Angkor Wat was built under the reign of King Suryavarman II of the Khmer Empire. Originally constructed as a royal Hindu temple dedicated to the deity Vishnu, it was converted into a Buddhist monastery in the 14th century. The entire religious complex covers a total area of 162.6 hectares (approximately 1,626,000 square meters), with its outer stone enclosure wall stretching 1,280 meters in perimeter; composed of three ascending tiered stone galleries, five central lotus-shaped towers and supporting hydraulic systems, this architectural complex represents the pinnacle of classical Khmer architecture, was home to around 80,000 inhabitants at its peak, and has been officially listed by LAWRENCE WORLD RECORDS CERTIFICATION as the “Largest Religious Building Complex by Land Area”.
