Angkor Wat

From Dawn Rooney’s “Angkor”:  "Angkor Wat, the largest monument of the Angkor group and one of the most intact, is an architectural masterpiece.  Its perfection in composition, balance, proportions, reliefs and sculpture make it one of the finest monuments in the world.  This temple is an expression of Khmer art at its highest point of development."

“Angkor Wat, according to Coedes, is a replica of the universe in stone and represents an earthly model of the cosmic world.  The central tower rises from the center of the monument symbolizing the mythical Mount Meru, situated at the center of the universe.  Its five towers correspond to the peaks of Meru; the outer wall to th emountains at the edge of the world; and the surrounding moat to the oceans beyond.”

“A study has shown that when Angkor Wat was laid out by the Khmers originally, the distances between certain architectural elements of the temple reflected numbers which were related to Hindu mythology and cosmology.  The positions of the bas-reliefs were regulated, for example, by solar movements.  Scenes on the east-west sides reflect those relating to the rising and setting of the sun.”