All language subtitles for angkor.land.of.the.gods.s01e01.empire.rising.webrip.x264-underbelly[eztv]

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Narrator: It's the story
of a young prince

with great ambition,

a king who took power by force.

A ruler who built his legacy

in the form of
a spectacular temple...

towering 100 feet
above the Taj Mahal,

and containing more stone than
the great pyramid of Giza.

It is the largest
sacred structure

anywhere on the face
of the earth.

Cambodia's extraordinary
Angkor Wat.

Early western visitors were so
awestruck by the ancient temple,

they believed it was built
by Alexander the Great

or the ancient Romans.

Of course, they were wrong.

The builders of Angkor Wat
were the ancient Khmer,

the great and mysterious
civilization that dominated

much of Southeast Asia
for six centuries,

and left behind one of the
greatest architectural wonders

ever created by human hands.

On a lush plain,

deep in the tropical forest
Of northwestern Cambodia,

lie the ruins of
the ancient city of Angkor.

Once the sprawling capital
of the vast Khmer empire,

today, Angkor is still
a sweeping landscape--

400 square miles

where more than 1,200
ancient temples still survive.

Architectural masterpieces
fantastically carved

from tens of millions of tons
of local sandstone.

The famous temples were built
over a span of five centuries.

They endure today as one of the
world's greatest treasure troves

of art, archaeology and history.

But the city of Angkor
was eventually abandoned

as the Khmer capital,

and its temples were swallowed
by the jungle,

forgotten by the outside world.

Not until the 19th century

was the most famous of
all the angkor structures

brought to the attention
of the west.

In January of 1860,

the French naturalist
Henri Mouhot wrote,

"One of these temples,

a rival to that of Solomon,

and erected by some ancient
Michelangelo

might take an honorable place

beside our most beautiful
buildings."

"It is grander than anything
left to us by Greece or Rome."

He was describing the splendor
of Angkor Wat.

When Smithsonian magazine listed

"28 places to see
before you die,"

it called Angkor Wat
a temple "so magnificent

it could only have been built
by divine inspiration."

And so it was.

Inspired by gods,

built by a man you've
probably never heard of,

but whose story is one of
the world's great legends.

Hi, my name is Yul Kwon,

and it's my honor to take you
on a journey back in time

to discover
the secrets of Angkor

and relive the adventures
of its creator,

a ruler called
Suryavarman II.

900 years ago,

he led the Khmer empire
in what is today Cambodia,

and this temple is his legacy.

More than a million people
visit here every year,

overcome by its size
and grandeur.

But if you think
this place is beautiful now,

just wait till you see it
in its glory days.

This is the story of Angkor Wat.

In the 12th century A.D.,

a young man with royal blood
was coming of age

in the Khmer countryside.

At that time, the Khmer empire
controlled large portions

of modern Southeast Asia,

including the prince's home of
Lopburi, northwest of Angkor.

The royal prince was said to be
a skilled warrior,

brave and wise beyond his years.

He came to the attention
of a prominent Hindu priest,

Divakara Pandita, a religious
leader with great influence

in matters of state.

Ambitious, royal
and well-connected,

Suryavarman II began
to dream of becoming king

and ruling the vast
Khmer empire.

Under the rule of
Dharanindravarman,

the turn of the 12th century

was a time of chaos and
fragmentation in the kingdom.

His reign was marked by
power struggles and turmoil.

The aging Dharanindravarman
was an ineffectual ruler

who never succeeded
in bringing order

to his sprawling territories.

Opposing factions arose
throughout the empire.

The young prince's clan gained
influence in the north,

while the older royal clans
were pushed south.

Divakara Pandita and
other powerful priests

backed the young prince,
hoping he could unify the empire

and bring harmony to
the fractured kingdom.

Civil war erupted as the forces
vied for control.

An inscription
describes the moment

the young prince took power,

comparing him to
a mythical bird.

"Suryavarman bounded to
the head of the elephant

of the enemy king,

and killed him
as an eagle might kill a snake."

Suryavarman II
was only 17 years old

when he seized control of
the Khmer empire in 1113 A.D.

