographical Society]] with descriptions of Angkor under the title ''Travels in the Central Parts of Indo-China, Siam, Cambodia and Laos''. In 1861, German anthropologist [[Adolf Bastian]] undertook a four-year trip to [[Southeast Asia]] and his account of this trip titled ''The People of East Asia,'' ran to six volumes and was published in 1868. The books detailed the Angkor monuments but lacked drawings of the Angkorian sites.<ref>{{cite news |date=19 January 2014 |title=Das Geheimnis von Angkor Wat |language=de-DE |work=Der Tagesspiegel Online |url=https://www.tagesspiegel.de/gesellschaft/kambodscha-das-geheimnis-von-angkor-wat/9349890.html |access-date=17 March 2022 |issn=1865-2263 |archive-date=17 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220317024527/https://www.tagesspiegel.de/gesellschaft/kambodscha-das-geheimnis-von-angkor-wat/9349890.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

France adopted Cambodia as a [[protectorate]] on 11 August 1863 partly due to the artistic legacy of Angkor Wat and other Khmer monuments in the Angkor region and invaded [[Rattanakosin Kingdom (1782–1932)|Siam]]. This quickly led to Cambodia reclaiming lands in the northwestern corner of the country including [[Siem Reap]], [[Battambang]], and [[Sisophon]] which were under Siamese rule from 1795 to 1907.<ref>{{cite book|author=Penny Edwards|year=2007|title=Cambodge: The Cultivation of a Nation, 1860–1945|publisher=University of Hawaii Press |isbn=978-0-8248-2923-0}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|author=Karnjanatawe, K.|date=26 November 2015|title=Sights of Sa Kaeo|work=Bangkok Post|access-date=5 April 2022|url=https://www.bangkokpost.com/travel/777225/see-the-sights-of-sa-kaeo}}</ref> Following excavations at the site, there were no ordinary dwellings or houses or other signs of settlement such as cooking utensils, weapons, or items of clothing usually found at ancient sites.<ref name="Southeast Asia">{{cite book|title=Time Life Lost Civilizations series: Southeast Asia: A Past Regained|year=1995|publisher=Time Life|isbn=978-0-80949-112-4|pages=67–99}}</ref>

=== Restoration and challenges ===
In the 20th century, a considerable effort was launched to clear the plant overgrowth and restore the temple complex. Conservation d'Angkor (Angkor Conservancy) was established by the [[École française d'Extrême-Orient]] (EFEO) in 1908.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wmf.org/sites/default/files/wmf_publication/Considerations_for_the_Conservation_and_Preservation_of_the_Historic_City_of_Angkor_Report_I.pdf |title=Considerations for the Conservation and Presentation of the. Historic City of Angkor |work=World Monuments Fund |page=65 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110516174411/http://www.wmf.org/sites/default/files/wmf_publication/Considerations_for_the_Conservation_and_Preservation_of_the_Historic_City_of_Angkor_Report_I.pdf |archive-date=16 May 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.efeo.fr/base.php?code=217 |title=The Siem Reap Centre, Cambodia |publisher=EFEO |access-date=9 July 2015 |archive-date=10 July 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150710001549/http://www.efeo.fr/base.php?code=217 |url-status=live }}</ref> The Conservation d'Angkor was responsible for the research, conservation, and restoration activities carried out at Angkor until the early 1970s with major restoration works undertaken in the 1960s.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.autoriteapsara.org/en/angkor/history/conservation.html |title=The Modern Period: The creation of the Angkor Conservation |work=APSARA Authority |access-date=10 July 2015 |archive-date=12 February 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060212040635/http://www.autoriteapsara.org/en/angkor/history/conservation.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5UTelRMB4BAC&pg=PA157 |title=Cambodia |page=157 |date=2010|publisher=Lonely Planet |isbn=978-1-74179-457-1}}</ref> Cambodia gained independence from France on 9 November 1953 and has controlled Angkor Wat since then. 

[[File:Bullet holes at angkor wat.jpg|thumb|Bullet holes left by a shoot-out between the [[Khmer Rouge]] and Vietnamese forces at Angkor Wat]]

Restoration work was interrupted by the [[Cambodian Civil War]] when the [[Khmer Rouge]] took control of the country during the 1970s and 1980s. Work on Angkor was abandoned during [[Democratic Kampuchea|the Khmer Rouge era]] and the Conservation d'Angkor was disbanded in 1975.<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UWKTmJ8iR84C&pg=PA220 |title=Asian Heritage Management: Contexts, Concerns, and Prospects|editor= Kapila D. Silva|editor2= Neel Kamal Chapagain |pages=220–221|publisher=Routledge |date= 2013 |isbn=978-0-415-52054-6 }}</ref> Camping Khmer Rouge forces used whatever wood remained in the building structures for firewood, and a shoot-out between Khmer Rouge and Vietnamese forces caused a few bullet holes in bas reliefs. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, far more damage was done to the reliefs by [[art thieves]] working out of Cambodia who lopped off many sculptures and other structures, including earlier reconstructions.<ref name="Angkor Battle">{{cite magazine|title=The Battle of Angkor Wat|magazine=New Scientist|pages=52–57|date=14 October 1989|author=Russell Ciochon|author2=Jamie James|name-list-style=amp}}</ref> As with most other ancient temples in Cambodia, Angkor Wat also faced extensive damage and deterioration by a combination of plant overgrowth, fungi, ground movements, war damage, and theft, though the war damage to Angkor Wat's temples was limited compared to the rest of Cambodia's temple ruins.<ref name="Angkor Battle"/>

[[File:Angkor Wat naga and guardian lion.JPG|thumb|left|The restored head of a [[nāga]] beside an unrestored lion sculpture leading to the entrance of Angkor Wat]]

Between 1986 and 1992, the [[Archaeological Survey of India]] carried out restoration work on the temple as France did not recognise the Cambodian government at the time.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://asi.nic.in/asi_abroad.asp|title= Activities Abroad#Cambodia|publisher= Archaeological Survey of India|access-date= 5 January 2009|archive-date= 29 May 2018|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20180529211556/http://asi.nic.in/asi_abroad.asp|url-status= live}}</ref> Criticisms have been raised about both the early French restoration attempts and the later Indian work, with concerns over the damage done to the stone surface by the use of various chemicals and cement.<ref name="Angkor Battle"/><ref>{{cite news |url= https://www.nytimes.com/1992/06/21/magazine/washing-buddha-s-face.html |title= Washing Buddha's Face |author= Phillip Shenon |date= 21 June 1992 |work= [[The New York Times]] |access-date= 14 February 2017 |archive-date= 10 August 2021 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20210810023915/https://www.nytimes.com/1992/06/21/magazine/washing-buddha-s-face.html |url-status= live }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=3ofDt_8kyYcC&pg=PA223 |title= Asian Heritage Management: Contexts, Concerns, and Prospects |editor= Kapila D. Silva |editor2= Neel Kamal Chapagain |page= 223 |publisher= Routledge |date= 2013 |isbn= 978-0-415-52054-6 |access-date= 21 September 2020 |archive-date= 31 October 2023 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20231031081853/https://books.google.com/books?id=3ofDt_8kyYcC&pg=PA223#v=onepage&q&f=false |url-status= live }}</ref>

