A Legacy in Stone and Wood: An Encyclopedia of Khmer Architecture

A Legacy in Stone and Wood: An Encyclopedia of Khmer Architecture
Chapter 1: The Axis of the World: Cosmos, Kings, and the Architectural Genius of Angkor Wat To approach Angkor Wat is to approach a stone ocean. One first encounters not a building, but a vast, shimmering moat, a body of water so immense it feels like a sea separating our mundane world from a sacred continent. Crossing the long sandstone causeway, the visitor is drawn toward a form that gradually resolves itself from a distant, mountain-like silhouette into one of the most sublime and complex structures ever conceived by humanity. Angkor Wat is far more than a temple; it is the supreme expression of the Khmer Empire at the apex of its power. It is at once a three-dimensional diagram of the Hindu cosmos, a powerful political proclamation of its king, and the defining masterpiece of a unique and brilliant architectural style. The Temple as Cosmos The fundamental genius of Angkor Wat lies in its conception as a perfect microcosm of the universe. The entire complex is a meticulously planned …