Khmer Temple Architecture

Timeline

1. c. 880–1000Roluos group, Angkor · CambodiaIn the 9th–10th centuries, typical prasat tower groups and temple-mountain prototypes appeared at sites such as Roluos; brick-and-stone construction and the placement of Hindu deity images established the basic vocabulary of Khmer temples.
2. 1081–1090Angkor region · CambodiaIn the later 11th century, Khmer craftsmen were already skilled in large-scale sandstone masonry and deep-relief narrative; buildings such as the Baphuon from the pre-Angkor Wat period reflect the maturity of the temple-mountain and god-king symbolic system.
3. c. 1113–1200Angkor Wat · Siem Reap ProvinceAngkor Wat, built by Suryavarman II, brought Khmer temple architecture to a classic paradigm: concentric galleries, a central sanctuary, a moat, and large-scale mythological reliefs form a complete model of the cosmos.