Temple d'Angkor Vat, Angkor

 Temple d'Angkor Vat, Angkor

The largest (the world) and the most famous archaeological site of Angkor temple city, its towers are the symbol of Cambodia, we found the silhouette on the country flag. Since 1992, the temple was declared a World Heritage Site. 

Angkor Wat is a temple dedicated to the Hindu god Vishnu, whose construction began in the early 12th century during the reign of King Suryavarman II (1113-1150) lasted 37 years. Angkor Wat means "temple of the royal city."

Under the reign of Jayavarman VII, from 1181, the temple was adapted to the worship of Buddha and the central sanctuary redesigned, today it is still visited by Buddhist monks.

The Khmer architecture reached its peak here.

It was built on the principle of temple-mountain, that is to say, as a symbolic representation of Mount Meru, the abode of the gods. It is built of sandstone in various colors and laterite blocks.

The high walls are mountains, moats represent the ocean and the top of the temple, the residence of the gods.

Besides reaching the central sanctuary, you have to climb steep stairs to represent the difficulty of accessing the realm of the gods. But the effort is worth it, the view from this sanctuary is breathtaking.

Angkor Wat rises in a part of the ancient royal city of Yasodharapura, built in the late 9th century and is open to the West, unlike other Khmer temples.

Like most temples, it is protected by three successive speakers with external measuring 1.5km 1.3 km, surrounded by a moat of about 200m wide.

Each speaker is going through Gopura (gateway) decorated with Hindu motifs, images of the gods, mythical auspicious animals or floral decorations.

These monumental entrances lead to long paved walkways, the first of which is lined with rows of nagas (snakes).

On either side of the aisle, there are tanks and ancillary buildings. In Khmer architecture, the decor is present on all structural elements lintels, doors, galleries, foundations, walls.

In the galleries, the decorations are storied, they tell scenes of Hindu epics like the Mahabharata or the Ramayana, Buddhist or as various lives of the Buddha, or the events of history.

The shrine is at the center of Angkor Wat, on a platform which every angle is surmounted by a tower and center of a large pyramid-shaped tower.

Each side of the square base of the tower contains a small shrine and inside is the central sanctuary, originally dedicated to Vishnu and now occupied by statues of Buddhas.

The top of the temple has five towers in the shape of lotus buds, the highest peaks at 65 meters. The bas-reliefs on the walls of galleries represent warlike and religious as well as paintings of the life of everyday scenes.