In 1992, the site was declared as a [[UNESCO]] [[World Heritage Site]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/668/|title=Angkor site|publisher=[[UNESCO]]|access-date=1 December 2023}}</ref> Simultaneously, Angkor Wat was listed in UNESCO's [[World Heritage in Danger]] (later removed in 2004) following an appeal for help by [[Norodom Sihanouk]] together with an appeal by UNESCO to the international community to save Angkor.<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zIMECAAAQBAJ&pg=PA253 |title=Cultural Heritage as Civilizing Mission: From Decay to Recovery |editor=Michael Falser |page=253 |publisher=Springer International |isbn=978-3-319-13638-7 |year=2015 |access-date=10 July 2015 |archive-date=31 October 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231031081854/https://books.google.com/books?id=zIMECAAAQBAJ&pg=PA253#v=onepage&q&f=false |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1miIRLRaLEoC&pg=PA290 |title=Poverty Alleviation and Environmental Law |author=Albert Mumma |author2=Susan Smith |page=290 |publisher=ElgarOnline |isbn=978-1-78100-329-9 |year=2012 |access-date=10 July 2015 |archive-date=31 October 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231031081855/https://books.google.com/books?id=1miIRLRaLEoC&pg=PA290#v=onepage&q&f=false |url-status=live }}</ref> Zoning of the area was designated to protect the Angkor site in 1994, [[APSARA|Authority for the Protection and Management of Angkor and the Region of Siem Reap (APSARA)]] was established in 1995 to protect and manage the area, and a law to protect Cambodian heritage was passed in 1996.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.autoriteapsara.org/en/apsara/about_apsara/legal_texts/decree3.html |title=Royal Decree establishing Protected Cultural Zones |work=APSARA |access-date=10 July 2015 |archive-date=11 July 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150711102458/http://www.autoriteapsara.org/en/apsara/about_apsara/legal_texts/decree3.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1W6BWEWdJWQC&pg=PA123 |title=Marketing Heritage: Archaeology and the Consumption of the Past |author=Yorke M. Rowan |author2=Uzi Baram |page=123 |publisher=AltaMira Press |date=2004 |isbn=978-0-7591-0342-9 |access-date=10 July 2015 |archive-date=31 October 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231031082452/https://books.google.com/books?id=1W6BWEWdJWQC&pg=PA123#v=onepage&q&f=false |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite book|first=Hing |last=Thoraxy |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20010303123306/http://www.lideekhmer.org.kh/publication_roundtable5.htm|archive-date= 3 March 2001 |url=http://www.lideekhmer.org.kh/publication_roundtable5.htm |title=Achievement of "APSARA": Problems and Resolutions in the Management of the Angkor Area}}</ref>

[[File:WMF Angkor Wat.ogv|A [[World Monuments Fund]] video on conservation of Angkor Wat|thumb]]

In the 21st century, teams from several countries including France, India, Japan and China are involved in Angkor Wat conservation projects. The [[German Apsara Conservation Project]] (GACP) was launched to protect the [[devata]]s, and other bas-reliefs that decorate the temple from further damage when the organization's survey found that around 20% of the reliefs were in very poor condition mainly because of natural erosion and deterioration of the stone, but also in part also due to earlier restoration efforts.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://ospiti.thunder.it/gacp|access-date=5 February 2009|title=Conservation, Risk Map|page=2|work=[[German Apsara Conservation Project]]|archive-date=5 February 2005|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050205015542/http://ospiti.thunder.it/gacp/|url-status=dead}}</ref> Microbial biofilms degraded sandstone at Angkor Wat.<ref>{{cite journal|title=Microbial biofilms on the sandstone monuments of the Angkor Wat Complex, Cambodia|journal=Current Microbiology|date=Feb 2012|pages=85–92|volume=64|author1=Gaylarde CC|author2=Rodríguez CH|author3=Navarro-Noya YE|author4=Ortega-Morales BO|doi=10.1007/s00284-011-0034-y|pmid=22006074|issue=2|s2cid=14062354}}</ref> Other work involved the repair of collapsed sections of the structure and prevention of further collapse. For example, the west facade of the upper level was buttressed by scaffolding in 2002. A Japanese team completed the restoration of the north library of the outer enclosure in 2005.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.autoriteapsara.org/en/apsara/about_apsara/publication/yashodhara/yashodhara_6.html|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120526071420/http://www.autoriteapsara.org/en/apsara/about_apsara/publication/yashodhara/yashodhara_6.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=26 May 2012|title=Infrastructures in Angkor Park|access-date=25 April 2008|work=Yashodhara no. 6: January – June 2002|publisher=APSARA Authority}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.autoriteapsara.org/en/apsara/about_apsara/news/angkorvat_ceremony.html |title=The Completion of the Restoration Work of the Northern Library of Angkor Wat |access-date=25 April 2008 |date=3 June 2005 |publisher=APSARA Authority |archive-date=9 May 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080509092835/http://www.autoriteapsara.org/en/apsara/about_apsara/news/angkorvat_ceremony.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Replicas have been made to replace some of the lost or damaged sculptures.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-19279491 |title=Restoring ancient monuments at Cambodia's Angkor Wat |author=Guy De Launey |date=21 August 2012 |work=BBC |access-date=21 June 2018 |archive-date=10 August 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210810022418/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-19279491 |url-status=live }}</ref>

In December 2015, it was announced that a research team from the [[University of Sydney]] found a previously unseen ensemble of buried towers that were built and demolished during the construction of Angkor Wat, as well as a massive structure, with wooden fortifications, of unknown purpose on its south side. The findings included evidence of low-density residential occupation, a road grid, ponds and mounds in the region. These discoveries indicated that the temple precinct, bounded by a moat and wall, may not have been used exclusively by the priestly elite, as was previously thought.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://sydney.edu.au/news-opinion/news/2015/12/09/new-discoveries-redefine-angkor-wat-s-history.html| title=Recent research has transformed archaeologists' understanding of Angkor Wat and its surroundings| publisher=University of Sydney| date=9 December 2015| access-date=10 December 2015| archive-date=14 December 2015| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151214161444/http://sydney.edu.au/news-opinion/news/2015/12/09/new-discoveries-redefine-angkor-wat-s-history.html| url-status=live}}</ref>

== Architecture ==
Angkor Wat is a [[Buddhism and Hinduism|Hindu-Buddhist]] temple complex. Located on a site measuring {{cvt|162.6|ha|m2 acre}} within the ancient [[Khmer Empire|Khmer]] capital city of [[Angkor]], it is considered as the [[List of largest Hindu temples|largest religious structure in the world]] by ''[[Guinness World Records]]''.<ref name="Guinness">{{cite web|title=Largest religious structure|work=Guinness World Records|url=https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/largest-religious-structure/|access-date=3 March 2023|archive-date=16 October 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211016035654/https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/largest-religious-structure|url-status=live}}</ref> 

