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Angkor Wat (; Khmer: អង្គរវត្ត, 'City/Capital of Temples') is a Vaishnava Hindu and Theravada Buddhist temple complex in Siem Reap, Cambodia, and the largest religious complex in the world.

Located on a site measuring 162.6 hectares (1.6 km2; 401.8 acres) within the ancient capital of Angkor, it was constructed between 1113 and 1150 CE during the reign of the Khmer king Suryavarman II as a Hindu temple dedicated to Vishnu. From the late 13th century onward, the complex was gradually transformed into a Buddhist temple and has remained an active center of Buddhist worship for centuries. Angkor Wat is noted for its monumental scale, extensive bas-reliefs, and architectural unity characteristics of Khmer architecture. The temple was commissioned by Suryavarman II in Yaśodharapura, the capital of the Khmer Empire, as a state temple and is generally considered to have been intended as his mausoleum. From the late 13th century onward, Angkor Wat became predominantly associated with Theravāda Buddhism. Restoration was coordinated by the International Coordinating Committee for the Safeguarding and Development of the Historic Site of Angkor (ICC-Angkor), established in 1993 under UNESCO. The Angkor area was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1992. Angkor Wat is a major tourist attraction and attracts more than 2.5 million visitors every year.

The modern name Angkor Wat, means "Temple City" or "City of Temples" in Khmer language.

Angkor Wat was commissioned by the Khmer king Suryavarman II (ruled 1113–c.

Angkor Wat is unusual among the Angkor temples in that although it was largely neglected after the 16th century, it was never completely abandoned.

This city contained temples, including Angkor Wat—the largest religious monument—which dominated the site. 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 Siam.

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. 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.

Angkor Wat also served a practical purpose for the Khmer Empire as well, with its dam and resulting moats serving as both connections to the Angkor water network and a means of storing water between the monsoon and dry seasons of the region. Unlike most Khmer temples, Angkor Wat is oriented to the west rather than the east.

Angkor Wat is the prime example of the classical style of Khmer architecture—the Angkor Wat style—to which it has given its name.

Such reinterpretations contributed to Angkor Wat's continued use as a place of worship, distinguishing it from many other monuments of the Angkor region that were abandoned after the decline of the Khmer state.

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. 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 colonial and universal exhibitions in Paris and Marseille between 1889 and 1937.

Myths associated with Angkor Wat reflect the influence of Buddhist traditions that developed in Cambodia over several centuries. Local Cambodian traditions also reframed Angkor Wat within Buddhist cosmological narratives.

Angkor Wat and Angkor photo gallery by Jaroslav Poncar May 2010

Quick Facts

• Angkor Wat is a major tourist attraction and attracts more than 2.5 million visitors every year.
• The modern name Angkor Wat, means "Temple City" or "City of Temples" in Khmer language.
• Angkor Wat is noted for its monumental scale, extensive bas-reliefs, and architectural unity characteristics of Khmer architecture.
• Angkor Wat is the prime example of the classical style of Khmer architecture—the Angkor Wat style—to which it has given its name.
• From the late 13th century onward, Angkor Wat became predominantly associated with Theravāda Buddhism.

Source material: Wikipedia - "Angkor Wat". Adapted and summarized for DiscoverScroll. Original contributors are credited through the linked Wikipedia article. Read original on Wikipedia. CC BY-SA 4.0. Changes were made from the original.