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Angkor Wat Temple Complex

Type Object Region Cambodia Time c. 1113

Angkor Wat is a 12th-century Vishnu temple and capital core built by the Khmer Empire southwest of Angkor Thom, famed for its sandstone tower temple,…

Timeline

  1. c. 1113–1150Southern outskirts of Angkor Thom · AngkorSuryavarman II selected a terrace southwest of Angkor Thom and built a five-tower main temple dedicated to Vishnu, three-tiered galleries, and a moat, constructed of sandstone blocks carved with reliefs of mythological and royal scenes.
  2. 1161–1170Angkor Wat complex · CambodiaAfter the main structure was completed, Angkor Wat continued to function as a center of Vishnu worship and a royal ceremonial site, with monastic and artisan communities residing and maintaining it, jointly supporting the Angkor metropolitan area with the Khmer hydraulic system and surrounding temple groups.
  3. c. 1181–1220Angkor Wat · CambodiaAfter Jayavarman VII shifted the state religion to Mahayana Buddhism, Angkor Wat gradually transformed from a Hindu Vishnu temple into a Buddhist sacred site, becoming a national symbol of Cambodia and a pilgrimage destination for later generations.

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