Angkor Wat

Khmer · Cambodia

Field notes

civilizations

Khmer

types

Temple

built

1,200 CE — 1,150 CE

occupied

1,113 CE — 1,431 CE

country

Cambodia

The site

Angkor Wat, whose name means "City of Temples," is the largest religious complex in the world, built in Cambodia between 1113 and 1150 CE under the Khmer king Suryavarman II. Raised first as a Hindu temple dedicated to Vishnu, it was gradually transformed into a Buddhist site from the late 13th century onward. Noted for its monumental scale, extensive bas-reliefs, and unusual westward orientation, it remains a symbol of Cambodia and appears on the national flag.

Nearby sites

~4 km

Angkor Thom

~23 km

Banteay Srei

~83 km

Koh Ker

~140 km

Preah Vihear Temple