=== Site and plan ===
{{main|Angkor Wat Equinox}}
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| caption1        =The general layout of Angkor Wat with its central structure in the middle
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Angkor Wat is a unique combination of the [[Khmer architecture#Temple mountain|temple mountain]] (the standard design for the empire's state temples) and the later plan of concentric [[Khmer architecture#Gallery|galleries]], most of which were originally derived from religious beliefs of [[Hinduism]].<ref name="Brit"/> The construction of Angkor Wat suggests that there was a celestial significance with certain features of the temple. This is observed in the temple's east–west orientation, and lines of sight from terraces within the temple that show specific towers to be at the precise location of the solstice at sunrise.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Fleming |first1=Stuart |title=Science Scope: The City of Angkor Wat: A Royal Observatory on Life? |journal=Archaeology |date=1985 |volume=38 |issue=1 |pages=62–72 |jstor=41731666}}</ref> The Angkor Wat temple's main tower aligns with the morning sun of the [[Angkor Wat Equinox|spring equinox]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.msn.com/en-ca/news/world/how-countries-around-the-world-celebrate-the-spring-equinox/ss-BBKsKZB#image=20|title=How countries around the world celebrate the spring equinox|website=www.msn.com|language=en-CA|access-date=4 October 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181004185657/https://www.msn.com/en-ca/news/world/how-countries-around-the-world-celebrate-the-spring-equinox/ss-BBKsKZB#image=20|archive-date=4 October 2018|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.art-and-archaeology.com/seasia/angkorwat/awsite.html|title=Ankgor Wat, Cambodia|website=www.art-and-archaeology.com|access-date=4 October 2018|archive-date=3 June 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180603203343/http://www.art-and-archaeology.com/seasia/angkorwat/awsite.html|url-status=live}}</ref> The temple is a representation of [[Mount Meru]], the home of the gods according to [[Hindu]] mythology: the central [[quincunx]] of towers symbolise the five peaks of the mountain, and the walls and moat symbolise the surrounding mountain ranges and ocean.{{sfn|Freeman|Jacques|1999|p=48}} Access to the upper areas of the temple was progressively more exclusive, with the laity being admitted only to the lowest level.{{sfn|Glaize|1944|p=62}}

[[File:Angkor-Wat-from-the-air.JPG|thumb|left|An aerial view of Angkor Wat]]

Unlike most Khmer temples, Angkor Wat is oriented to the west rather than the east. This has led scholars including [[Maurice Glaize]] and [[George Coedès]] to hypothesize that Suryavarman intended it to serve as his funerary temple.<ref name="Coedes">{{cite book|last= Coedès|first= George|author-link= George Coedès|editor= Walter F. Vella|others= trans.Susan Brown Cowing|title= The Indianized States of Southeast Asia|date= 1968|publisher= University of Hawaii Press|isbn= 978-0-8248-0368-1 |page=162 }}</ref> Further evidence for this view is provided by the [[Relief#Bas-relief or low relief|bas-reliefs]], which proceed in a counter-clockwise direction—''[[Mandir|prasavya]]'' in [[Hindu]] terminology—as this is the reverse of the normal order. Rituals take place in reverse order during Brahminic funeral services.{{sfn|Glaize|1944|p=59}} Archaeologist [[Charles Higham (archaeologist)|Charles Higham]] also describes a container that may have been a funerary jar that was recovered from the central tower.{{sfn|Higham|2001|p=118}} It has been nominated by some as the greatest expenditure of energy on the disposal of a corpse.<ref name="Scarre">{{cite book |editor-last=Scarre |editor-first=Chris |year=1999 |title=The Seventy Wonders of the Ancient World |location=London |publisher=Thames & Hudson |pages=81–85}}</ref> Freeman and Jacques, however, note that several other temples of [[Angkor]] depart from the typical eastern orientation, and suggest that Angkor Wat's alignment was due to its dedication to [[Vishnu]], who was associated with the west.{{sfn|Freeman|Jacques|1999|p=48}}

Drawing on the temple's alignment and dimensions, and on the content and arrangement of the bas-reliefs, researcher Eleanor Mannikka argues that the structure represents a claimed new era of peace under King [[Suryavarman II]]: "as the measurements of solar and lunar time cycles were built into the sacred space of Angkor Wat, this divine mandate to rule was anchored to consecrated chambers and corridors meant to perpetuate the king's power and to honour and placate the deities manifest in the heavens above."<ref>{{cite web |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110720024524/http://huntingtonarchive.osu.edu/seasia/angkor.html |archive-date=20 July 2011|first= Eleanor|last= Mannikka|url= http://huntingtonarchive.osu.edu/seasia/angkor.html |title=Angkor Wat, 1113–1150}} (This page does not cite an author's name.)</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Stencel |first1=Robert |last2=Gifford |first2=Fred |last3=Morón |first3=Eleanor| title=Astronomy and Cosmology at Angkor Wat|journal=Science|volume= 193 |issue=4250 |date=1976|pages= 281–287 |doi=10.1126/science.193.4250.281 |pmid=17745714 |bibcode=1976Sci...193..281S }}</ref> Mannikka's suggestions have been received with a mixture of interest and scepticism in academic circles. She distances herself from the speculations of others, such as [[Graham Hancock]], that Angkor Wat is part of a representation of the constellation [[Draco (constellation)|Draco]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.grahamhancock.com/horizon/horizon_script_2.htm |title=Atlantis Reborn|access-date=16 March 2010|work= [[BBC Two|BBC2]] |date=4 November 1999}}</ref> The oldest surviving plan of Angkor Wat dates to 1715 and is credited to Fujiwara Tadayoshi. The plan is stored in the Suifu Meitoku-kai Shokokan Museum in [[Mito, Ibaraki|Mito]], Japan.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Ishizawa |first1=Yoshiaki |title=The World's Oldest Plan of Angkor Vat: The Japanese So-Called Jetavana, an Illustrated Plan of the Seventeenth Century |journal=UDAYA, Journal of Khmer Studies |date=2015 |volume=13 |page=50}}</ref>

=== Style ===
[[File:Angkor Vat (6931599619).jpg|thumb|Side view showing the [[Gopuram]]s and galleries]]

