More Research: What was Angkor Wat used for?

Wat - the Khmer name for 'temple', which was probably added to "Angkor" meaning 'city' or 'capital city', when it became a Theravada Buddhist monument, most likely in the sixteenth century. 

Located in Cambodia and the largest religious monument in the world. It was first a Hindu and later a Buddhist temple. It was built by 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. Breaking from the Shaiva tradition of previous kings, Angkor Wat was instead dedicated to Vishnu. After 1432 when the capital moved to Phnom Penh, Angkor Wat was cared for by Buddhist monks.



As the best-preserved temple at the site, it is the only one to have remained a significant religious center since its foundation. The temple is at the top of the high classical style of Khmer architecture. When it was excavated, archaeologists found no signs of human dwellings, utensils, weapons, or other signs of human life.

The initial design and construction of the temple took place in the first half of the 12th century, during the reign of Suryavarman II (ruled 1113 – c. 1150). Dedicated to Vishnu, it was built as the king's state temple and capital city. As neither the foundation stela nor any contemporary inscriptions referring to the temple have been found, its original name is unknown, but it may have been known as "Varah Vishnu-lok" after the presiding deity.

Vishnu:     Vishnu is a Hindu god, the Supreme God of Vaishnavism (one of the three principal denominations of Hinduism) and one of the three supreme deities (Trimurti) of Hinduism. He is also known as Narayana and Hari. As one of the five primary forms of God in the Smarta tradition, he is conceived as "the Preserver or the Protector" within the Trimurti, the Hindu Trinity of the divinity.

It is designed to represent Mount Meru, home of the devas in Hindu mythology: within a moat 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 ogival, redented towers shaped like lotus buds. Within the buildings there are half-galleries to broaden passageways; axial galleries connecting enclosures; and the cruciform terraces which appear along the main axis of the temple. 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.

Devata:      Deva is the Hindu term for deity; devatas, are a kind of smaller more focused devas. The term "devata" also means devas (deva in plural form or the gods).

1. 

   Example of an Agkor Wat devata

   
   

Most of the visible areas are made of sandstone blocks, while laterite was used for the outer wall and for hidden structural parts. The binding agent used to join the blocks is yet to be identified, although natural resins or slaked lime has been suggested.

In the late 13th century, Angkor Wat gradually moved from Hindu to Theravada Buddhist use, which continues to the present day. Angkor Wat is unusual among the Angkor temples in that although it was somewhat neglected after the 16th century it was never completely abandoned, its preservation being due in part to the fact that its moat also provided some protection from encroachment by the jungle.

http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/ancient-mysteries/angkor-wat-temples?source=relatedvideo


What I want to include:

• Located in Yaśodharapura the capital of the Khmer Empire, Cambodia
• Built in the early 12th century
• Constructed by King Suryavarman II (ruled 1113 – c. 1150)
• Built to dedicate the Hindu god Vishnu
• Decorated with and extensive amount of detailed bas-reliefs of devatas
• Transitioned into a Theravada Buddhist temple in the late 13th century