Angkor Wat

Angkor Wat (; Khmer: អង្គរវត្ត, 'City/Capital of Temples') is a Theravada Buddhist temple complex 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. From the late 13th century onward, the complex continued to be 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 characteristic of Khmer architecture, and unlike most Angkorian temples it is oriented toward the west. It is a national symbol of Cambodia and appears on the Cambodian national flag.

The temple was commissioned by the Khmer king 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. Its architectural design combines the temple-mountain and galleried temple forms characteristic of Khmer architecture. The overall layout is commonly interpreted as a symbolic representation of Mount Meru, a cosmological concept shared by both Hindu and Buddhist traditions. The complex is surrounded by a broad moat and enclosed by an outer wall, within which three progressively elevated galleries rise toward a central quincunx of towers.

From the late 13th century onward, Angkor Wat became predominantly associated with Theravāda Buddhism. The monument was adapted for Buddhist worship and has remained in continuous religious use, a factor that contributed to its preservation and to its enduring role as a major religious, cultural, and national symbol of Cambodia.