Angkor Wat is the prime example of the classical style of [[Khmer architecture]]—the Angkor Wat style—to which it has given its name. Architecturally, the elements characteristic of the style include the [[Ogive|ogival]], redented towers shaped like [[Nelumbo nucifera|lotus]] buds; half-[[Architecture of Cambodia#Gallery|galleries]] to broaden passageways; axial galleries connecting enclosures; and the cruciform terraces which appear along the main axis of the temple. Typical decorative elements are [[Architecture of Cambodia#Apsara and devata|devatas (or apsaras)]], [[bas-relief]]s, [[pediment]]s, extensive garlands and narrative scenes. The statuary of Angkor Wat is considered conservative, being more static and less graceful than earlier work.<ref>{{cite web|work=APSARA authority|url=http://www.autoriteapsara.org/en/angkor/art/styles/angkorian/angkor_vat.html|title=Angkor Vat Style|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060212163453/http://www.autoriteapsara.org/en/angkor/art/styles/angkorian/angkor_vat.html |archive-date=12 February 2006|url-status=live }}</ref> Other elements of the design have been destroyed by looting and the passage of time, including [[gilding|gilded]] [[stucco]] on the towers, gilding on some figures on the bas-reliefs, and wooden ceiling panels and doors.{{sfn|Freeman|Jacques|1999|p=29}}

The temple has drawn praise for the harmony of its design. According to Maurice Glaize, the temple "attains a classic perfection by the restrained monumentality of its finely balanced elements and the precise arrangement of its proportions. It is a work of power, unity, and style."{{sfn|Glaize|1944|p=25}} Architect Jacques Dumarçay believes the layout of Angkor Wat borrows Chinese influence in its system of galleries which join at right angles to form courtyards. However, the axial pattern embedded in the plan of Angkor Wat may be derived from [[Southeast Asian]] cosmology in combination with the [[mandala]] represented by the main temple.<ref name="Ancient Southeast Asia" />

=== Features ===
==== Outer enclosure ====
{{Multiple image
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|caption2= The Northern library
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The temple complex is surrounded by an outer wall, {{cvt|1024|m|ft}} by {{cvt|802|m|ft}} and {{cvt|4.5|m|ft|0}} high. It is encircled by a {{cvt|30|m|ft}} apron of open ground and a moat {{cvt|190|m|ft}} wide and over {{cvt|5|km}} in perimeter.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Jarus |first1=Owen |title=Angkor Wat: History of Ancient Temple |url=https://www.livescience.com/23841-angkor-wat.html |access-date=28 July 2018 |work=Live Science |publisher=Purch |date=5 April 2018 |archive-date=10 June 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230610114716/https://www.livescience.com/23841-angkor-wat.html |url-status=live }}</ref> The moat extends {{cvt|1.5|km}} from east to west and {{cvt|1.3|km}} from north to south.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Fletcher |first1=Roland |first2=Damian |last2=Evans |first3=Christophe |last3=Pottier |first4=Chhay |last4=Rachna |title=Angkor Wat: An introduction |journal=Antiquity |date=December 2015 |volume=89 |issue=348 |page=1395 |doi=10.15184/aqy.2015.178 |s2cid=162553313 |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/286412358 |access-date=27 March 2020 |via=ResearchGate}}</ref> Access to the temple is by an earth bank to the east and a sandstone causeway to the west; the latter, the main entrance, is a later addition, possibly replacing a wooden bridge.{{sfn|Freeman|Jacques|1999|p=49}} There is a [[Gopuram]] at each of the [[cardinal point]]s with the western one being the largest and consisting of three partially ruined towers. Glaize notes that this gopura both hides and echoes the form of the temple proper.{{sfn|Glaize|1944|p= 61}}

[[File:Statue in Cambodia.jpg|thumb|left|''Ta Reach'', originally an eight-armed statue of [[Vishnu]]]]

Under the southern tower is a statue known as ''Ta Reach'', originally an eight-armed statue of Vishnu that may have occupied the temple's central shrine.{{sfn|Freeman|Jacques|1999|p=49}} Galleries run between the towers and two further entrances on either side of the gopura often referred to as "elephant gates", as they are large enough to admit those animals. These galleries have square pillars on the outer (west) side and a closed wall on the inner (east) side. The ceiling between the pillars is decorated with [[Nelumbo nucifera|lotus]] rosettes. The west face of the wall is decorated with dancing figures and the east face of the wall consists of windows with balusters, decorated with dancing figures, animals and [[Architecture of Cambodia#Apsara and devata|devatas]].

The outer wall encloses a space of {{cvt|203|acre}}, which besides the temple proper was originally occupied by people from the city and the royal palace to the north of the temple. Similar to other secular buildings of Angkor, these were built of perishable materials rather than of stone, so nothing remains of them except the outline of some of the streets with most of the area now covered by vegetation.{{sfn|Freeman|Jacques|1999|p=50}} A {{cvt|350|m|ft}} causeway connects the western gopura to the temple proper, with [[Architecture of Cambodia#Naga|naga]] shaped balustrades and six sets of steps leading down to the outside on either side. Each side also features a [[Architecture of Cambodia#Library|library]] with entrances at each cardinal point, in front of the third set of stairs from the entrance, and a pond between the library and the temple itself. The ponds are later additions to the design, as is the cruciform terrace guarded by lions connecting the causeway to the central structure.{{sfn|Freeman|Jacques|1999|p=50}}

==== Central structure ====
The temple stands on a raised terrace within the walled enclosure. It is made of three rectangular [[Architecture of Cambodia#Gallery|galleries]] rising to a central tower, each level higher than the last. The two inner galleries each have four large towers at their [[Cardinal direction|ordinal]] corners (that is, North-west, North-east, South-east, and South-west) surrounding a higher fifth tower. This pattern is sometimes called a [[quincunx]] and is believed to represent the mountains of Meru. Because the temple faces west, the features are set back towards the east, leaving more space to be filled in each enclosure and gallery on the west side; for the same reason, the west-facing steps are shallower than those on the other sides.

{{Multiple image
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| caption1        =The central tower symbolizing the sacred [[Mount Meru]]
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| caption2        =One of the four corner towers of Angkor Wat
}}

Mannikka interprets the galleries as being dedicated to the king, [[Brahma]], [[Chandra|the moon]], and [[Vishnu]].<ref name="Ohio" /> Each gallery has a [[gopura]] with the outer gallery measuring {{cvt|187|m|ft}} by {{cvt|215|m|ft}}, with pavilions at the corners. The gallery is open to the outside of the temple, with columned half-galleries extending and buttressing the structure. Connecting the outer gallery to the second enclosure on the west side is a cruciform cloister called ''Preah Poan'' (meaning "The Thousand Buddhas" gallery).<ref name="Apsara" /> [[Gautama Buddha|Buddha]] images were left in the cloister by pilgrims over the centuries, although most have now been removed. This area has many inscriptions relating to the good deeds of pilgrims, most written in [[Khmer language|Khmer]] but others in [[Burmese language|Burmese]] and [[Japanese language|Japanese]]. The four small courtyards marked out by the cloister may originally have been filled with water.{{sfn|Glaize|1944|p=63}} North and south of the cloister are [[Architecture of Cambodia#Library|libraries]].