This is him right here,

easy to miss among the mile
of gods and spirits

carved into Angkor's walls.

It wasn't unusual at the time
for a rebel to become king.

But for Suryavarman II,

killing the former king
was only the first stage.

He still had to conquer
the rest of an empire

that was in utter disarray.

The crown would only be his

if he could end the turmoil
and unify the land.

It took six long years
for Suryavarman II

to solidify his control
over the vast empire

and conquer
the southern factions.

But now, at last, the entire
Khmer empire was united

Suryavarman's soldiers and
subjects took an oath of loyalty

that strengthened his realm.

"We will serve no other king.

We will sacrifice our lives for
our king in the face of war.

We will be reborn in the 32
hells if we break our oath."

In 1119, at the royal palace
of Angkor,

Suryavarman II officially became
the 18th king

of the Khmer empire.

He was given the royal title
Suryavarman,

"Protector of the sun,"

and was coronated
alongside his queen.

This moment ushered in the
golden age of the Khmer empire.

Suryavarman II
was only 23 years old

when we was crowned ruler

of one of the greatest empires
of Asia.

Just as Khmer kings
had done for centuries,

Suryavarman II
ruled from Angkor,

the seat of the Khmer empire.

But its soul resided
in another place.

Traditionally,
newly crowned Khmer rulers

would make a pilgrimage
to the sacred Phnom Kulen,

a mountain range 25 miles
northeast of Angkor.

Three centuries before
Suryavarman II,

the empire's first monarch,
Jayavarman II,

came to this same mountain
on a similar spiritual journey.

Here, a sacred ritual anointed
him the first supreme ruler,

an event that marked the
founding of the Khmer empire.

This hallowed spot

had deep religious and political
significance for the Khmer

and is still considered holy
by modern Cambodians.

This river was a source of
the ingenious water system

that was key to the wealth and
success of the entire region.

The religion of the early
Khmer empire was Hinduism.

And this sacred mountain
is richly carved

with images of Hindu deities,
including Vishnu.

A thousand linga
rise from the riverbed.

carved over the centuries
during the dry seasons,

these stone phalluses are
symbols of fertility

and the male creative force.

A corresponding female symbol
is the yoni,

a vessel shape that represents
feminine creative energy.

The linga is often
placed upon the yoni.

Together,
the two forms symbolize

the indivisible connection
between male and female--

the union from which
all life springs.

Waters that washed over
these sacred stone carvings

were thought to carry
fertility and abundance

to the lands of the empire.

Metaphorically,
these waters also conveyed

the power of the king
throughout his kingdom.

A king's power
was also expressed

by monumental
architectural structures.

It was customary
for a Khmer ruler

to build one or more temples
during his reign,

usually dedicated
to the god Vishnu.

The third Khmer king,
Indravarman,

built this red brick temple
in 879 A.D.

It's called Preah Ko,

and he built it in honor
of his ancestors.

Banteay Srei temple was built
more than a century later.

Its name means
"Citadel of beauty."

Its famous carvings
are still considered

among the highest achievements
of Khmer art.

The 9th century Bakong temple
with its massive moat

may have inspired
Suryavarman II.

When it came time for
the newly crowned king

to begin planning
for his temple,

he decided to create a structure

that would exceed
all other temples

in both size and grandeur.

He entrusted
this ambitious undertaking

to the same Brahmin priest
who helped him take the throne.

Divakara Pandita would oversee
the planning and construction

of Angkor Wat.

Within the city of Angkor,

Suryavarman's temple would
follow the customary structure

of other khmer shrines.

Khmer temples represent
the mythical mount Meru,

the center of the universe
and home of the gods,

According to Hindu cosmology.

But the temple
Suryavarman planned

was on a scale that would
dwarf all other temples

anywhere in the world.

A scale that would tax
every ounce of skill,

ingenuity and technology
of his entire empire.

Think about this--

In medieval Europe at
around the same time,

people were building cathedrals
that took centuries to complete.

Meanwhile, here in Asia,

the builders of Angkor Wat
somehow created a temple

that was far larger,

and in some ways
more complicated,

in less than four decades.

