The Temples ofANGKOR WAT

Siem Reap - Cambodia

The Flag

• In varying forms , the Kingdom of Cambodia has had as its icon the temples of Angkor Wat.

• The significance of this religious land mark is emphasised by its placement on the flag.

Time line

• The temples of Angkor Wat were built in the Angkor period.

• It was a significant period in Cambodian history as the Khmer empire consolidated itself as one of the great powers of the South –East Asian region.

• The period covers more than 600 years , from 802 – 1432.

• These temples were built in the city of Angkor Thom

• The temples wee originally built as places of Hindu worship .

• Many of the Bas-reliefs tell the stories of battles with foreign invaders, worship of Hindu gods and daily life in Cambodia.

• The temples take the shape of mountains.

• This aqua photograph highlights the significance of water as a life giving force in Hindu worship.

From Hinduism to Buddhism

• Angkor Wat was restored as a Buddhist shrine in the 1600s.

• It is a significant place of Buddhist worship today, with Buddhist shrines present throughout the complex.

Jungle Temples

• After several invasions from foreign countries and a weakening of the Khmer Empire, the temples of Angkor were over-run by the jungle.

• Sandstone has eroded and the structures have become weak.

• Bat droppings have also significantly damaged the temples.

• The Khmer Rouge damaged large parts of the temples – decapitating the Hindu gods etc.

• General pilfering has also taken its toll.

Restoration

• Many countries are contributing to the expensive task of restoring the temples.

• Countries such as France, Japan and the United States have undertaken significant projects to restore the temples.

• It is a costly and slow process.• A process which the Cambodian people

are most supportive of asthey are very proud of their temples.

• Angkor’s 100 or more temples are a part of a complex devoted to religious worship. It is the larges area of land devoted to religious worship in the world.

• Each temple and structure reveals a significant religious practice or aspect of the way of life at the time of the Angkor period.