[[File:Angkor (IV).jpg|thumb|left|A view of the outer gallery of Angkor Wat]]

Beyond, the second and inner galleries are connected to two flanking libraries by another cruciform terrace, again a later addition. From the second level upwards, [[Architecture of Cambodia#Apsara and devata|devata]] images are abound on the walls, singly or in groups of up to four. The second-level enclosure is {{cvt|100|m|ft}} by {{cvt|115|m|ft}}, and may originally have been flooded to represent the [[ocean]] around [[Mount Meru]].{{sfn|Ray|2002|p=195}} Three sets of steps on each side lead up to the corner towers and gopuras of the inner gallery. The steep stairways may represent the difficulty of ascending to the kingdom of the gods.{{sfn|Ray|2002|p=199}} This inner gallery, called the ''Bakan'', is a {{cvt|60|m|ft}} square with axial galleries connecting each gopura with the central shrine and subsidiary shrines located below the corner towers.

The roofings of the galleries are decorated with the motif of the body of a snake ending in the heads of lions or [[garuda]]s. Carved [[Architecture of Cambodia#Lintels and pediments|lintels and pediments]] decorate the entrances to the galleries and the shrines. The tower above the central shrine rises {{cvt|43|m|ft}} to a height of {{cvt|65|m|ft}} above the ground; unlike those of previous temple mountains, the central tower is raised above the surrounding four.{{sfn|Briggs|1951|p=199}} The shrine itself, originally occupied by a statue of Vishnu and open on each side, was walled in when the temple was converted to [[Theravada Buddhism]], the new walls featuring standing Buddhas. In 1934, the conservator George Trouvé excavated the pit beneath the central shrine: filled with sand and water it had already been robbed of its treasure, but he did find a sacred foundation deposit of [[gold leaf]] two metres above ground level.{{sfn|Glaize|1944|p=65}}

==== Decoration ====
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Integrated with the architecture of the building, one of the causes for its fame is Angkor Wat's extensive decoration, which predominantly takes the form of [[bas-relief]] friezes. The inner walls of the outer gallery bear a series of large-scale scenes mainly depicting episodes from the [[Hindu]] epics the [[Ramayana]] and the [[Mahabharata]]. Higham has called these "the greatest known linear arrangement of stone carving".{{sfn|Higham|2003|p=318}} From the north-west corner anti-clockwise, the western gallery shows the Battle of Lanka from the Ramayana, in which [[Rama]] defeats [[Ravana]]; and the [[Kurukshetra War]] from the Mahabharata, depicting the mutual annihilation of the [[Kaurava]] and [[Pandava]] armies. On the southern gallery, the only historical scene, a procession of Suryavarman II is depicted along with the 32 [[hell]]s and 37 [[heaven]]s of Hinduism.{{sfn|Glaize|1944|p=68}}

On the eastern gallery is one of the most celebrated scenes, the [[Kurma|Churning of the Sea of Milk]], showing 92 [[asura]]s and 88 [[deva (Hinduism)|devas]] using the serpent [[Vasuki (snake)|Vasuki]] to churn the [[Kshira Sagara|sea of milk]] under Vishnu's direction. Mannikka counts only 91 asuras and explains the asymmetrical numbers as representing the number of days from the [[winter solstice]] to the [[spring equinox (Northern Hemisphere)|spring equinox]], and from the equinox to the summer [[solstice]].<ref>{{cite book|last=Buckley|first=Michael|title=Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos Handbook|year=1998|publisher=Avalon Travel Publications|url=http://www.veloasia.com/library/buckley/churning_milk.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210619170121/https://www.veloasia.com/library/buckley/churning_milk.html |archive-date=19 June 2021|url-status=live }}</ref> It is followed by reliefs showing Vishnu defeating [[asura]]s, which was a 16th-century addition. The northern gallery shows Krishna's victory over [[Banasura|Bana]].{{sfn|Glaize|1944|p=69}}

Angkor Wat is decorated with depictions of [[apsaras]] and [[devata]]s with more than 1,796 documented depictions of devatas in the research inventory.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.devata.org/2010/02/angkor-wat-devata-inventory/|title=Angkor Wat devata inventory |access-date=1 February 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100423123631/http://www.devata.org/2010/02/angkor-wat-devata-inventory/ |archive-date=23 April 2010| url-status=live }}</ref> The architects also used small apsara images ({{cvt|30-40|cm|in|0|disp=or}}) as decorative motifs on pillars and walls. They incorporated larger devata images (full-body portraits measuring approximately {{cvt|95-110|cm|in|0|disp=or}}) more prominently at every level of the temple from the entry pavilion to the tops of the high towers. In 1927, Sappho Marchal published a study cataloging the remarkable diversity of their hair, headdresses, garments, stance, jewellery, and decorative flowers depicted in the reliefs, which Marchal concluded were based on actual practices of the Angkor period.<ref>{{cite book|author=Sappho Marchal|title=Khmer Costumes and Ornaments of the Devatas of Angkor Wat|year=1927}}</ref>

===Construction techniques===
By the 12th century, Khmer architects had become skilled and confident in the use of [[sandstone]] rather than brick or [[laterite]] as the main building material. Most of the visible areas are sandstone blocks, while laterite was used for the outer wall and hidden structural parts. The binding agent used to join the blocks is yet to be identified, although natural [[resin]]s or [[slaked lime]] have been suggested.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gacp-angkor.de/|work=German Apsara Conservation Project|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210323165359/https://gacp-angkor.de/ |archive-date=23 March 2021|title= Building Techniques|url-status=live|page=5}}</ref> The monument was made of five to ten million sandstone blocks with a maximum weight of 1.5 tons each.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.livescience.com/24440-angkor-wat-canals.html|title=Mystery of Angkor Wat Temple's Huge Stones Solved|date=31 October 2012|last=Ghose|first=Tia|work=livescience.com|access-date=1 February 2015|archive-date=10 February 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150210100534/http://www.livescience.com/24440-angkor-wat-canals.html|url-status=live}}</ref> The sandstone was quarried and transported from Mount Kulen, a quarry approximately {{cvt|25|mi|km|order=flip}} northeast.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/specials/ancient-mysteries/angkor-wat-temples/|title=Lost City of Angkor Wat|work=National Geographic|access-date=1 February 2015|archive-date=3 March 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140303200948/http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/specials/ancient-mysteries/angkor-wat-temples/|url-status=dead}}</ref>

The route has been suggested to span {{cvt|35|km|mi}} along a canal towards [[Tonlé Sap]] lake, another {{cvt|35|km|mi}} crossing the lake, and finally {{cvt|15|km|mi|0}} against the current along [[Siem Reap River]], making a total journey of {{cvt|90|km|mi|round=5}}. In 2011, Etsuo Uchida and Ichita Shimoda of [[Waseda University]] in [[Tokyo]] discovered a shorter {{cvt|35|km|mi|adj=on}} canal connecting Mount Kulen and Angkor Wat using satellite imagery and believe that the Khmer used this route instead.<ref>{{cite journal| first1=Etsuo |last1=Uchida |first2=Ichita |last2=Shimoda |title=Quarries and transportation routes of Angkor monument sandstone blocks |journal=Journal of Archaeological Science |volume=40 |issue=2 |date=2013 |doi=10.1016/j.jas.2012.09.036 |issn=0305-4403 |pages=1158–1164| bibcode=2013JArSc..40.1158U }}</ref>