So how did they do it?

Well, archaeologists and
engineers have been trying

to solve the mysteries of
Angkor Wat's construction

since the 19th century.

And they've managed
to uncover some,

but not all of its secrets.

It was around the year 1120 A.D.

when an army of
construction workers took on

what must have seemed like
mission impossible.

On a swampy forest plain,

they would build
the largest sacred structure

in the known world.

Using only simple tools,
workers prepare the site,

digging the foundation in
the midst of a dense jungle.

One clue to exactly how
they prepared the foundation

was discovered in
the nearby bayon temple,

built several decades
after Angkor Wat.

In this carving,
laborers work side by side,

beating the ground
with long wooden poles.

It's believed
the relief illustrates

how the builders solved one
of the most vexing problems

of Angkor Wat's construction.

Workers used sticks to tamp down
and compact the wet soil,

creating a more
suitable foundation.

They dug a massive hole
in the ground 33 feet deep,

filled it with layers of
sand, pebbles and clay,

and compacted it
until it was hard.

This allowed excess water
to drain

and also stabilized the surface.

It was only after
the foundation was laid

that the structure's
elaborate design was finalized.

The massive compound would be
almost a square mile,

and would be surrounded
by a moat 660 feet wide.

Only a ruler with
Suryavarman II's might,

power and vision could have
imagined a building

constructed on
this grand a scale.

It is estimated
the building required

more than five million tons
of raw materials.

Where did the ancient
temple builders mine

such a tremendous
amount of stone?

Etsuo Uchida [translated]:
Gray sandstone was used

to build Angkor Wat.

It was quarried
from Phnom Kulen,

A mountain over 24 miles
northeast of the site.

Kwon: The sacred mountain
of Phnom Kulen proved

a great resource for
the builders of Angkor Wat.

The mountain's base is

a massive, 22-mile-long
belt of sandstone,

a plentiful source of
high quality building material.

But how did the ancient workers
excavate all that rock?

Uchida: They used iron rods
with sharp ends

and dug a groove the size of
the block they wanted to remove.

Then, they would place a wedge
between the sedimentary layers

where it's easy
to break the rock.

Or in some cases,
several men worked together,

pounding the rock
and breaking it

in order to pry it loose.

Kwon: With only hand tools,

workers removed vast amounts
of rock from the mountain.

It is estimated that it took
a stone cutter at least 10 days

Just to carve a groove
around one block of stone

Weighing more than a ton.

After the groove was carved,
a wedge was placed in the groove

So the rock could be separated.

It took a workforce of thousands

to cut just a few hundred
blocks of stone each day.

More than 600,000 high quality
sandstone blocks were used

in the construction
of Angkor Wat--

five million tons of sandstone.

Because the builders
used no mortar,

Blocks had to be precisely cut
with utterly smooth surfaces.

Olivier Cunin [translated]:
A system lifted a stone block

just slightly
above another stone,

and then workers pushed it
back and forth

in order to grind the two
surfaces and make it smooth.

Kwon: Another relief
in Bayon temple

has a detailed depiction
of how this method worked.

Workers used poles and ropes

to lift one stone
just above another,

then the top stone was
rubbed back and forth

against the stone below.

After thousands of repetitions,

the block obtained
a smooth surface.

Exactly which Phnom Kulen quarry
the stones came from

remains a mystery.

But a Japanese research team
from Waseda University

recently tested the stone's
magnetic properties.

Their findings reveal
each stone's approximate age

and geological distribution.

But matching the stones back
to a particular place or quarry

in this mountainous belt
is not simple or safe.

Uchida: Magnetic susceptibility

is the inclination of rock
to be drawn to a magnet.

By measuring this,

we can tell that they used
seven different quarries

during the various
different ages.

Unfortunately, it's impossible
to conduct research

to find the exact location of
the quarries in Phnom Kulen,

because the place is
littered with mines.

But according to research

conducted by the French School
of the Far East,

there were numerous quarries
at Phnom Kulen.

Kwon:
Landmines left from Cambodia's
20th century civil war

still litter the countryside,
making research dangerous.

