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| Angkor Wat Temple - 12th Century Capital City, Cambodia |
The history of the region begins with the Funan civilization that arose in the first century A.D. The Angkor period began in 802 A.D when King Jayavarman II returned from exile in Java to reclaim his throne. He founded his capital as the city of Angkor. The city flourished and grew, but the temple of Angkor Wat was not built for another 200 years. It was Suryavarman II who had the Hindu temple constructed as his own burial shrine. Later ruler, Jayavarman VII continued building at Angkor and created countless monuments, shrines and temples within the city. So many years of construction has created a vast complex of sandstone buildings, often compared to the massive construction projects seen in ancient Egypt.
Angkor was abandoned in the mid 1400s when the Thai armies invaded. With few records surviving from that time, there are no solid facts as to the historical events that took place. It's believed that the capital was moved to Phnom Penh around 1434.
Today, Angkor Wat temple is considered the largest religious structure in the world, and has been named a world heritage site. Restoration is ongoing, though unexploded land mines left over from the civil war are hindering efforts.The ruins of Angkor Wat were rediscovered in 1860 by a French botanist, Henri Mouhot, who was exploring the Cambodian jungles. This lost civilization was of great interest to Western archaeologists and historians who flocked to the site to learn more about the Khmer. Before the ruins were found, even the locals thought the existence of the temple city was likely a myth. Some who had seen the city said that it had been built by the Gods themselves.
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