Angkor Wat stands as the largest religious monument in the world. While millions of tourists visit this Cambodian wonder every year, the stone towers hide secrets that even experts recently discovered. For instance, the temple contains more building material than the Egyptian pyramids. Furthermore, the original architects designed the entire structure to align perfectly with the sun during the equinox. Prepare to enter the jungle.
Angkor Wat
Builders used more stone here than the Egyptians used for the Great Pyramid. Specifically, the structure contains millions of sandstone blocks, which creates a volume greater than the famous wonder in Giza.
The temple faces west instead of the traditional east. Because Hindu culture associates the west with death, scholars believe the king designed it as a massive tomb.
Researches recently found 200 hidden paintings on the walls. By using digital enhancement tools, they revealed invisible images of elephants, boats, and musical instruments.
The complex mirrors the stars in the constellation Draco. Interestingly, the placement of the major temples matches the pattern of this specific star formation perfectly.
Workers floated the heavy stones down a series of canals. They transported the sandstone blocks from a quarry 25 miles away using the power of water.
The central tower aligns with the sunrise during the equinox. Twice a year, the sun rises directly behind the main spire, which creates a spectacular silhouette.
The name “Angkor Wat” actually means “City of Temples.” However, the original name was likely “Vrah Vishnuloka,” which translates to the “Sacred Dwelling of Vishnu.”
Engineers built the temple without any mortar or cement. Instead, they ground the stones together so tightly that you cannot even slide a piece of paper between them.
The moat holds a massive volume of water to stabilize the foundation. This water pushes against the earth, which prevents the heavy temple from sinking into the soft jungle soil.
It took only 35 years to complete the entire construction. In contrast, European cathedrals from the same era often took centuries to finish.
The bas-reliefs follow a counter-clockwise direction. This unusual reversal further supports the theory that the king intended the site to serve as part of his funeral rites.
Cambodia features the temple on its national flag. In fact, it is one of only two countries in the world to put a building on their official flag.
Jacqueline Kennedy visited the site during the Vietnam War. She risked her safety to see the ruins in 1967, which brought massive global attention to the country.
The site once supported a population of nearly one million people. At that time, London was a tiny village with only 50,000 residents.
Monks have lived there continuously for centuries. Although the jungle consumed other nearby temples, Buddhist monks maintained Angkor Wat, so it was never truly “lost.”
