Angkor Wat

Angkor Wat was dedicated to the Hindu god Vishnu, the preserver of the world. A gigantic three-step pyramid is adorned by nine slender towers of enormous height. The steps of the pyramid are capped by galleries. Framed by an enclosure wall and a majestic moat, the temple covers 2.5 square kilometres. King Suryavarman II (1118-1148/50) built his state temple in the southeast quarter of Yasodharapura. This is why Angkor Wat is orientated to the West.ii The biggest temple in the world and the summit of Khmer architecture, Angkor Wat has incredible dimensions, incredible spaces of reliefs; reliefs are literally everywhere. In Angkor Wat there are more than two thousand Devata (Goddesses or Deities, commonly mixed up with the Apsara).Though it is called 'Angkor Wat' ('City of the Buddhist Monastery'), it has never been a town or capital,
but it is a genuine temple, in the 16th century its name was 'Brah Bisnulok' ('Holy Place of Vishnu'). Later on
Buddhist Monks erected a monastery inside of the temple's compound. And: Angkor Wat is not a mausoleum; Angkor Wat is a straight pyramid temple.Coming from the West we stand in front of a wide moat. It covers nearly the same space as the temple complex within it.

A sandstone causeway spans the moat, leading to a large building, the West Gopura. Three towers are marking entrance gates. Two more entrances are at the far away ends of the lateral galleries. The West
Gopura is a few meters wider than the west face of the temple. We get familiar with the huge horizontal dimensions of this temple plant. The horizontal structure is similar to the west face of the pyramid, where we will find again three towers, and the large outer gallery with corner pavilions.