Angkor Wat
Siem Reap, Cambodia
- Deities
- Vishnu (originally)
- Traditions
- vaishnava
- Worship status
- heritage
- Coordinates
- 13.4125, 103.867
- Best time to visit
- November to February (dry, cooler season) for visiting the site comfortably.
- How to reach
- About 6 km north of Siem Reap city, which has its own international airport; reachable by tuk-tuk, bicycle, or car from the city.
Location
Open in Google MapsBuilt between 1113 and 1150 CE by the Khmer king Suryavarman II as a state temple originally dedicated to Vishnu (and originally named Vrah Vishnuloka, “the sacred dwelling of Vishnu”), Angkor Wat is the largest religious monument in the world and the best-preserved temple of the Angkor archaeological complex — notably, it was never completely abandoned, unlike most other Angkorian sites. It gradually transitioned to Buddhist use from the late 13th century onward and remains an active Buddhist site today, but its foundational architecture, iconography, and dedication are Hindu (Vaishnava) in origin, making it one of the most historically significant Hindu monuments ever built. It was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1992 (initially also listed as “in danger,” a designation removed in 2004) and is preserved primarily as a heritage and archaeological site rather than a site of ongoing Hindu worship.
Sources
- historical record: 12th-century Khmer construction (1113-1150) under Suryavarman II, its Vaishnava dedication, and later Buddhist transition are extensively documented in art-historical and archaeological scholarship; UNESCO World Heritage inscription (1992).
- historical record: Cross-checked during verification pass against Wikipedia: confirmed construction dates to 1113-1150 CE under Suryavarman II (r. 1113-c.1150), original dedication to Vishnu (temple originally named Vrah Vishnuloka/Parama Vishnuloka), gradual conversion to Buddhist use beginning in the late 13th century, and UNESCO World Heritage inscription in 1992 (the site was also listed as 'World Heritage in Danger' until that designation was removed in 2004). Angkor Wat is noted as unique among Angkorian temples for never having been completely abandoned.
For review
- Angkor Wat is today primarily a Buddhist and archaeological/heritage site, not a functioning Hindu temple; its Hindu origin and iconography are what place it in this directory.