A Look Into the Region

The Temple of Ankor Wat located in Cambodia about one kilometer south of the Royal town of Ankor Thom adorns the cover of this issue. This magnificent Temple constructed over a period of 30 years was dedicated to the Hindu God Vishnu by King Suryavarman II who reigned between AD 1131 and 1150. Illustrating some of the most beautiful examples of Khmer and Hindu art and covering an area of around 81 hectares the complex consists of five towers presently displayed on the Cambodian national flag. The towers are believed to represent the five peaks of Mount Meru, the Home of Gods and Center of the Hindu Universe. With the decline of the Ancient Khmer Empire, Ankor Wat was turned into a Buddhist Temple and continuously maintained, thereby helping in its preservation. In 1992, UNESCO's World Heritage Committee declared the monument, and the entire city of Ankor, a World Heritage Site.