Although the exact quarry
locations are unknown,

testing reveals that stone used
in 30 Angkor area temples

came from seven different
Phnom Kulen quarries.

However, nearly all of the
stones of the Angkor Wat temple

have magnetic levels
of around three.

This means that the stones used
to build the Angkor Wat temple

almost certainly came
from a single quarry

in the Mount Kulen region.

The massive cut stones were
transported over 25 miles

to Angkor using elephants
as well as slave labor.

Rods were drilled
into the huge blocks,

so they could be
pushed and pulled.

Laborers also used bamboo rafts

to float the stone on a
labyrinth of canals and rivers.

A river called the Siem Reap

flows most of the way
to the building site

and then connects to
a large natural lake

just south of Angkor.

After a journey
of several weeks,

they enter the last canal,

and the rafts reach their final
destination at Angkor Wat.

Over the 37 years it took
to build the temple,

experts estimate that at least
20,000 people a day were needed.

A throng of people who had to be
transported, housed and fed.

It was a huge workforce
by 12th century standards.

This great labor force suggests
the city as a whole

also had a large population.

But how large?

One clue comes from
a nearby temple,

built later in the same century.

According to an inscription
in Preah Khan,

97,480 village personnel were
assigned to this smaller temple,

while 100,000 farmers and slaves

contributed to
the temple's maintenance.

Based on this, experts estimate

that the population of the Khmer
capital was at least 700,000.

This means Angkor's population
probably exceeded that

of all 12th century cities.

Paris had only 100,000 people
at the time,

and London had just 70,000.

Only China's Kaifeng city
was similar in size.

One secret to how Angkor
supported this large population

lies in an ingenious system
of waterways.

Then, as now, agriculture
centered on rice

grown on the Angkor plain.

In addition to rice, other
grains, fruits and vegetables

were also cultivated,
just as they are today.

The success of this economy

depended on the huge
Lake Tonle Sap,

just south of ancient Angkor.

Irrigation canals assured
one or more harvests,

even in drought years.

The lake was also
a rich source of food.

A 13th century visitor wrote,

"The lake waters are
so full of fish,

it is difficult
to row your boat."

Suryavarman's kingdom
was strong and wealthy.

But could it really build
so massive a temple

on a scale never before seen?

The young king was determined
to see angkor wat completed

in his lifetime.

He also sought to extend
his kingdom's borders.

He was drawn to the eastern edge
of the empire,

where an invasion and conquest

would have been
a political asset.

Occupying what is now
South Vietnam,

the powerful Champa kingdom
controlled the coast

and trade routes
long coveted by the Khmer.

Beginning early in his reign,

Suryavarman II led
a series of invasions

into neighboring territories.

According to inscriptions,
in one battle,

the king led a force of
700 ships and 20,000 soldiers.

Armed only with bows,
arrows and spears,

the warriors fought
their enemies hand to hand.

Another inscription describes
a different invasion

in Suryavarman's career.

"The ruler of Angkor turned
his ambitions for conquest

towards the Cham people.

He invaded,
taking the capital city

and becoming the ruler
of the territory."

The Khmer kingdom
solidified its control

of most of
the Indochina peninsula,

including much of modern day
Thailand, Laos and Vietnam.

The Khmer armies took prisoners,

and together with other slaves
in the empire,

they were likely used as forced
labor to construct Angkor Wat.

The huge construction project
was made possible

by slave labor.

But it couldn't solve
an unanticipated

and alarming
engineering problem.

The first stone structures
built on the site collapsed.

And the human cost was high.

The success of the entire
project was at stake.

No amount of slave labor
could overcome

the most serious challenge
the builders faced.

The site itself was a swamp and
seemed completely unsuitable

for a building the size and
weight of the proposed temple.

The soil was spongy
and hard to work with,

and water would flood
in one season,

then drain away the next.

These days, engineers would use
heavy machinery

and reinforced concrete
to tame nature's fury,

but the Khmer builders had
to be a bit more creative.

And their solution became

one of the ancient world's
greatest feats of engineering.

Angkor Wat is surrounded
by a gigantic moat.

