ANGKOR
WAT:
WHAT and WHERE According to “Angkor Wat,” the name itself,
“Angkor,” derives from a Sanskrit word meaning “holy
city.” “Wat,” of course, in Khmer means “temple.”
There is a single temple complex called “Angkor Wat,”
located near Siem Reap in northeast Cambodia, but
it has come to represent a whole complex of wonderful
temples and stonemasonry and artwork throughout the
area. It is the single largest religious structure
in the world, and surely one of the world’s wonders
of art and architecture. In fact, within an area
of 120 sq. miles, the ruins contain some of the most
imposing monuments in the world, including about a
thousand temples, mainly Hindu and some Buddhist;
the ancient city, however, had an extent some three
times that size, and was home to perhaps 750,000 people.
Source:
http://www.ucpress.edu/books/pages/9793/9793.ch01.html
HISTORY
Angkor Wat was conceived and constructed under Suryavarman
II (r. 1113—50). Angkor Wat and the complex of temples
surrounding it, planned as a sepulcher and a monument
to the divinity of the monarch and measuring about
1 sq mi (2.6 sq km), it is probably the largest religious
structure in the world. It was built at the height
of the Khmer Empire, which at the time controlled
Cambodia, Laos, much of Vietnam, and a portion of
Thailand.
The temple was dedicated to the Hindu god Vishnu (the
Supreme Being, master of the past, present, and the
future), and became the king’s temple and capital.
In the 14th or 15th centuries,
the temple was transformed into a Buddhist temple,
the royalty and residents converted to Theravada Buddhism—but
Hindu influence can still be seen throughout the temple
complex. What we know of the history of Angkor Wat
is derived mostly from a written account given by
a Chinese ambassador to the Khmer Empire. The Khmer
wrote on rendered palm leaves which do not last as
does paper, so we can only examine the structure itself
for the Khmer perspective.
Visit
Angkor Wat Even if it is virtually...
www.youtube.com is full of options!
Here is an amazing video we found online from
"valpard"
How
is this related to DIPLOMACY?
WHAT WE
THINK:
Check out the history below...it is Diplomats who have
protected - or not- this amazing structure. During the
Khmer Rouge, France cared for Angkor Wat and protected
it. This was a form of diplomacy. With this help, however,
comes a price...Cambodia does not have "control"
over this jewel of the world...at least not now. France
is still in charge and reaping the economic benefits.
Pro:
It is being restored with financial aid from other
countries, especially France.
Con:
Cambodia does not get the economic boom from admissions.
MORE
ON ANKOR WAT's
HISTORY
As
the Khmer Empire began to wane in the 15th
and 16th centuries, due in part to frequent
Thai invasions, the Khmer left the temple, moved their
capital to Phnom Penh, and Angkor Wat was soon overcome
with jungle, and, after a time was known only to the
natives.
The
city and temple were “rediscovered” by a Khmer king
and his entourage in the latter part of the 16th
century, and was also “discovered” by Spanish and
Portuguese traders, who were awestruck by its wonder
and beauty. The temple was “discovered” again by
the French in the 19th century.
Angkor
Wat has come to be a source of great pride for the
Khmer people of Cambodia—and increasingly an international
tourist destination—and they have it as a symbol on
their national flag.
more
links to
resources on the left
BIBLIOGRAPHY
“Angkor."
Yahoo! Education Encyclopedia. 15 Mar 2007.
