Angkor Wat (English)/
យសោធរបុរ (Khmer)
Angkor Wat, or translated to English, Temple City, is a Buddhist Temple located in Krong Siem Reap, a small resort town in Northern Cambodia. (1) Surprisingly, the original name to the complex was lost to history, and the building received a generic Khmer name later on. (2) A popular theory justifying the lack of name is that the building was so significant at the time that a name was not needed. The site is the largest religious building in the world and was constructed by the Khmer Empire, located in modern day Laos, Thailand, and Cambodia. (3)
Angkor Wat was originally constructed as a Hindu Temple by Emperor Suryavarman II around 1116 CE but later recommissioned as a Buddhist Temple at the end of the twentieth century. (4)
Pictured below are the five towers representing Mount Meru, constructed out of sandstone and laterite (8), (9)
Purpose and Use
Angkor Wat was originally constructed as a Mausoleum for Emperor Suryavarman. The temple had many ties to Hinduism, and as such, was dedicated to the Hindu gods Shiva, Vishnu, and Brahma. Rather than be used as a religious worship center, the site was constructed to be a home of the gods.(5) Located in the Khmer capital city of Angkor, the temple was sacked by the Cham, and Khmer relocated its capital to Angkor Thom. The building then became an important monument to Buddhism and its Hindu art and sculptures were replaced with Buddhist works. The temple is now used by Buddhist monks, who maintain the site with aid from UNESCO. (6) In addition to Buddhist monks, Angkor Wat is a well-known landmark attracting thousands of tourists every year.
Design
Angkor Wat features five towers located in the center of the complex, which represent Mount Meru, which the Hindi believe to be the dwelling of the gods and the center of the Universe. (7) The Mountain is believed to be surrounded by an ocean, and following suit, Angkor Wat is surrounded by a vast moat, with a 617 foot bridge allowing tourists and monks to travel to and from the temple complex.
The Moat of Angkor Wat was dredged of silt and sandstone and a new, polyethylene air bag floating bridge allows visitors to cross to the complex, pictured at the bottom right on the image below. (10),(11)
My personal sketch of Angkor Wat, highlighting the symmetry of the temple complex itself, the symmetry of the temple complex and its reflection on the moat, and the strong sense of line, separating the complex from its surroundings.
Inside Angkor Wat
Inside Angkor Wat temple ruins near Siem Reap, Cambodia (12)
The image on the right is one of the pools constructed in Angkor Wat. There are two parallel pools between the two libraries and the central galleries, seen on the map below.
Architectural Drawings
A map of the base of Angkor Wat. The main entrance is on the East and the back entrance is the bridge on the East. (13)
Pictured to the left is the structure for the library in Angkor Wat. In the image above, the libraries are seen in the western portion of Angkor Wat, inside the walls of the structure. A Phyleam is a Cambodian unit of measurement equal to roughly two meters. A cubit is approximately half a meter. (14)
Who was the architect?
Suryavarman II, reigning King of Khmer and architect of Angkor Wat achieved many feats during his lifetime. He became King after murdering his Uncle, who was King of Khmer at the time. Doing so unified the Empire of Khmer after 50 years of fragmentation. Suryavarman II added hundreds of statues of himself, depicted as the main Hindu God Vishnu. His statues are seen reviving troops, captivating large crowds, and other godly activities. Suryavarman II also allied with China to discourage others from attacking Khmer then proceeded to invade other nations, such as Dai Viet. (15)
Angkor Wat Surroundings
Near the entrance of Angkor Wat is the rural Cambodian village of Krong Siem Reap. Locals and stray animals cross through the streets, living almost as if they were unaware of nearby Angkor Wat.
Locals serve the tourists, selling them various drinks and bringing them to and from the temple complex. (16)
Who lives around Angkor Wat? Cláudia, a Portugese English speaker volunteers in the village of Krong Siem Reap to teach local school children ages nine to fifteen how to speak and undertsand English. She notes "the young monks [are] very friendly and welcoming - but also shy." Asside from visiting Angkor Wat, Cláudia also explores nearby mountains, beaches, jungles, and floating villages. (17)
Angkor Wat as seen on Flickr
Color, Line, and Symmetry stand out to me the most in this image. For color, the image was taken at sunset, and the bright blue and orange starkly contrast the black silhouette of Angkor Wat, forming a strong line between the two. Because of the moat, an almost perfect reflection appears on the water of Angkor Wat, bringing out a strong sense of symmetry.
The two strongest qualities in this are light and symmetry. The bright blue and white sky contrasts the archaic, dark temple. The temple is also perfectly symmetric.
The most important quality of this image is balance. Angkor Wat is on the right side of the image, and palm trees lie on the left. Both have spires and balance each other so there is a general jaggedness across the image.
The most important qualities of this image are color and texture. The changing colors draw you into the temple, seeking more encouraging you to explore. In this image, the walls of the temple are visible and one can sough the roughness of the building, instilling the idea that the temple has existed considerably longer than you or even humans, encouraging you to believe it was built by the divine.
The most significant qualities in this image are symmetry and light. The building is perfectly symmetrical, encouraging the viewer to believe it was perfectly designed and laid out, perhaps by a divine figure. Furthermore, the voids between the columns allow for light to easily penetrate the complex, creating stark contrasts between brightly lit areas and hidden, mysterious sections. (18)
The Blonde Abroad Review
Kiersten visited Angkor Wat and created a blog about her tips and what she learned about her travels. The most significant thing I learned was that it was best to see the complex over two days, and completely pack the two days. I enjoyed reading her perspective about traveling because I try to do similar when I travel. When she travels, she explicitly avoids the touristy areas and tries to meet the locals and experience their culture. Although Angkor Wat is touristy compared to the rest of Cambodia, in general, Angkor Wat is significantly less visited than other landmarks, like the Leaning Tower of Pisa, the Statue of Liberty, or the Forbidden Palace. When I travel, I see both tourist areas but also try to experience the local life. (19)
Cambridge University's Antiquity's Journal Review
The article "Angkor Wat: an introduction" was written to briefly explain what Angkor Wat is, its purpose, and common misconceptions. For instance, the site actually served as an entire city, rather than one prayer site. Furthermore, Angkor Wat is one of the few temples that faces West. The deities of Vishnu (the main Hindu God) all face East, supposedly towards Vishnu. However, as the temple is dedicated to Vishnu, it faces West so Vishnu can see his inferiors. In addition, the journal notes that the temple was left uncompleted, like many other Khmer temples, because construction for specific buildings only took place during the reign of the leader who ordered the construction. (20)
"The Mysteries of Angkor Wat: Exploring Cambodia's Ancient Temple"
Sobol's novel focuses on Angkor Wat through the perspective of a local child. Upon arriving to the temple complex, Sobol was greeted by several children, selling various ware in attempts to make a profit. Sobol talked to the children who surprised him with their English skills and knowledge of United States geography. They showed him around Angkor Wat and gave him a better understanding of the daily lives of the Khmer and the Cambodians. (21)
Angkor Wat: Time, Space, and Kingship
Mannikka's novel dicusses Angkor Wat and the Khmer Empire. Khmer (Funan in Chinese, similar to Phnom, the capital) was founded by the marriage of Kaundinya and Soma. The book delves deep into the architectural design of Angkor Wat and includes detailed descriptions of the construction, in the local units of cubits and phyeams, and explains the symbolism behind each carving inside of Angkor Wat. Mannikka explains why each room was constrcuted the way it was to honor Hindu Gods; for example, Vishnu is located in the Northwestern portion of the complex, which is the north celestial pole at Angkor Wat's latitude. (22)