Angkor Wat
Angkor Wat (; , "Capital Temple") is a temple complex in Cambodia and one of the largest
religious monuments in the world, on a site measuring . Originally constructed as a Hindu temple dedicated to the god Vishnu for the Khmer Empire, it was gradually transformed into a Buddhist temple towards the end of the 12th century. It was built by the Khmer King Suryavarman II in the early 12th century in Yaśodharapura (, present-day Angkor), the capital of the Khmer Empire, as his state temple and eventual mausoleum. Breaking from the Shaiva tradition of previous kings, Angkor Wat was instead dedicated to Vishnu. As the best-preserved temple at the site, it is the only one to have remained a significant religious centre since its foundation. The temple is at the top of the high classical style of Khmer architecture. It has become a symbol of Cambodia, appearing on its national flag, and it is the country's prime attraction for visitors.
German Apsara Conservation Project
Angkor Wat is generally considered to be the largest religious stone monument in the world and much of the surface of this extraordinary temple is decorated with carvings in bas-relief of battle scenes, of triumphant processions, of religious scenes and of single or groups of female figures. Nearly 1,850 of these female figures, popularly known as Apsaras, adorn the surface of Angkor Wat and some of them are in an extremely alarming state of decay. Several of the reliefs have already fallen victim to the ravages of time.