The Angkor Wat temple was constructed by king Suryavarman II, in the beginning of 12th century in the year of 1113 AD. Suryavarman II was one of the most conquering kings of the Khmer empire, who reigned in 1112-1152. The king could live and see his state temple of Angkor Wat at least 5 years before he died, The Angkor Wat is also considering as one of the largest religious Hindu temples in the world, and considering as the most using stone temple in the world as well. Angkor Wat estimated to use the sandstone and laterite approximately 300,000 millions tones and took to build about 35years.
Angkor Wat was originally served as a Hindu temple, which dedicated to honor of Vishnu (The Protector). It is only temple in the Angkorarea, which built facing to the west. Normally, all the religious temples built facing to the east.
The reason that Angkor Wat facing west, because due to this monument constructed to honor of God Vishnu, rather than the reason that this monument served as a funeral temple. However, we can notice that, most of the monumental temples built in stone at the Angkor period that remained today, those always served as funeral temples either facing east or facing west.
For example it served as temple when the king who built still alive, and became ashis tomb when the king died. Thus, the Angkor Wat was a tomb of Suryavarman II to embody with his god Vishnu when he just passed away from earth. This reason, because Vishnu associated to the west side of the universe,
SuryavarmanII took Lord Vishnu as his God, and when he died they cremated his body and then collected some his ashes to keep in a golden urn to burry underneath of a golden Vishnu statue riding on Garuda, that originally installed in a central chamber of the main tower of the Angkor Wat. This concept was the same concept to all the Khmer kings in the Angkor period. Because kings as gods, if he was a god he must has his posthumous name due to the name of god whom he believed, liked Suryavaman II had his posthumous name as Parama Vishnu Loka.
Angkor Wat took time to build approximately between 30 to 35 years, and saying that they used 4000 elephants including people suggested one person each family in around the kingdom, come to carry the sandstone from a quarry of Phnom (mountain ) Kulen which its distend about 55 km to northeast from Angkor.
Angkor Wat means City of Monastery, which came from the Sanskrit word of Nagara. Angkor Wat became as Buddhist temple in 16th to 19th century. When the capital of Angkor abandoned by the royal court after Thais sacked and destroyed.
Angkor Wat temple has a moat, which measured of 1300m by 1500m, and about 5.5 km surrounding its compound. The moat also has 190m cross and has water all yearround. As the same as any temple, Angkor Wat has a wall built of laterite. This wall is still very good condition and has a measure of 800m by 1000m.
Surrounding the wall of Angkor Wat, there are four entrances, but the three located on the north (Ta Leuk), on the east (Ta Ku) and on the south (Ta Pich) designed smaller and simpler with only one door way. While the western entrance (Ta Reach) built so elaborate with 200m long and designed with five doorways. These five doorways at the main entrance of Angkor Wat, we know that, one is in the middle for the king, royalty and his Brahmins using, while two other were people and king entourages using and the two more entrances located at the end of the gateway structure were used for transportation due to these gates have no stair, and they are just flat.
To cross the moat for going to the main entrance, there is a stone causeway, measured of 250m long, From the east side its causeway just built of dirt and very simple one. The causeway is symbolic of Rainbow Bridge,for making a connection from one world to another. While the moat surrounding the temple is symbolic of the ocean, and enclosing laterite wall is symbolic of mountains range at the edge of the universe, which represented to protect Mt. Meru. It was a mythical mountain to serve as a home for the Hindu Gods, and locatedin the center of the universe. Thus, Angkor Wat and all the Khmer temples in the Angkor period symbolized of Mt Meru a home for Hindu Gods living.
From that reason, Khmer temple has so fancy decorated detail carving every where from the bottom to the top of its structure. Because for the gods, they must live so fancy and sophisticated decoration. Besides, the temples are so beautiful ornamentation, its measurement, its scale and its proportion so on, built in a good harmonious symmetry with connected to sophisticated astrological concept as well.
The reason for this, that is why Angkor Wat constructed so perfect angle of the four directions, which facing in perfect condition to the east, west, north and south. Especially, when the time of equinox sunrise and sunset are perfect in the middle of its door frames and on the top of its towers.
