Angkor Wat
The largest religious monument ever constructed, Angkor Wat covers 162 hectares in the Cambodian jungle — a 12th-century Khmer temple-mountain that has served Hindu and Buddhist worship without interruption for over 900 years.
At a glance
Built between 1113 and 1150 by Khmer Emperor Suryavarman II, Angkor Wat was conceived as both a state temple and a funerary monument, its five towers symbolising the five peaks of Mount Meru, home of the gods. Originally dedicated to the Hindu god Vishnu, it was gradually converted to Theravada Buddhism during the 13th century — a theological shift visible in the Buddhist iconography that overlays earlier Hindu carvings throughout the complex. The surrounding moat measures 1.5 km by 1.3 km; the central tower rises 65 metres. At ground level, a continuous bas-relief gallery stretching over two kilometres depicts scenes from Hindu cosmology and the life of Suryavarman II with forensic detail. Angkor Wat appears on the Cambodian national flag — the only building in the world to be honoured in this way by its country.
Key facts
- Built: 1113–1150 AD by Suryavarman II (Khmer Empire)
- UNESCO inscription: 1992 (Angkor complex)
- Scale: 162.6 hectares; central tower 65 m; outer moat 1.5 × 1.3 km
- Bas-relief gallery: 2 km continuous, the longest in the world
- Film appearances: Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (2001, dir. Simon West) — Ta Prohm used as the “Tomb of Ten Thousand Shadows”; In the Mood for Love (2000, dir. Wong Kar-wai); Two Brothers (2004, dir. Jean-Jacques Annaud)
- Access: Open daily 05:00–18:00; admission via Angkor Pass (1-day USD 37, 3-day USD 62)
History
Suryavarman II came to power in 1113 after defeating two rival claimants in battle. His reign marked the artistic and military zenith of the Khmer Empire, which at its height controlled territory stretching from present-day Vietnam to Myanmar. Construction of Angkor Wat began shortly after his coronation and continued for roughly four decades, requiring an estimated 300,000 workers and 6,000 elephants to transport sandstone blocks quarried at Phnom Kulen, 35 kilometres to the north, along a network of canals. Each stone was fitted without mortar, held in place by precise joinery and gravity — a technique that has allowed the structure to survive over eight centuries of monsoon seasons.
Following Suryavarman II’s death around 1150, the empire weakened and Angkor was briefly sacked by the Cham people of coastal Vietnam in 1177. His successor Jayavarman VII (r. 1181–1218) rebuilt the capital as the Buddhist city of Angkor Thom, two kilometres north, and it was during this period that Angkor Wat itself began its gradual theological transformation. Buddhist monks began to occupy the temple, adding statues and modifying iconography; the westward orientation, originally associated with funerary Hindu rites, was reinterpreted within Buddhist cosmology. From the 15th century onward, as the Khmer court moved south toward Phnom Penh, Angkor Wat remained the one major temple that was never fully abandoned — its small monastic community maintained it even as the surrounding city fell to the jungle.
Portuguese friar António da Madalena visited in 1586 and wrote of a temple “of such extraordinary construction that it is not possible to describe it with a pen.” The French naturalist Henri Mouhot, who visited in 1860, is often credited with “discovering” Angkor Wat in Western literature — though local populations and Buddhist pilgrims had always known its location. Systematic archaeological study began under the École française d’Extrême-Orient (EFEO) in 1908 and continues today under Cambodian and international authority, with UNESCO coordinating restoration work since the 1990s.
What you see
Approaching from the west along the 250-metre causeway, the five towers — arranged in a quincunx pattern — rise above the jungle canopy in a silhouette that has become synonymous with Cambodia itself. The outer enclosure wall measures 1,025 by 800 metres and is lined inside with an open gallery whose walls carry the great bas-relief narratives: the Churning of the Ocean of Milk (the longest single panel at 49 metres), the Battle of Kurukshetra from the Mahabharata, the armies of Suryavarman II on campaign, and a vivid 49-scene illustration of heaven and hell, with sinners condemned to specific tortures and the righteous ascending through celestial tiers. The sandstone surface retains traces of the original gilded paint and red lacquer that once covered the entire complex. The galleries are populated by 1,796 carved apsara (celestial dancers), no two with the same face, their hairstyles and jewellery catalogued by researchers as a precise index of 12th-century Khmer court fashion.
For Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (2001), director Simon West chose not Angkor Wat itself but Ta Prohm — a 12th-century Buddhist monastery two kilometres to the east — as the exterior of the “Tomb of Ten Thousand Shadows.” Ta Prohm was preserved in its overgrown state by the Archaeological Survey of India, which took on restoration of the Angkor complex from 1986 to 1993, specifically retaining the dramatic sight of giant spung trees (silk-cotton and strangler fig) whose root systems have grown through and over the stone walls. The scene in which Lara drops through the floor into a chamber below was filmed at the junction of Ta Prohm’s axial corridors, their roof stones partially collapsed. Angkor Wat proper appears in the film’s dawn sequences and provides the visual grammar for its jungle-ruin aesthetic.
Practical information
- Opening hours: Daily 05:00–18:00 (sunrise access begins at 05:00 for pass holders)
- Best time to visit: November–February (dry season; temperatures 20–32°C); sunrise visits require arriving by 05:00
- Duration: 3–4 hours for Angkor Wat alone; full Angkor complex (Angkor Thom, Ta Prohm, Bayon) requires a full day minimum
- Tip: The west-facing orientation means the façade is backlit at sunrise; for a front-lit view, visit in mid-morning. The inner sanctuary galleries are narrow and poorly lit — a small torch is useful.
Getting there
Siem Reap International Airport (REP) is the primary entry point, with direct connections from Bangkok, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Ho Chi Minh City, and Hong Kong. The airport is approximately 8 km from the Angkor complex. Tuk-tuks and cars are available at the airport and from any hotel; a tuk-tuk for a full day’s touring of the main circuit costs approximately USD 15–25. Angkor Pass ticket offices are located at the main entrance on Road 60, north of Siem Reap, and at Angkor Wat itself. Passes must be purchased before entering the complex.
Nearby
- Ta Prohm (2 km east) — the “Tomb Raider temple,” overgrown by giant tree roots; one of the most atmospheric sites in the Angkor complex
- Angkor Thom (2 km north) — walled Khmer capital of Jayavarman VII, containing the Bayon temple with 216 carved stone faces
- Banteay Srei (25 km northeast) — 10th-century temple in pink sandstone, with some of the finest decorative carving in all of Khmer art
- Tonlé Sap Lake (15 km south of Siem Reap) — the largest freshwater lake in Southeast Asia, sustaining floating villages of the Khmer fishing communities
Sources
- Wikipedia, “Angkor Wat” — en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angkor_Wat
- UNESCO World Heritage Centre, “Angkor” — whc.unesco.org/en/list/668
- EFEO (École française d’Extrême-Orient), Angkor research archive — efeo.fr
- Higham, C. (2001). The Civilization of Angkor. University of California Press.
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