The Khmer empire, which at its height covered the whole of present-day Combodia and most of Thailand, flourished for over 500 years. At its heart was Angkor Wat, the largest religious monument
in the world, built during the region of the Khmer king Suryavarman II, in the first half of the 12th century. The temple was dedicated to Vishnu, and its magnificent architecture mirrored in
microcosm the entire Hindu universe. To enhance its sacred nature, over 600 metres of bas-reliefs were carved on the walls of the third enclosure illustrating battles and processions, Heavens
and Hells and the creation myth.
The gradual reading of the reliefs as pages of an ancient book unravel the religious and secular symbolism with which Angkor Wat was imbued by the Khmers in the XII century. Aided by the
photography of Jaroslav Poncar, Vittorio Roveda reveals the iconographic intricacies of this magnificent temple as never before.
