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Wat?

© Maria Christensen

The name Angkor Wat can bring to mind mysterious pictures of thick, steamy jungles, stone ruins covered with vegetation and adventures of the Indiana Jones sort. In 1860, a Frenchman named Henri Mouhot had such an adventure when he stumbled upon the forgotten ruins of a once glorious temple complex in Cambodia, deep in the heart of the jungle. Restoration projects, begun after his discovery, had to be abandoned in 1972 when warfare broke out, but in recent years much has been done to restore the splendor of Angkor Wat.

What exactly is a Wat, you ask? Good question. A Wat is a Buddhist temple compound. They can be found all over Southeast Asia, though this article will focus on the Wats of Cambodia, Thailand and Laos, where they are the most prevalent. The composition of Wats, the uses, and of course the names of the structures that make up a Wat vary among cultures and with each Buddhist sect. Let's begin in Cambodia with the most well known of these structures.

Cambodia

The Khmer Empire, which gained power in 802, ruled over an area now made up by Cambodia, Thailand, Laos and Vietnam. Khmer civilization was at its height during the 11th and 12th centuries, and many of the finest examples of their architecture date from this time period. The Khmers had been introduced to Mahayana Buddhism by Indians who had settled in the area prior to the birth of the empire. Later, Theravada Buddhism, practiced by the Thais, became popular. The Khmers also worshipped Hindu gods and this mixture of beliefs helped shape Angkor Wat.

Temple compounds such as Angkor Wat were built to model the Hindu universe. Mount Meru, at the center of the universe was represented by the temple. Seven chains of mountains surrounded Mount Meru, represented by walls, and a moat represented the sea encircling the mountains. Angkor Wat was built in the 12th century by King Suryavarman II as the crown of the capital of Angkor, where many temples and impressive buildings were to be found spread over an enormous site. Enemies overran Angkor Wat in 1177 and a new capital was established at the splendid site of Angkor Thom, which encompassed temples, plazas, libraries, public baths and a royal palace among other edifices. The glory of these sites did not last long due to warfare. In 1432, Angkor Thom was abandoned to the jungle after the Thais attacked the city, and eventually faded from the memory of the Cambodians until rediscovered nearly 400 years later.

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