More than 600 feet wide,

it contains tens of millions
of gallons of water.

To the Hindu, the original
designers of the temple,

the moat symbolized
the cosmic ocean.

But besides its religious
significance,

it turns out the moat
also has a practical purpose.

Because this is swampland,
without the moat,

the monsoon rains would
seep into the earth

and push the buildings up.

Then, in the dry season,

the water would drain
out of the land,

making the buildings crumble.

The huge moat
surrounding the complex

actually stabilizes
the water content of the earth

under the temple,

keeping it consistent year round
so the earth doesn't heave.

And they found other
remarkable solutions

to the challenges of
pre-industrial construction.

Hans Leisen: We have
an artificial mountain.

And we are sitting
on the first floor.

They built case from stone,

and then they filled with sands
and densified very much.

And then, the next case.

And so, step by step,
they got the mountain.

And we can see inside the sand,
and there's laterite,

which is this specific brownish
stone in tropic countries,

and then outside
there's the sandstone.

Kwon: The central tower
of Angkor Wat

reaches 213 feet into the sky.

The ancient architects
had to figure out

how to stack the massive stones
without machinery.

First, they built earthen ramps.

Then, laborers and elephants
dragged the stones up the ramps.

Finally, it's believed
they erected scaffolding

and lifted each stone
to the top.

Remarkably, the temple was built
from the inside out.

The tallest central tower
was erected first.

Then, the surrounding towers
were built.

And finally, the outer galleries
and walls were added.

The builders raised
these columns

made from single blocks
weighing a much as seven tons.

They used a simple
but brilliant method

for setting up the 1,532 columns
around the temple complex.

Angkor Wat has survived,
fairly intact,

for nearly 900 years--

An achievement that surely
would have pleased its builders.

But the swampy site and
Cambodia's tropical climate

have definitely taken a toll
on these buildings.

Although some intricate
sandstone features

show few signs of their age,

others have worn away
and decayed.

Certain original features,
like the gold leaf ornamentation

that would have awed
early visitors,

are gone forever, looted after
the Khmer empire's decline.

When it was completed
around 1150 A.D.,

Angkor Wat was the biggest
building in the world--

about the size of
11 football fields.

Now, teams of scientists and
archaeologists have spent years

trying to figure out

what the temple might have
looked like in its heyday.

And they've pieced together
the puzzle,

data point by data point.

And now, with the help of
21st century technology,

we can finally get a glimpse of
Angkor Wat's original splendor.

Cunin: Many of the structures
were close to white.

But some of the sculptures
were glazed in many colors.

Most of the surviving colors
are a yellowish brown or red.

That's because the pigments
had an iron oxide base,

which lasts for a long time.

But the other colors such as
blue, yellow and green

have all disappeared.

Kwon: The exterior walls and
columns were most likely white

from a coating of lime.

But it was the roofing material

that dominated
the look of the temple.

The towers were most likely
covered in gold,

which deteriorated
over the centuries

after Angkor Wat was built.

Some historians believe that

the towers may have
even been regilded

by one or more of the rulers
who followed Suryavarman II.

It is easy to imagine that
the plaster on all of the towers

was used as a base layer
for the gilding,

which made the entire structure
extremely ornate

and visually striking.

This computer image was created
based on the opinions

and research of scholars.

White plastered walls contrast

with the golden lintels
and towers.

On a bright day,

the entire temple would have
sparkled in the sun.

Suryavarman II didn't live

to see his fantastic temple
completed.

But he probably saw it in the
later stages of construction.

What did the king feel

as he saw this magnificent
structure taking shape?

It was a palace fit for a god.

And he must have known
it would also become his tomb.

Only fragments of the wood

that once covered the interior
stone walls still remain.

It's believed the wood
was highly decorated,

inlaid and ornamented with
a wide variety of patterns.

Gilded doors
divided the chambers.

and the gallery
walls and ceilings

would have been
lavishly adorned.

Since the king first set eyes
on these galleries,

millions more have journeyed
to admire these dramatic scenes.

The carvings encircle
the entire outer gallery,

from floor to ceiling.

Measuring 2,600 feet,

it is the longest continuous
bas relief in the world.