Most of the surfaces, columns, lintels and roofs are carved with reliefs illustrating scenes from [[Indian literature]] including unicorns, griffins, winged dragons pulling chariots, as well as warriors following an elephant-mounted leader, and celestial dancing girls with elaborate hairstyles. The gallery wall is decorated with almost {{cvt|1,000|sqm}} of bas reliefs. Holes on some of the Angkor walls indicate that they may have been decorated with bronze sheets which were highly prized in ancient times and were prime targets for robbers. Based on experiments, the labour force to quarry, transport, carve and install so much sandstone probably ran into the thousands including many highly skilled artisans.<ref>{{cite book|author=Lehner, Mark|year=1997|title=The Complete Pyramids|publisher=Thames and Hudson|pages=202–225|isbn=0-500-05084-8}}</ref> The skills required to carve these sculptures were developed hundreds of years earlier, as demonstrated by some artefacts that have been dated to the seventh century, before the Khmer came to power.<ref name="Southeast Asia"/><ref name="Scarre"/>

== Symbolism and popular culture ==
[[File:Flag_of_Cambodia.svg|thumb|[[Flag of Cambodia|Cambodian national flag]] showing Angkor Wat]]
Due to the global attention that it has received and the millions of visitors it attracts, the Angkor Wat has become a prominent image that is associated with Cambodia, and in this way has become a symbol of Cambodia itself. A depiction of Angkor Wat has been a part of [[Flag of Cambodia|Cambodian national flag]] since the introduction of the first version in 1863.<ref>{{cite web|title=Flags of the World: Cambodian Flag History|url=http://flagspot.net/flags/kh_hstry.html|access-date=13 September 2016|work=Flagspot}}</ref> 

From a historical and trans-cultural perspective, however, the temple of Angkor Wat did not become a symbol of national pride by itself but had been inscribed into a larger politico-cultural process of French-colonial heritage productions. Angkor Wat caught the attention and imagination of a wider audience in Europe when the pavilion of [[French protectorate of Cambodia]], as part of [[French Indochina]], recreated the life-size replica of Angkor Wat presented in French [[Paris Colonial Exposition|colonial and universal exhibitions]] in [[Paris]] and [[Marseille]] between 1889 and 1937.<ref>{{cite web|author=Falser, Michael|year=2011|url=http://archiv.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/ojs/index.php/transcultural/article/view/9083|title=Krishna and the Plaster Cast. Translating the Cambodian Temple of Angkor Wat in the French Colonial Period|access-date=10 February 2012|archive-date=10 February 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120210193009/http://archiv.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/ojs/index.php/transcultural/article/view/9083|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://transversal.at/transversal/1007/kuster/en|title=On the international colonial exhibition in Paris 1931 {{!}} transversal texts|first=Brigitta|last=Kuster|website=transversal.at|access-date=23 April 2020|archive-date=29 June 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220629001155/https://www.transversal.at/transversal/1007/kuster/en|url-status=live}}</ref> It was on display in the plaster cast museum of [[Louis Delaporte]] called ''musée Indo-chinois'' which existed in the Parisian [[Musée d'Ethnographie du Trocadéro|Trocadero Palace]] from c.1880 to the mid-1920s.<ref>{{cite web|author=Falser, Michael|year=2013|url=http://www.riha-journal.org/articles/2013/2013-apr-jun/falser-musee-indo-chinois|title=From Gaillon to Sanchi, from Vézelay to Angkor Wat. The Musée Indo-Chinois in Paris: A Transcultural Perspective on Architectural Museums|access-date=25 November 2020}}</ref>

== Myths ==
According to the 13th-century Chinese traveller Zhou Daguan, some believed that the temple was constructed in a single night by a divine architect.<ref>{{cite book|title= A Record of Cambodia: The Land and Its People|author=Daguan Zhou|others=Translated by Peter Harris|publisher=Silkworm Books|date=2007}}</ref> In 1622, ''[[The Poem of Angkor Wat]]'' composed in Khmer language describes the beauty of Angkor Wat and propagates a legend around the construction of the complex, supposedly a divine castle built for legendary Khmer king Preah Ket Mealea by Hindu god Preah Pisnukar (or Braḥ Bisṇukār, [[Vishvakarma]]n).<ref>{{cite book |last=Kim |first=Jinah |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=badNAQAAMAAJ&q=Ketumala+angkor |title=Reading Angkor Wat: A History of Oscillating Identity |date=2001 |publisher=University of California, Berkeley |pages=31 |access-date=13 April 2022 |archive-date=31 October 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231031080403/https://books.google.com/books?id=badNAQAAMAAJ&q=Ketumala+angkor |url-status=live }}</ref> In the 17th century, the Japanese believed that the temple was the location of the famed [[Jetavana]] garden of the [[Buddha]], which was originally located in the kingdom of [[Magadha (Mahajanapada)|Magadha]], India.<ref>{{cite journal |title=Au-dela du plan Japonais du XVII siècle d'Angkor Vat, (A XVII century Japanese map of Angkor Wat) |author=Abdoul-Carime Nasir |url=http://aefek.free.fr/iso_album/carteangkor_jetavana.pdf |language=fr |access-date=18 October 2015 |journal=Bulletin de l'AEFEK |archive-date=23 December 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151223055631/http://aefek.free.fr/iso_album/carteangkor_jetavana.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref> According to another myth, the construction of Angkor Wat was ordered by [[Indra]] to serve as a palace for his son Precha Ket Mealea.<ref>{{cite book|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=HAZrFhvqnTkC|title= Asiatic Mythology:A Detailed Description and Explanation of the Mythologies of All the Great Nations of Asia|author1= J. Hackin|author2= Clayment Huart|author3= Raymonde Linossier|author4= H. de Wilman Grabowska|author5= Charles-Henri Marchal|author6= Henri Maspero|author7= Serge Eliseev|orig-date=1932|year=1994|page= 194|publisher= Asian Educational Services|isbn= 978-81-206-0920-4|access-date= 21 September 2020|archive-date= 31 October 2023|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20231031080408/https://books.google.com/books?id=HAZrFhvqnTkC|url-status= live}}</ref>

== Tourism ==
{{See also|Tourism in Cambodia}} 
[[File:Buddhist monks in front of the Angkor Wat.jpg|thumb|Buddhist Monks at Angkor Wat, Cambodia]]

