angkor wat mysterious smile of buddha?
Angkor Wat was built at the behest of the Khmer King Suryavarman II in the early 12th century in Yaśodharapura, the capital of the Khmer Empire, as his state temple and eventual mausoleum. Angkor Wat combines two basic plans of Khmer temple architecture: the temple-mountain and the later galleried temple. It is designed to represent Mount Meru, home of the devas in Hindu mythology: within a moat more than 5 kilometres (3 mi) long and an outer wall 3.6 kilometres (2.2 mi) long are three rectangular galleries, each raised above the next. At the centre of the temple stands a quincunx of towers. Unlike most Angkorian temples, Angkor Wat is oriented to the west; scholars are divided as to the significance of this. The temple is admired for the grandeur and harmony of the architecture, its extensive bas-reliefs, and for the numerous devatas adorning its walls.
angkor wat mysterious smile of buddha?
The world-famous temple of Angkor Wat is unquestionably the biggest reason for most of us who want to travel to Cambodia. However, just a few minute walk up north from the world’s largest religious building, the ancient city of Angkor Thom also holds priceless historical and cultural values. In this magnificent square complex, the smiling faces of Bayon Temple are considered the most intriguing feature that captivates the imagination and curiosity of not only millions of traveling already been here but also people from around the world. In fact, apart from Angkor Wat, the pictures of these mystical faces (often monochrome) might well be the first thing that comes to our mind when mentioning about Cambodia.