In the north gallery,

this famous relief called
the Battle of Kurushetra

depicts an ancient combat scene
from Indian history

retold in the epic work,
the Mahabharata.

Angkor Wat's walls are covered

with 12,900 square feet
of bas relief carvings.

Executed with great skill
and artistic sophistication,

the reliefs are considered a
masterpiece in their own right.

These carvings cover multiple
blocks of sandstone

and are so perfectly
fitted together

that the seams are
almost invisible.

Even the detailed lintels
at the top of the walls

are carved from
the same stone blocks.

Each artist would cut away
layers of the wall

and then carve the reliefs
directly into the stone.

Hundreds of highly skilled
carvers worked side by side

to complete the work
in only decades.

Experts admire not only

the expressive human figures
in the carvings,

but also the remarkable
perspective

these early artists
were able to achieve.

Continuing along to
the southern gallery,

visitors encounter
a 260-foot depiction

of Suryavarman II's
full royal procession.

Military leaders, priests,
musicians, standard bearers,

servants, and royalty all take
their place in this carving.

The carving's centerpiece
is the famous portrait

of Suryavarman II himself.

Lingering traces of gold
hint at its former splendor.

Leisen: Maybe the king
was partly gilded.

We can see some of the gildings
on the relief of Suryavarman II.

Kwon: The famous portrait
of the king was gilded

and surrounded by red--

the color symbolizing
protection and strength.

Continuing to
the east side gallery,

a visitor finds perhaps
the most famous and revered

of all the reliefs--

the churning of the sea of milk.

It depicts Vishnu and Devas,

the benevolent Hindu gods,

and the Ashuras, the evil gods,

all pulling on a great snake

to churn the cosmic sea
in search of eternal life.

Their struggle released
countless deities,

including the beautiful nymphs
called Apsaras.

In the northern gallery is
a battle of the gods and demons.

This epic battle scene
illustrates

the pantheon of 21 Hindu gods

battling alongside
human warriors.

Led by Vishnu, the gods of good
defeat the evil gods.

And as Suryavarman II
was considered

an earthly avatar of Vishnu,

the scene celebrates
his reign as well.

It could be said that
the entire temple of Angkor Wat

is a single work of art.

The artifacts and engraved
scenes aren't simply ornaments

installed in the temple,

They're carved into
the very structure itself.

Once the enormous blocks
were in place,

artists chiseled symbols,
figures and deities

into virtually every surface
of the sandstone.

All of this dazzling creation

forged into one extraordinary
and sacred sculpture.

Of all the carvings, these are
some of the most popular.

They're called Apsaras, or
in English, celestial nymphs--

supernatural women who were said
to dance for the gods.

They supposedly had the power
to change their shapes

or influence whether
a gambler won or lost.

But someone wasn't
taking any chances.

There are nearly 1,800 of them
depicted all around the temple.

1,796 full body sculptures
of divine women

were carved at Angkor Wat.

With a wide variety
of facial features,

hairstyles and headdresses,
no two are exactly alike.

These temple guardians
and dancers

were probably based
on actual women

residing near the temple
in the 12th century.

Apsaras are everywhere you look
in the temple,

standing alone in meditation
or sometimes in pairs or groups.

Each pose of these dancers
has a meaning,

and together, the movements
of the dance tell a story.

It's a form of dance still very
much alive in modern Cambodia.

Called the Apsara dance,

this art form has passed
from generation to generation

in an unbroken line

from the time of Suryavarman II
and before.

According to hindu mythology,

the gods made
600 million Apsaras

when they created the universe.

And these celestial nymphs
were released to the world

when the deities churned
the cosmic sea of milk.

The temple of Angkor Wat
probably had 3,000 or more

Apsara dancers assigned to it,

to entertain the king and his
visitors, as well as the gods.

The Apsara dance almost died out
in the 1970s

during Cambodia's
Khmer Rouge regime.

Dancers at the time
were targeted

as intellectuals and elitist,
and they were killed.

Today, this ancient dance
is once again

a visible part
of Cambodian culture.

