-Largest religious monument in the world -Site measures approximately 155 square miles -Originally built as Hindu temple for the Khmer Empire- dediciated to Vishnu -Built by the Khmer King Suryavarman II in early 12th century as his state temple and eventual mausoleum -Gradually transformed into a Buddhist temple toward the end of the 12th century -Best-preserved temple at the site Combines two basic plans of Khmer temple architecture: the temple-mountain and the galleried temple -Designed to represent Mount Meru, the home of the deva(s) (benevolent deity) in Hindu mythology -A moat and an outer wall that is 2.2 mi long surround three rectangular galleries, each raised above the next -At the center of the temple stands a *quincunx of towers. -Unlike most Angkorian temples, Angkor Wat is oriented to the west; scholars are divided as to the significance of this -Oriented toward the West- WHY? -Suryavarman II may have intended it to serve as his funerary temple. This idea supported by counter-clockwise direction of narrative reliefs (reverse of the normal order)- rituals take place in reverse order during Brahminic funeral services -A container which may have been a funerary jar which was recovered from the central tower -Several other temples of Angkor depart from the typical eastern orientation- and suggests that Angkor Wat's alignment was due to its dedication to Vishnu, who was associated with the west.
-The main pyramid is surrounded by four corner towers; a temple-mountain -Corbelled gallery roofs; influenced by the Indian use of corbelled vaulting -The entire complex is made of stone; most surfaces are carved and decorated -Horror vacui of sculptural reliefs -Sculpture in rhythmic dance poses; repetition of shapes
--The complex has a mixed Buddhist/Hindu character -Mountain-like towers symbolize the five peaks of Mount Meru, a sacred mountain said to be the center of the spiritual and physical universe in both Buddhism and Hinduism.
–Dedicated to Vishnu; most sculptures represent Vishnu’s incarnations -May have been intended to serve as the king’s mausoleum -Hindu temples functioned primarily as the home of god.
Context
--Angkor Wat was the capital of medieval Cambodia, built by King Suryavarman II –The complex was built by successive kings, who installed various deities in the complex -The kings often identified themselves with the gods they installed