Angkor Wat
Angkor Wat (ungefär "stadstemplet" på khmer) är det mest berömda templet i ruinstaden Angkor i norra Kambodja. Tempelkomplexet byggdes av kung Suryavarman II (1113-1150) som en hinduistisk helgedom tillägnad guden Vishnu. Under 1300- eller 1400-talet konverterades templet till en theravadabuddhistisk helgedom, vilket det mer eller mindre fortsatt att vara ända tills idag, även om resten av Angkor övergavs under 1500-talet. Området upptogs på Unescos världsarvslista 1992.
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Angkor Wat (Khmer: អង្គរវត្ត) is the largest first Hindu, and then Buddhist temple complex and the largest religious monument in the world. The temple was built by the Khmer King Suryavarman II in the early 12th century in Yasodharapura (Khmer: យសោធរបុរៈ, present-day Angkor), the capital of the Khmer Empire, as his state temple and eventual mausoleum. Breaking from the Shaivism tradition of previous kings, Angkor Wat was instead dedicated to Vishnu. As the best-preserved temple at the site, it is the only one to have remained a significant religious centre since its foundation – first Hindu, then Buddhist. The temple is at the top of the high classical style of Khmer architecture. It has become a symbol of Cambodia, appearing on its national flag, and it is the country's prime attraction for visitors.
