Though Angkor Archaeological Park houses many temples, Angkor Wat is unequivocally the largest and most famous of all the temples in the park.Angkor Wat was built in the early 12th century by King Suryarman ll who reigned from approximately 1113-1150 A.D. Covering 4000 square kilometers, the temple itself took 30 years to complete and is where Khmer kings worship and pray for the protection of their people and kingdom.
Angkor Wat is surrounded by a moat 190 meters wide. During the wet season, the water in the moat mirrors the splendid beauty of the complex. Angkor Wat has only two entrances, the east entrance and the west entrance, both of which are guarded by statues of Vishnu. Upon entering Angkor Wat, visitors will see a large, imposing square column. On all four sides of this huge column are relief sculptures – each telling a different story. The first wall depicts how the Angkor Empire was built and how the king and his generals planned to fight in battlefields. The second depicts Hindu reincarnation – good deeds in this life will ensure a better next life; whereas evil deeds will demote you for your next life. The third wall tells how Vishnu protracted the kingdom and her people. And the last wall shows how the people revered, praised and glorified their god-king.Also in Angkor Archaeological Park is Angkor Thom, a magnificent Buddhist temple city built at the end 12th century by King Jayavarman VII. Within the Angkor Thom complex, 3.3 north of Angkor Wat is the Bayon Temple. Its most distinctive features are its 54 towers, each with 4 faces, with a total of 216 smilling faces all resembling King Jayavarman VII. The Angkor Thom complex includes other temples such as Baphuon, the Elephant Terrace, Phimeanakas and the Terrace of the Leper King.
Angkor City was the capital of the Khmer Empire from the 9th to the 15th century. Unfortunately, in 1431 (recent research puts it at 1444) the Siamese captured and sacked Angkor. Temples were destroyed and its inhabitants were driven to the south. From then on, Angkor was abandoned, leaving Angkor Wat and Angkor Thom to ruin. It was not until 22 January 1860, that French explorer Alexandre Henri Mouhot brought Angkor to the world´s attention. At the time of his "discovery," there were more than 600 temples and other structures at Angkor Wat. Though the temples of Angkor were closed again to the outside world in the 1970s and 1980s, today, it is the showpiece of Cambodia – it is once again open to the world. Blessed with peace and a stable government under King Norodom Sihanouk, the people of Cambodia are determined to work hard to regain the glory of their past, symbolized by Angkor Wat.