Since the 1990s, Angkor Wat has become a major tourist destination. In 1993, there were only 7,650 visitors to the site and by 2004, government figures show that 561,000 foreign visitors had arrived in Siem Reap province that year, approximately 50% of all foreign tourists in Cambodia.<ref>{{cite news |url= https://www.theguardian.com/world/2007/feb/25/travel.travelnews |title= Tourist invasion threatens to ruin glories of Angkor Wat |author= Justine Smith |date= 25 February 2007 |work= The Observer |access-date= 13 December 2016 |archive-date= 25 May 2021 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20210525023443/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2007/feb/25/travel.travelnews |url-status= live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web  |url=http://www.tourismcambodia.com/Statistics/index.asp?Year=2005 |title=Executive Summary from Jan–Dec 2005 |access-date=25 April 2008 |work=Tourism of Cambodia |publisher=Statistics & Tourism Information Department, Ministry of Tourism of Cambodia| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20080413115411/http://www.tourismcambodia.com/Statistics/index.asp?Year=2005| archive-date= 13 April 2008 |url-status= dead}}</ref> The number reached over a million in 2007 and over two million by 2012.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.tourismcambodia.org/images/mot/statistic_reports/tourism_statistics_annual_report_book_2007.pdf |title=Tourism Statistics: Annual Report |page=60 |work=Ministry of Tourism |access-date=21 December 2018 |archive-date=27 October 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161027011524/http://www.tourismcambodia.org/images/mot/statistic_reports/tourism_statistics_annual_report_book_2007.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.tourismcambodia.org/images/mot/statistic_reports/tourism_statistics_annual_report_2012.pdf |title=Tourism Annual Report 2012 |work=Ministry of Tourism |access-date=10 July 2015 |archive-date=27 October 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161027011521/http://www.tourismcambodia.org/images/mot/statistic_reports/tourism_statistics_annual_report_2012.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> Angkor Wat received over two million foreign tourists in 2013 and 2.6 million by 2018.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/ticket-sales-angkor-wat-exceed-2-million |title=Ticket sales at Angkor Wat exceed 2 million |work=The Phnom Penh Post |date=21 January 2015 |access-date=10 July 2015 |archive-date=28 July 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200728024700/https://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/ticket-sales-angkor-wat-exceed-2-million |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/angkor-hosts-26m-visitors |title=Angkor hosts 2.6M visitors |date=2 January 2019 |author=Cheng Sokhorng |work=The Phnom Penh Post |access-date=9 March 2020 |archive-date=26 July 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200726045013/https://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/angkor-hosts-26m-visitors |url-status=live }}</ref>

The site was managed by the private [[Sokimex|SOKIMEX]] group between 1990 and 2016, which rented it from the [[Cambodian government]].<ref>{{cite web|last1=Vannak|first1=Chea|title=Ticket revenue at Angkor complex up 8 percent|url=https://www.khmertimeskh.com/50564897/ticket-revenue-at-angkor-complex-up-8-percent/|website=Khmer Times|access-date=2 May 2019|date=2 January 2019|archive-date=31 October 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231031082457/https://www.khmertimeskh.com/564897/ticket-revenue-at-angkor-complex-up-8-percent/|url-status=live}}</ref> The influx of tourists has caused damage such as [[graffiti]] on the walls. Ropes and wooden steps have been introduced to protect the bas-reliefs and floors, respectively. Tourism has also provided some additional funds for maintenance—as of 2000 approximately 28% of ticket revenues across the entire [[Angkor]] site was spent on the temples—although most work is carried out by teams sponsored by foreign governments rather than by the Cambodian authorities.<ref>{{cite web|work=Tales of Asia|url=http://www.talesofasia.com/cambodia-interviews-AC.htm|title=Preserving Angkor: Interview with Ang Choulean|date=13 October 2000|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170617214219/http://www.talesofasia.com/cambodia-interviews-AC.htm |archive-date=17 June 2017|url-status=live }}</ref>

Since Angkor Wat has seen significant growth in tourism throughout the years, UNESCO and its International Co-ordinating Committee for the Safeguarding and Development of the Historic Site of Angkor (ICC), in association with representatives from the Royal Government and APSARA, organised seminars to discuss the concept of "cultural tourism", emphasising the importance of providing high-quality accommodation and services to the tourists and for the Cambodian government to benefit economically, while also incorporating the richness of Cambodian culture. In 2001, this incentive resulted in the concept of the "Angkor Tourist City" which would be developed about traditional Khmer architecture, contain leisure and tourist facilities, and provide luxurious hotels capable of accommodating large numbers of tourists.<ref name="SD">{{cite journal|doi=10.1016/j.annals.2006.06.004|title=Rethinking tourism in asia|date=2007|last1=Winter|first1=Tim|journal=Annals of Tourism Research|volume=34|pages=27–44}}</ref>

[[File:Angkor Wat with its reflection (cropped).jpg|thumb|Angkor Wat with its reflection in the outer pool]]

The prospect of developing such large tourist accommodations has encountered concerns from both APSARA and the ICC, claiming that previous tourism developments in the area have neglected construction regulations and that more of these projects have the potential to damage landscape features. Also, the large scale of these projects have begun to threaten the quality of the nearby town's water, sewage, and electricity systems. It has also been noted that such high frequency of tourism and growing demand for infrastructure has had a direct effect on the underground water table, subsequently straining the structural stability of the temples at Angkor Wat.<ref name="SD"/> Locals of Siem Reap have also voiced concern that the atmosphere of their town have been compromised to entertain tourism. Since this local atmosphere is the key component to projects like Angkor Tourist City, the local officials continue to discuss how to successfully incorporate future tourism without sacrificing local values and culture.<ref name="SD"/> At the [[ASEAN]] Tourism Forum 2012, it was agreed that [[Borobudur]] and Angkor Wat would become sister sites and sister provinces.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2012/01/13/borobudur-angkor-wat-become-sister-sites.html |title=Borobudur, Angkor Wat to become sister sites |newspaper=[[The Jakarta Post]] |date=13 January 2012 |access-date=13 January 2012 |archive-date=15 January 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120115075327/http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2012/01/13/borobudur-angkor-wat-become-sister-sites.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

