1.It’s home to impressive architecture

It’s difficult to imagine modern-day architects using today’s technology creating something as magnificent as Angkor, so given that it dates back to the 12th century, it’s quite impressive. Carvings, bas reliefs, corridors, towers, baths, libraries, and moats abound. And each has withstood the test of time.

2.It’s a UNESCO World Heritage site

Angkor Archaeological Park was designated a World Heritage Site in 1992. The reason given was that it is home to the ancient capitals of the Khmer Empire, also known as the Angkor Empire, and contains some of the “most remarkable architectural and artistic achievements of the ancient world” – need we say more?

3.It’s the centre of the Khmer Empire

Angkor Wat is one of the Khmer Empire’s most enduring legacies. From 802 A.D. until the fall of Angkor in the 15th century, the Hindu-Buddhist empire ruled over vast swaths of Southeast Asia. Angkor was the world’s largest pre-industrial urban center during its peak (from the 11th to 12th centuries), as evidenced by the structures. Angkor Wat was the empire’s capital from 802 to 1295.

4.It embodies Hinduism

Angkor Wat, the ultimate record of Cambodia’s religious transition, is based on the Hindu version of the universe and was originally built as a Hindu temple for the god Vishnu. The park itself is thought to contain over 200 Hindu temples, the highest concentration outside of India.

4.It’s the world’s largest religious structure

If records are important to you, Angkor Wat has several, including being the world’s largest religious monument, with a 154-square-meter site. Angkor Wat, located in the heart of Angkor Archaeological Park, is the most well-known of the hundreds of temples that dot the site.

4.It’s got some amazing art

On its walls, Angkor has nearly 2,000 carvings of apsara – celestial female spirits – as well as other detailed etchings of Hindu and Buddhist myths. A stegosaurus dinosaur carving is carved into one of Ta Prohm’s walls, which is unusual given that dinosaurs became extinct 65 million years ago. See if you can locate it.