11. Angkor Wat

Angkor Wat, Cambonia

Angkor Wat is the largest monument of the Angkor group and one of the most intact, is an architectural masterpiece. Its perfection in composition, balance, proportions, reliefs and sculpture make it one of the finest and biggest monuments in the world. This temple is expression of Khmer art at its highest point of development.Angkor Wat is a region of Cambodia that served as the seat of the Khmer Empire, which flourished from approximately the 9th to 15th centuries. The word Angkor is derived from the Sanskrit nagara , meaning "city".Wat is the Thai name for temple , which was probably added to Angkor when it became a Theravada Buddhist monument. 

Angkor Wat was designed by Divakarapandita, the chief adviser and minister of the king, who was a Brahmin with divine honours. The Khmers attribute the building of Angkor Wat to the divine architect Visvakarman. Construction began early in the reign of king Suryavarman II and because his name appears posthumously in the bas-reliefs and inscriptions. The estimated time for construction of the temple is about 30 years.

The ruins of Angkor are located amid forests and farmland to the north of the Great Lake. The temples of the Angkor area number over one thousand.. Many of the temples at Angkor have been restored, and together, they comprise the most significant site of Khmer architecture. 

Angkor Wat is the prime example of the classical style of Khmer architecture. By the 12th century Khmer architects had become skilled and confident in the use of sandstone  as the main building material. Most of the visible areas are of sandstone blocks, while literate was used for the outer wall and for hidden structural parts. The binding agent used to join the blocks is yet to be identified, although natural resins or slaked lime have been suggested.

Architectural Plan

The plan of Angkor Wat is difficult to grasp when walking through the monument because of its enormity. Its complexity and beauty both attract and distract one's attention. From a distance, Angkor at appears to be a colossal mass of stone on one level with a long causeway leading to the centre, but close up it is a series of elevated towers, covered galleries, chambers, porches and courtyards on different level linked by stairways.

It is recommended that you read this section and study the ground plan before visiting the temple, then keep this guide close at hand while looking at the different elements, particularly the bas reliefs. At 65 metres (213), the height of Angkor Wat from the ground the top of the central tower is greater than it might appear, achieved by using three rectangular or square platforms (1-3). Each one is progressively smaller and higher than the one below, starting from the outer limits of the temple. Covered galleries with columns define the boundaries of the first and the second platforms.

Construction techniques

The stones, as smooth as polished marble, were laid without mortar with very tight joints that are sometimes hard to find. The blocks were held together by mortise and tenon joints in some cases, while in others they used dovetails and gravity. The blocks were presumably put in place by a combination of elephants, coirropes, pulleys and bamboo scaffolding. Henri Mouhot noted that most of the blocks had holes 2.5 cm in diameter and 3 cm deep, with more holes on the larger blocks. Some scholars have suggested that these were used to join them together with iron rods, but others claim they were used to hold temporary pegs to help manoeuvre them into place.

The monument was made out of enormous amounts of sandstone, as much as Khafre's pyramid in Egypt (over 5 million tons). This sandstone had to be transported from Mount Kulen, a quarry approximately 25 miles (40 km) to the northeast. The stone was presumably transported by raft along the Siem Reap river. This would have to have been done with care to avoid overturning the rafts with such a large amount of weight. One modern engineer estimated it would take 300 years to complete Angkor Wat today. Yet the monument was begun soon after Suryavarman came to the throne and was finished shortly after his death, no more than 40 years.