Angkor Wat




Angkor Wat is the largest and most magnificent of all the Khmer temples built on this extraordinary site during the reign or Suryavaraman II during the first half of the 12th Century.  The entire Angkor Wat temple structure and grounds covers a rectangle 1.5 km by 1.3 km--according to some sources, it is the largest religious building ever built.  It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and you will find Angkor Wat listed on almost every unofficial list of "10 Greatest Man Made Wonders of the World." It is such a prominent part of Cambodian history and culture that it graces the nation's flag. The temple was originally constructed as a Hindu temple, but as Buddhism replaced Hindu as the Khmer religion, Angkor Wat was subtly transformed over time to reflect this new religious devotion. 

I have always wanted to visit Angkor Wat and it was the main reason I chose to visit Cambodia (along with the fact that you can enter the country easily, despite the COVID era). Of course, the Great Pyramids of Giza remain my favorite "Wonder of the World", but Angkor Wat is a close second and I was not disappointed by my visit. Rather than give you detailed discussion of this temple complex, I will simply leave you to enjoy a few selected pictures of the specific Angkor Wat temple (as opposed to all the temples nearby in the Angkor complex that I also visited).  

P.S.  As I mentioned, there are many dozen other temples in very close proximity to Angkor Wat.  It would take a person well over a week to make a complete tour--but I was able to see several highlights in my one-day visit.  It is this entire collection of temples that makes Ancient Angkor such a phenomenal place to visit, in addition to the magnificent and monumental Angkor Wat temple itself.























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