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Angkor Wat Complex
The Angkor Wat complex is a group of Angkorian capital ruins including Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom, and religious and administrative buildings such as th…
Timeline
- 1113–1150Angkor Wat · Siem ReapSuryavarman II built Angkor Wat, enshrining Vishnu in a Mount Meru-style tower temple, a pinnacle of Khmer architectural art that established Angkor's status as the empire's religious symbol.
- 1181–1218Angkor Thom · Siem ReapJayavarman VII newly built Angkor Thom north of Angkor Wat, centered on the Bayon, promoting Mahayana Buddhism as the state religion, adding hospitals, roads, and hydraulic facilities, pushing the capital's scale and religious functions to their peak.
- 1221–1230Angkor monuments area · Siem ReapIn the 1220s under Indravarman II, the Angkor complex still functioned as the imperial capital, with monastic and artisan communities maintaining religious rituals; however, large new construction projects decreased, pressure on hydraulic system maintenance increased, and imperial control over the lower Mekong began to weaken.
Sources
- Angkor and the Khmer Civilization — Michael D. Coe (2003)
- A History of Cambodia — David P. Chandler (2008)