Angkor Wat

Cambodia’s Angkor Archeological Park complex contains more than a thousand temples, each of which is visually in the form of a lotus blossom in accord with the structure's original Hindu influence. The most famous and most elaborate temple, Angkor Wat is known the world over as a symbol of Cambodia as well as the ancient Khmer civilization. This grandest monument to Khmer culture was constructed in the early 12th century of highly polished sandstone blocks fitted together with precisely cut seams and no mortar, in a manner reminiscent of the Egyptian pyramids. But interestingly, Angkor Wat was built from a volume of rock even greater than that of the Great Pyramid at Giza.

Much of this protected Angkor region is covered with rice fields or heavily forested, very possibly holding ancient treasures that remain to be rediscovered. All of Angkor spans an area greater than 154 square miles, with temples in conditions ranging from piles of rubble to restored tourist attractions.

Also of note, the Gallery of Bas-reliefs contains almost 13,000 square feet of sculpted carvings in the sandstone walls. These friezes depict scenes from ancient Hindu epic stories. It is meant to depict the entire cosmic world, and suggests that the best interpretive viewing and story appreciation might be achieved by turning right upon entering the compound and proceeding all the way around in that direction.