It has been recently revived by
dancers studying apsara carvings

at Angkor Wat.

Leaving behind
the outer galleries,

a visitor would next reach
the second level of Angkor Wat.

Here, columns border
a cross-shaped gallery

that mimics the layout of
the temple's central level.

These galleries lead the way
to a large pool

where the king and the brahmins
purified themselves

before performing rituals
to the gods.

Here, lingering traces of colors
that covered the surfaces

suggest how the temple
once looked.

Uchida: At the center
of the cruciform gallery

is a column which is colored
in five layers of paint

that alternates
Between white and red.

First, they used red pigment
on a white background.

In the next generation,

they painted using red pigment
on a white background again.

Although we don't know why,

they finally covered
everything in white,

so it currently looks pink.

Kwon: Every trace of
ancient residue adds clues

to Angkor Wat's glory as
its royal patron once saw it.

As in many Hindu temples,

the five towers of Angkor Wat
represent the five peaks

of sacred Mount Meru,

the residence of the gods
in the ancient tradition.

The highest tower soars as high
as Notre Dame Cathedral.

In all, 10 stairways lead
to the central tower--

a deviation from temples
built earlier,

such as the 11th century
Baphuon.

Pascal Royere [translated]:
In the case of Baphuon,

the four stairways on the four
sides were added later on

because of safety issues.

The stairways were added
in order to solve problems

which arose during
the construction of Baphuon.

But in Angkor Wat, they were
included in the plans

from the very beginning
of construction.

As a result, a new and very
special style of architecture

was created.

Kwon: All the stairways except
those in the central corridor

are too steep to climb
with ease.

These features are thought
to be a reminder

that the path to enlightenment
is not easy.

The moat symbolizing
the great cosmic sea

encloses 500 acres of land

where the temple of Angkor Wat
sits at its majestic center.

Although it is now
a Buddhist sanctuary,

Angkor Wat was built as
a Hindu temple honoring Vishnu,

the Hindu god Suryavarman II
was closely associated with.

As impressive and inspiring
as they are now,

the towers were surely
once even more so,

when their gold
gleamed in the sun.

Inside the highest tower
was a central sanctuary,

where the king built
a shrine to Vishnu.

A golden statue of Vishnu
reigned over the entire temple

from this place of honor.

Long after the reign
of Suryavarman II,

when the Khmer empire
became a Buddhist nation,

the statue of Vishnu
was replaced

with a likeness of Buddha,
which remains to this day.

In the mid 12th century,

when Suryavarman II visited his
nearly completed masterpiece,

he was nearing the end
of his life and his reign.

Suryavarman II's rule
is considered

the golden age of
the Khmer empire,

and Angkor Wat is the ultimate
symbol of his dynasty.

It's not known exactly
when the king died.

It was probably around
the year 1150 A.D.,

not long after the completion
of the temple.

What happened next is unclear,

because there are no records
for the period after his death.

But what we do know is that
it was a time of great turmoil.

The next king reigned
only briefly

before war and discord
began sapping the empire

of its strength.

Suryavarman had conquered
his part of the world,

expanded his empire
and successfully created

one of the world's
greatest monuments.

But of all his achievements,

only Angkor Wat would
stand the test of time.

The image of Angkor Wat has
graced the Cambodian flag

since 1953, and it remains
a source of great pride

for modern Cambodians.

Over the course of
his four-decade rule,

Suryavarman II increased
the Khmer empire

by more than
100,000 square miles,

establishing himself
as a great warrior king.

When he was entombed
in his own greatest creation,

he was given the posthumous name
Paramavishnuloka,

or "He who has entered
the heavenly world of Vishnu."

After he died, the Khmer empire
fell into disarray.

Opposing factions
vied for power,

and the country suffered
invasions by neighboring forces.

Today Angkor Wat is
a cherished reminder

of the khmer empire's past glory

and a source of great pride
in modern Cambodia.

A UNESCO world heritage site,

it draws a million visitors
per year from around the globe.

Symbol, temple,
tomb, and treasure,

Angkor Wat is a masterpiece of
ancient monumental architecture.

It has few rivals
anywhere on earth.