Angkor Wat

Hidden deep in Cambodia jungle, the mighty temple of Angkor Wat is a humbling representation of the Hindu universe. And there’s an incredible story behind its construction. A usurper king who seizes the throne by murdering his great uncle, King Suryavarman II,seeks to justify his reign over the enormous Khmer Empire with this towering monument to Hindu god Vishnu. Parallax Film Productions reveals the history of engineering the largest stone temple in the world.

King Suryavarman II and his magnificent vision: the history of engineering Cambodia’s Angkor Wat, the largest stone temple in the world.

This ancient megastructure will also serve as the new king’s mausoleum and personal heaven for the afterlife. Suryavarman’s vision is one of staggering ambition – this documentary profiles the history of its architecture. The largest of Angkor Wat’s five huge towers climbs 65 meters into the sky, surrounded by a network of concentric courtyards, causeways and outbuildings, all enclosed by an enormous 200 meter wide moat. Khmer workers cut and transport at least 300 blocks of sandstone weighing from three to fifteen tonnes every day to ensure the temple is finished in the usurper king’s lifetime.

Completed in only thirty-five years, Angkor Wat remains one of the largest and awe-inspiring religious monuments ever built.