I guess Angkor Wat needs no introduction to most of you. Its considered to be the biggest religious structure in the world.

From the Wiki: "Angkor Wat combines two basic plans of Khmer temple architecture: the temple mountain and the later galleried temple. It is designed to represent Mount Meru, home of the gods in Hindu mythology: within a moat and an outer wall 3.6 km (2.2 miles) long are three rectangular galleries, each raised above the next. At the centre of the temple stands a quincunx of towers. Unlike most Angkorian temples, Angkor Wat is oriented to the west; scholars are divided as to the significance of this. The temple is admired for the grandeur and harmony of the architecture, its extensive bas-reliefs and for the numerous devatas (guardian spirits) adorning its walls."

There are two interpretations on why the temple faces west, one says its because its a Vishnu temple and the other says that it was meant to be a funerary temple for Suryavarman II who built it.

From the Lonely Planet guide: "Famous for its beguiling apsaras, more than 3000 are carved into the walls of the temple, each of them unique and there are more than 30 different hairstyles for budding stylists to check out. Many of these exquisite apsara were damaged during Indian efforts to clean the temples with chemicals during the 1980s"

The 190 m wide moat forms a giant rectangle 1.5km by 1.3km within which the temple is housed which gives an idea of the size of this colossal building.

The bas-reliefs have an interesting way of depicting action, from the horse in Bas reliefs 3 see if you can make out what I mean ...

Below are a few photos of Angkor Wat.