In 2020, the [[COVID-19 pandemic in Cambodia|COVID-19 pandemic]] led to [[Travel restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic|travel restrictions]] being introduced across the world, which had a severe impact on Cambodia's tourism sector. As a result, visitors to Angkor Wat plummeted, leaving the usually crowded complex almost deserted.<ref>{{cite web|date=6 June 2020|title=Tourists amazed about seeing Angkor Wat without usual crowds|url=https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3087755/few-visitors-angkor-wat-revel-near-solitude-10000|access-date=22 May 2021|website=South China Morning Post|language=en|archive-date=17 April 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210417065604/https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3087755/few-visitors-angkor-wat-revel-near-solitude-10000|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|date=2 November 2020|title='How Long Can We Survive?': Angkor Visitors Dip, Holiday Bump Minimal|url=https://vodenglish.news/how-long-can-we-survive-angkor-visitors-dip-holiday-bump-minimal/|access-date=22 May 2021|website=VOD|language=en-GB|archive-date=12 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210512150550/https://vodenglish.news/how-long-can-we-survive-angkor-visitors-dip-holiday-bump-minimal/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Hunt|first=Luke|title=Cambodians Reclaim Angkor Wat as Global Lockdowns Continue to Bite|url=https://thediplomat.com/2020/06/cambodians-reclaim-angkor-wat-as-global-lockdowns-continue-to-bite/|access-date=22 May 2021|website=thediplomat.com|language=en-US|archive-date=2 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210802192306/https://thediplomat.com/2020/06/cambodians-reclaim-angkor-wat-as-global-lockdowns-continue-to-bite/|url-status=live}}</ref> Cambodia, including Angkor Wat, reopened to international visitors in late 2021, but as of the end of 2022 had only received a fraction of its pre-pandemic traffic: a total of 280,000 tourists visited the complex in 2022, versus 2.6 million in 2018.<ref>{{cite web|date=17 March 2023|title=Cambodia Relocates Angkor Wat Communities in Controversial Tourism Touch-Up|url=https://skift.com/2023/03/17/cambodia-relocates-angkor-wat-communities-in-controversial-tourism-touch-up/|access-date=26 March 2023|website=Skift|language=en|archive-date=26 March 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230326183445/https://skift.com/2023/03/17/cambodia-relocates-angkor-wat-communities-in-controversial-tourism-touch-up/|url-status=live}}</ref> In 2023, the temple saw an increase in numbers over the previous year, having over 400,000 tourists by late July.<ref>{{cite web |last=Babis |first=Daniel |date=28 July 2023 |title=Why Right Now Is the Best Time to Visit Angkor Wat in Siem Reap, Cambodia |url=https://thegoguy.com/why-right-now-is-the-best-time-to-visit-angkor-wat-in-siem-reap-cambodia/ |access-date=28 July 2023 |website=The Go Guy |language=en-US |archive-date=28 July 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230728152301/https://thegoguy.com/why-right-now-is-the-best-time-to-visit-angkor-wat-in-siem-reap-cambodia/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Tourists reenacting the 2011 game series ''[[Temple Run]]'' in mid-2024 for social media have drawn criticism from conservationists who warn that it risks damaging Angkor Wat's structures and carvings and is [[culturally insensitive]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=K Oanh |first=Ha |date=August 22, 2024 |title=TikTok Tourists Trample Angkor Wat Mimicking Temple Run Game |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-08-22/tiktok-tourists-trample-on-angkor-wat-in-viral-temple-run-recreation |access-date=August 23, 2024 |work=[[Bloomberg News]]}}</ref>

==See also==
{{Portal|Architecture|Cambodia|
| border=True
}}
* [[Indosphere]]
* [[Greater India]]
* [[Buddhism in Cambodia]]
* [[Buddhism in Southeast Asia]]
* [[List of Hindu temples]]
* [[List of Buddhist temples]]
* [[List of tallest structures built before the 20th century]]

==References==
{{cols|colwidth=26em}}
{{Reflist}}
{{colend}}

==Bibliography==
* {{cite book|last=Albanese|first= Marilia|title=The Treasures of Angkor|location=Vercelli|publisher=White Star Publishers|date=2006|type=Paperback|isbn=978-8-85440-117-4}}
* {{cite book|last=Briggs|first=Lawrence Robert|orig-year=1951|year=1999|title=The Ancient Khmer Empire|publisher=White Lotus Companuy|isbn=978-9-74843-493-3|ref={{sfnref|Briggs|1951}}}}
* {{cite book|last=Falser|first=Michael|year=2020|title=Angkor Wat – A Transcultural History of Heritage. Volume 1: Angkor in France. From Plaster Casts to Exhibition Pavilions. Volume 2: Angkor in Cambodia. From Jungle Find to Global Icon|publisher=Berlin-Boston DeGruyter|isbn=978-3-11033-584-2}}
* {{cite book|last1=Forbes|first1=Andrew |last2=Henley|first2=David|year=2011|title=Angkor, Eighth Wonder of the World|publisher=Cognoscenti Books|asin=B0085RYW0O}}
* {{cite book|last1=Freeman|first1=Michael|last2=Jacques|first2=Claude|year=1999|title=Ancient Angkor|publisher=River Books|isbn=978-0-83480-426-5}}
* {{cite book|last=Glaize|first=Maurice|title=Les monuments du groupe d'Angkor|trans-title=Monuments of the Angkor Group|orig-year=1944|year=1993|publisher=J. Maisonneuve|isbn=978-2-72001-091-0|ref={{sfnref|Glaize|1944}} }}
* {{cite book|last=Higham|first=Charles|year=2001|title=The Civilization of Angkor|publisher=Phoenix|isbn=978-1-84212-584-7}}
* {{cite book|last=Higham|first=Charles|year=2003|title=Early Cultures of Mainland Southeast Asia|publisher=Art Media Resources|isbn=978-1-58886-028-6}}
* {{cite book|last1=Jessup|first1=Helen Ibbitson|last2=Brukoff|first2=Barry|title=Temples of Cambodia – The Heart of Angkor|location=Bangkok|publisher=River Books|date=2011|type=Hardback|isbn=978-6-16733-910-8}}
* {{cite book|last=Petrotchenko|first=Michel|year=2011|title=Focusing on the Angkor Temples: The Guidebook|publisher=Amarin Printing and Publishing|isbn=978-6-16305-096-0}}
* {{cite book|last=Ray|first=Nick|year=2002|title=Lonely Planet guide to Cambodia|edition=4th|isbn=978-1-74059-111-9}}

==External links==
{{Commons and category|Angkor Wat|Angkor Wat}}
{{wikivoyage|Angkor Archaeological Park}}
{{Contains special characters|Khmer}}
{{Contains special characters|Indic}}
* [https://www.topworldimages.com/streetview/Angkor_Wat Multimedia Resources of Angkor Wat] March 2023
* [http://poncar.de/gallery.cfm?kategorien_id=3 Angkor Wat and Angkor photo gallery by Jaroslav Poncar] May 2010

{{Angkorian sites|state=collapsed}}
{{SiemReapProvince}}
{{National parks of Cambodia}}
{{Buddhism topics}}
{{Authority control}}


[[Category:Angkor Wat| ]]
[[Category:1150 establishments in Asia]]
[[Category:Buildings and structures completed in 1150]]
[[Category:Religious buildings and structures completed in the 1150s]]
[[Category:12th-century Hindu temples]]
[[Category:12th-century Buddhist temples]]
[[Category:Angkorian sites in Siem Reap province]]
[[Category:Khmer Empire]]
[[Category:Archaeoastronomy]]
[[Category:Archaeological sites in Cambodia]]
[[Category:Buddhist pilgrimage sites in Cambodia]]
[[Category:Buddhist temples in Siem Reap province]]
[[Category:National symbols of Cambodia]]
[[Category:Tourist attractions in Cambodia]]
[[Category:Tourist attractions in Siem Reap province]]
[[Category:World Heritage Sites in Cambodia]]
[[Category:Articles containing video clips]]
[[Category:Hindu temples in Cambodia]]
[[Category:Vishnu temples]]