Architecture
Angkor Wat
Siem Reap, Cambodia
Built for King Suryavarman II as a Hindu temple and later used for Buddhist worship, it is among the largest religious monuments in the world.
Built: Early 12th century · Style: Khmer
Temples of South and Southeast Asia
Stupas, towers and temple cities of the Hindu and Buddhist traditions, compared across centuries.
The places
Architecture
Borobudur
Central Java, Indonesia
A Buddhist monument of stacked terraces decorated with thousands of relief panels and many stupas.
Built: 9th century · Style: Buddhist monument
Architecture
Brihadisvara Temple
Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu, India
Built by Rajaraja Chola I, with a 66-metre tower topped by a single granite capstone. It is the finest example of Chola architecture.
Built: c. 1010 · Style: Chola Dravidian
Architecture
Meenakshi Temple
Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India
The temple complex is crowned by towering gateway towers called gopurams, covered in thousands of brightly painted sculptures.
Built: Mostly 16th–17th century · Style: Dravidian
Architecture
Konark Sun Temple
Odisha, India
A temple designed as a colossal chariot of the sun god, with carved stone wheels and richly sculpted walls.
Built: 13th century · Style: Kalinga
Architecture
Khajuraho Temples
Madhya Pradesh, India
Medieval temples famous for the detailed sculptures covering their walls, which depict gods, musicians, dancers and everyday life.
Built: 950–1050 · Style: Nagara
Architecture
Sanchi Stupa
Madhya Pradesh, India
The Great Stupa, a solid dome ringed by four carved gateways, is among the oldest stone structures in India and a centre of Buddhist art.
Built: From the 3rd century BCE · Style: Buddhist stupa
Architecture
Shwedagon Pagoda
Yangon, Myanmar
A gilded stupa rising above Yangon, surrounded by shrines and covered in gold plates.
Built: Ancient origins, present form 18th century · Style: Burmese stupa
Architecture
Potala Palace
Lhasa, Tibet, China
A white-and-red palace-fortress high above Lhasa, once the winter home of the Dalai Lamas, with over a thousand rooms.
Built: 17th century · Style: Tibetan