The Angkorian Temples were built in the 12th Century, approximately between 1113 and 1150, during the

reign of Suryavarman II. He planned to build finish the temple before his death but he failed to see the finished temple and was buried in the centre of the temple. The temple was to become the greatest Angkor is a rich cultural site, and is located about 5.5 km north of the present town of Siem Reap in Cambodia. It is rich in ancient structures, the most important of them being the Angkor Wat (temple). Angkor Wat was built by the Khmer King Suryavarman II, as his state temple in the capital city of Angkor. It was dedicated to the Hindu God, Vishnu. The temple took 37 years to be built and had turned the people of the kingdom into slaves who worked hard to raise the temple. Though, initially a Hindu temple, it became an important Buddhist religious center, under the rule of Srindravarman who adopted Buddhism as the state religion. Outer Structure The temple complex is enclosed within a 190 m wide moat. A stretch of 30 m wide open ground separates the moat from the 4.5 m high outer wall that surrounds the temple on all four sides. Entry to the temple complex is guarded by an impressive architectural structure, which is on each side of the outer wall, is known as the gopura. Inside the walls lies an area of 820,000 square meters that not only has the temple, but also housed the entire city and the royal palace. Inner Structure The inner structure contains the temple, that stands on a raised terrace made of three rectangular galleries, rising to a central tower. The three galleries are believed by some to represent Brahma the creator according to Hindu mythology, the moon, and Vishnu the Hindu god who is supposed to be the preserver of all forms of life. The central tower forms a quincunx with the other towers on the gallery to represent mount Meru, surrounded by other peaks. Wat is Khmer for temple, and Angkor used to be there capital city of Cambodia, therefore the temple was named Angkor Wat. The temple is situated on a raised terrace higher than the city The materials used to construct Angkor Wat