Khmer architecture
Religious stone architecture of the Khmer Empire's Angkor period.
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Khmer architecture is a distinct style that evolved from Indian influences, developing its own unique characteristics.[1] These structures consisted of small cells made from prefabricated megalithic parts dating at least from the second century BC.[2]
Geography and history
The Khmer civilization flourished between the early ninth and mid-fifteenth century, with shifting boundaries between Thai and Vietnamese neighbors.[3] Jayavarman VII (ca. 1120–1218) ruled a consolidated Khmer kingdom from 1181–1218, uniting fragmented Khmer and Cham states.[3] He was responsible for massive building projects in his Khmer kingdom.[3] Religion, including Hinduism, Mahāyāna Buddhism, and local Cambodian religion, was a key component of Khmer society.[3]
Over time different Khmer rulers endorsed one or more religious systems to their own advantage.[3] The Bakong's striking similarity to Borobudur in Java suggests Borobudur might have served as its prototype.[4] King Indravarman I consecrated the Bakong, a stepped pyramid with five levels, in 881, marking it as the earliest significant temple mountain.[5] The central sanctuary symbolically stood for Mount Meru, the fabled abode of Hindu deities.[6]
What the cited sources add
Nietupski notes that evidence for "Indianization" includes the Khmer's extensive use of Sanskrit for official inscriptions and religious discourse.[3] The same author states that representations of divinities and royalty show Khmer facial features, including rounder faces and broader brows.[3] Jayavarman VII's reign extended from about 1181 to 1218, according to Nietupski.[3] The proliferation of Mahāyāna Buddhist images and epigraphs helps consider components of medieval Khmer identity.[3]
Inscriptions and monuments studied by Nietupski represent the multi-faceted Khmer political and religious vision focused on Buddhism in Jayavarman VII's time.[3]
References
- Wikipedia, "Khmer architecture" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Advisory body evaluation", UNESCO.org; Bruyn, "Frommer's India", John Wiley & Sons, 18 February 2010, p. 333–; "Angkor", UNESCO.org; Nietupski, "Medieval Khmer Society: The Life and Times of Jayavarman VII (ca. 1120-1218)", ASIANetwork Exchange, 2019, p. 33–74 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Khmer architecture" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Gabel, "Earliest Khmer Stone Architecture and its Origin: A Case Study of Megalithic Remains and Spirit Belief at the Site of Vat Phu.", Journal of Global Archaeology, 2022 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Nietupski, "Medieval Khmer Society: The Life and Times of Jayavarman VII (ca. 1120-1218)", ASIANetwork Exchange, 2019, p. 33–74. facts only, no text reused. asianetworkexchange.org
- Wikipedia, "Khmer architecture" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: David G. Marr, Anthony Crothers Milner, "Southeast Asia in the 9th to 14th Centuries", Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, Singapore, 1986, p. 244 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Khmer architecture" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Jessup, Art & Architecture of Cambodia, pp. 73 ff. (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Khmer architecture" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: See Glaize, Monuments of the Angkor Group, pp. 26 ff. (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article Khmer architecture (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.
More in Architectural Styles And Landmarks
Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Khmer architecture (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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