Commissioned by King Suryavarman II in the early 12th century, Angkor Wat was built as a state temple dedicated to the Hindu god Vishnu, at the center of the sprawling Khmer capital of Angkor.
Background
Angkor was, for a time, among the largest pre-industrial urban complexes in the world, supported by an extensive network of reservoirs and canals that sustained intensive rice agriculture across the region.
“Long after the city around it emptied, the temple itself never stopped being used.”
The Key Events
Angkor Wat gradually shifted from a Hindu to a Buddhist temple over subsequent centuries, and unlike much of the surrounding city, it was never fully abandoned, remaining a site of active worship even as Angkor's political power declined.
Legacy and Lasting Impact
French colonial-era surveys and later archaeological work, including LIDAR mapping in the 2010s, have revealed a much larger urban footprint around Angkor than previously understood. The temple now appears on Cambodia's national flag.
- Angkor Wat is the largest religious monument in the world by land area.
- LIDAR surveys have revealed an urban network far larger than earlier estimates.
- The temple appears on Cambodia's national flag.
References & Further Reading
- UNESCO World Heritage Centre, Angkor listing
- Michael Coe, *Angkor and the Khmer Civilization*
- Britannica, entry on Angkor Wat
- Journal of Archaeological Science, LIDAR survey findings on Greater Angkor
