Satellite Photos Of Ancient Cambodian Monastery

If you play Mortal Kombat or Tomb Raider, you’ve probably been there – at least on the XBox. But the place really exists.

Angkor Wat is one of the marvels of the world – a vast network of temples in the jungles of Cambodia, dating back eight hundred years. Initially, it was a Hindu religious center during the reign of King Suryavarman II in the 1100’s of the Common Era. (To put this into context for global history buffs, this was during the reign of King Stephen in England – last descendant of William the Conqueror – as well as the decline of the Mayan empire in North America, the height of China‘s Song Dynasty, and was just prior to Nur ad-Din, who unified the Muslim Middle East into a cohesive empire.) It  became a Buddhist monastery about 300 years later. Neglected for about 500 years, it was never completely abandoned.

Today, it the national symbol of Cambodia. In fact, riots ensued in Phnom Penh in January of 2003 when a TV actress from Thailand claimed that the complex had been built by kings of Siam. In any event, it has appeared on Cambodia’s flag since the 1860’s, and in fact is the only building to appear on any national flag.

Angkor Wat has been undergoing some considerable restoration over the past forty years. You can see some of this architectural marvel in this detailed satellite photo from NASA that was published last week. Click on the image below to see the full-sized image (3000 px. square).

Via NASA

If you play Mortal Kombat or Tomb Raider, you’ve probably been there – at least on the XBox. But the place really exists.

Angkor Wat is one of the marvels of the world – a vast network of temples in the jungles of Cambodia, dating back eight hundred years. Initially, it was a Hindu religious center during the reign of King Suryavarman II in the 1100’s of the Common Era. (To put this into context for global history buffs, this was during the reign of King Stephen in England – last descendant of William the Conqueror – as well as the decline of the Mayan empire in North America, the height of China‘s Song Dynasty, and was just prior to Nur ad-Din, who unified the Muslim Middle East into a cohesive empire.) It  became a Buddhist monastery about 300 years later. Neglected for about 500 years, it was never completely abandoned.

Today, it the national symbol of Cambodia. In fact, riots ensued in Phnom Penh in January of 2003 when a TV actress from Thailand claimed that the complex had been built by kings of Siam. In any event, it has appeared on Cambodia’s flag since the 1860’s, and in fact is the only building to appear on any national flag.

Angkor Wat has been undergoing some considerable restoration over the past forty years. You can see some of this architectural marvel in this detailed satellite photo from NASA that was published last week. Click on the image below to see the full-sized image (3000 px. square).

Via NASA