Angkor Wat Temple Complex

Timeline

1. c. 1113–1150Ancient city of Angkor · Siem Reap ProvinceSuryavarman II ordered the construction of Angkor Wat as a state temple dedicated to Vishnu, employing large numbers of craftsmen and laborers, building the five-tower Mount Meru main sanctuary in sandstone with surrounding relief galleries, showcasing the pinnacle of Khmer architecture and Hindu cosmology.
2. 1200–1300Angkor Wat · Siem Reap ProvinceFrom the late 13th century, Angkor Wat gradually transformed from a Vishnu state temple into a Theravada Buddhist monastery, continuously used by monks. The capital's departure from Angkor occurred in the 15th century (traditional dating: fall to Ayutthaya in 1431), so the conversion cannot be attributed to the capital having moved in 1411–1420.
3. c. 1431–1860Angkor monument complex · Siem Reap ProvinceAfter the Siamese capture of Angkor, the ancient city was gradually covered by jungle; the Angkor Wat complex survived under monastic maintenance, and after Henri Mouhot's 19th-century expedition and reports drew Western attention, it became a national symbol of Cambodia and a World Cultural Heritage site.